Google’s Quest to Be Everywhere — and Nowhere
Apple left the door to the smart home wide open, and Google is ready to walk on in
A few years ago, Apple’s hardware lineup was unrivaled: It was the only company creating an array of related, deeply integrated devices that worked with each other to make your life easier. Everything Apple made “just worked” with all of the company’s other products — no fussing or setup required.
Now it looks like Google is poised to become the company that “just works.”
At a press event yesterday, Google unveiled a slew of Pixel- and Nest-branded devices, including a new Wi-Fi router, smart speakers and displays, and headphones. Together, they could make Google, a company that began seriously dabbling in physical hardware only a few years ago, the new simplicity king.
The new Pixel 4 phone, which has a 90-hertz screen, dual back cameras, and a hot orange color option, is a key part of that story. Dubbed the “Google Phone,” it’s the gateway to all of the company’s software products — which many of us use all day anyway — and a diving board for the rest of the company’s services. Facial recognition, new motion-control technology, and a capable smart assistant that works consistently across devices are key to the next era of Google’s ecosystem.
