Google buyer’s guide - Everything you need to know about Google hardware - Android
At this point, there are very few people on the planet who don’t know the word Google. The company’s web search product is part of daily life now for billions of people, with even the term “Google it” becoming something we say regularly.
While lots of people know all about Google’s web presence, the hardware products the company offers might confuse many people. Between its line of Pixel smartphones, its smart home offerings under its Nest branding, and its latest entries in the audio space, there’s a lot to parse through. This article should help clear up any confusion!
Below, you’ll find all the info you need on the current state of Google hardware. We also include a quick primer on each type of product the company offers, giving special consideration to its Pixel phones (this is Android Authority, after all).
Simply put, Google is one of the biggest and most successful companies in the history of humanity. Starting in 1998, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin rolled out the Google search engine, a simple way to find things on the internet. It was an immediate sensation.
Over time, Google pushed out more software-based services. These include the world’s most popular email platform, Gmail; Google Calendar, the gold standard for online scheduling; Google Maps, which is used by a billion people every month; and Google AdSense, the advertising platform that earns the company the bulk of its revenue.
Related: Google turns twenty: The 20 biggest milestones in its history
It wouldn’t be until 2010, though, that Google would roll out its first official hardware product: the Google Nexus One, an Android-powered smartphone. Co-created with HTC, the Nexus One represented Google’s first big push into the mobile world.
Lots of Nexus-branded phones and tablets would follow, each co-created by Google and another company. It wouldn’t be until 2016, believe it or not, that Google would push out its first bonafide smartphone that it designed and produced itself. This would be known as the Google Pixel, the first entry in the Pixel phone line that still runs today.
Google has produced smartphones for over a decade, but it has many other hardware products as well.
Google has also created laptops that run on its Chrome OS platform, controllers for its cloud gaming service Stadia, home Wi-Fi routers, and media streaming devices. It’s also created a variety of smart home products that now exist under the Nest branding (Nest being a company that Google acquired in 2014 for $3.2 billion).
Although Google will likely always be thought of as a search engine first, its hardware offerings are becoming more popular than ever.
There are a few different categories of Google’s hardware offerings. We’ve broken them down for you below and included descriptions of the latest-and-greatest products within each category. In the next section down, you’ll find a separate listing focused solely on Google’s smartphones.
One thing Google is known for is entering industries with gusto and then exiting shortly thereafter. As such, we are ignoring product categories from the company that are no longer active, such as Google Daydream (its one and only virtual reality product) and Google Clips (its short-lived standalone camera device).
Google has released several different laptops and tablets over the years. These devices always run one of the two Google-owned operating systems: Android and Chrome OS. Google has never made a Windows, iOS, or macOS product.
Google’s most recent laptop is the Google Pixelbook Go from 2019. This iteration of the Google Pixelbook from 2017 is smaller and cheaper while coming in two new colors: Just Black and Not Pink. Although we suspect there will eventually be a Google Pixelbook 2, we have no confirmation of when we might see that launch.
Related: The best Chromebooks you can buy right now
The most recent tablet in the family is the Google Pixel Slate. Similar to the line of Microsoft Surface 2-in-1 PCs, the Pixel Slate is a Chrome OS-powered tablet that is designed to act as a laptop when connected to the optional keyboard. Unfortunately, Google has announced its intentions to exit the tablet market entirely, so the Pixel Slate is expected to be the first and last of its kind.
It has been nearly five years since Google released an Android-powered tablet, and it’s never launched an Android-powered laptop. However, most recent Chrome OS devices — including the Pixelbook Go and Pixel Slate — support Android applications.
Nest Labs started in 2010 and quickly released its first product: a Wi-Fi-connected learning thermostat. It eventually launched smart smoke/CO2 detectors as well as its first home security camera.
Google bought Nest in 2014. Since then, the company has issued updated versions of the company’s original products while also launching a few new ones. Every Nest product is centered on a few main characteristics: Wi-Fi and internet-connection, integration with Google Assistant, and designed exclusively for in-home use.
Related: Smart home devices: The best you can buy
The Nest Cam IQ is the company’s most recent security camera. There are indoor and outdoor models, but either one will notify you when the camera captures motion or sound.
A similar product is the Nest Hello, a video doorbell. It also has a motion/sound-activated camera but incorporates a doorbell chime. This device works well in tandem with the Nest x Yale smart lock, which does not feature a camera.
The most famous Nest products, though, are the ones that Google originally released under its own branding. These would be the Google Nest Mini (aka the Google Home Mini), which is one of the world’s most popular smart speakers. The Google Nest Hub (aka the Google Home Hub) is a similar product but features a touchscreen display.
Finally, Google offers a mesh router system called Google Nest Wifi. The latest version of this product incorporates the powers of a Nest Mini in the main base.
At the end of 2019, Google took the wraps off its very first product designed exclusively for gaming: the Google Stadia controller. The controller is designed to be used with the Stadia gaming service, which allows you to play games on Google’s cloud servers. This eliminates the need for you to own a high-end gaming PC or expensive home console, as you can stream a small selection of titles on your TV, laptop, or even your phone.
Related: What is cloud gaming?
Stadia is designed to work best on a TV with Google’s media streaming device, known as a Chromecast. The Chromecast is a small dongle that connects to an HDMI port on your television. Once connected to your home network, you can “cast” media from your phone, tablet, or laptop to the screen. Chromecasts do not have a remote — you must control it from a separate device, which in most cases is an Android or iOS smartphone.
As of right now, Google does not offer a standalone media streamer, like a Roku or Amazon Fire TV. However, one is very likely coming soon.
There have been quite a few audio-centric products from Google. We’ve already mentioned the Google Nest Mini smart speaker, but that’s hardly a traditional audio speaker. For better-sounding audio, Google offers the Google Home and Google Home Max. However, these two speakers are quite old and will likely be replaced soon with a Nest-branded alternative.
Google also formerly offered a variant of its Chromecast dongle known as Chromecast Audio. It allowed you to cast audio streams to “dumb” speakers you already own. This was a perfect solution for people who wanted a connected home speaker system but didn’t want one of Google’s speakers. Unfortunately, Google discontinued Chromecast Audio, although you can still find them if you look hard enough and are willing to pay a premium.
Related: The best deals you can find on audio products right now
The only Google audio product that Google is actively supporting and producing at the moment is the new true wireless earbuds called Google Pixel Buds. These earbud headphones are meant to compete with Apple’s industry-defining AirPods. Unlike AirPods, though, Pixel Buds incorporate Google Assistant heavily, featuring an easy-to-use touch interface and real-time language translation.
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