Google launches the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL soon, and is expected to officially announce the handsets at a special event early next month. We've seen a few leaks relating to the two new devices, and it would seem that the smaller model will retain the bezels that made the Pixel 2 so divisive while the XL edition opts for a 'Face notch' at the top of the screen and a worryingly big 'chin' at the bottom.
However, phones aside, it would seem that Google has another big hardware announcement to make next month – and it could make home smart hubs like Google Home and Amazon Alexa redundant.
App developer Kieron Quinn has discovered - with some help from the lovely people over at XDA Developers - that Google appears to be working on a stand which transforms your phone into a fully-fledged home hub, capable of performing pretty much every role the existing Google Hub Home can do.
This includes displaying weather updates, setting reminders, setting timers, making calls, reading your messages, playing music, setting alarms and summing up the day's news – as well as playing games.
While the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are rumoured to have wireless charging, it is understood that this 'Pixel Stand' will require a physical USB Type-C connection to your phone in order to function. When docked, the phone's display switches to a series of bold, easy-to-parse animations. You can interact with the phone's touchscreen as normal, although the UI will be streamlined.
9to5Google has discovered a series of animations in the latest version of the Google app which show what the UI could end up looking like.
If this does turn out to be the real deal, then it's a bold play from Google – especially when it has invested so much into its smart hub range of late. However, it makes sense; those who don't own a Pixel device can still pick up the audio-controlled Google Home range while the Pixel Stand offers a more up-to-date alternative – a hub which not only does all the usual stuff, but also offers visual feedback and information. Amazon is already expanding into the realm of smart hubs with screens, so Google could steal a march on the retail giant with this device.
Given that all of this remains speculation until Google officially confirms it, we don't know anything about the release date or price, but if Google can give this a reasonable RRP (and at the end of the day, all it is is a glorified charging stand – the phone is doing all the hard work), then we could see it become a must-have accessory.
by dmcferran via Featured Articles
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