The Google Pixel 4 Round Up
Image credit: iStock
We finally have our hands-on Google’s 2019 efforts to perfect the smartphone, the Google Pixel 4. After months of speculation (and a raft of tantalising leaks) Google has delivered another evolution in its line of clean, AI-enriched phones which have revolutionised what it means to use Android. Here’s our round up of everything new from Google and the Pixel.
Currently the Google Pixel 4 is out of stock at Optus, so if you're interested in the Pixel phones, check out the Pixel 6.
You’ve Tried the Rest…
Ever since the first model the Google Pixel has always been one of Android’s flagship phones; if you want one of the purest Android experiences out there, Pixel is the way to go. The Pixel 4 is no exception, with a brand-new design, dual rear cameras, a 90hz Smooth Display, and a new face unlock system which sets a new bar for speed and usability.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Pixel 4 itself is the refreshed design. Pixels have always followed a clean, minimalistic design in line with Google’s stripped-down snappy version of Android. Gone is the somewhat controversial notch of the Pixel 3 XL, the Pixel 4 is almost all screen, save for the bezel up top. The body is more tactile than before, owing to the matte coating which covers the aluminium edges of the phone, and there’s a understated yet effective contrast between the black edging and the colour options on the back (which come in the Googly names of Just Black, Clearly White, or Oh So Orange).
Smooth Sailing
With a screen size of 5.7-inch on the Pixel 4, and a 6.3-inch on the Pixel 4 XL, both phones are a comfortable size. The 90hz Smooth Display means animations and graphics look smoother than your average smartphone, and text appears sharper than before. In an effort to reduce battery drain, the Pixel 4 can optimise it’s refresh rate for what’s on screen, because sometimes you just need to read a couple of black and white emails. However, when it comes to gaming and high definition video, the Pixel 4 uses a new feature called Ambient EQ, which adapts the screen’s colour temperature so colours always appear natural, no matter your lighting situation – this means whether you’re watching YouTube videos or scrolling through your music library colours appear accurate and clear.
Pixel Perfect
On the back of the device, you’ll find the camera module, a square in the top left. It houses the Pixel 4’s renowned 12-megapixel Dual-Pixel main camera and the new 16-megapixel Telephoto, which allows for up to x2 optical zoom. Up until the Pixel 3, Pixel phones have only had one camera in the rear.
Night Sight - introduced on the Pixel 3 - is here once more, taking advantage of the improved hardware to deliver stunning night-time photos, with Pixel 4 boasting Astrophotography which allows for night-sky photos of the stars above. The new Live HDR is here as well, which shows you what your HDR image will look like in the camera app before you take it. While the dual selfie cameras of the Pixel 3 were great, Google has opted to pare things down to one forward-facing camera with a wider field of view (probably to make room for all those sensors), so you’ll still be fitting everyone in that group selfie.
The Soli Solution
Perhaps one of the biggest new features to the Pixel 4 is also basically invisible. Project Soli, Google’s new radar technology, allows for what Google calls one of the fastest facial unlock system currently available and control of the Pixel 4 via motion gestures.
It goes like this; using a small sensor nestled alongside the Pixel 4 selfie-camera, the Pixel 4 can sense when your hand is within range of the phone as you go to pick it up. Once it senses you, it’s able to wake itself up, begin scanning for your face and unlock in a matter of moments, to the point where you might not even see your lock-screen. When it comes to motion gestures, Google says Soli can be used to skip songs by waving your hand above the Pixel 4 or lower the volume of an alarm as you reach for it.
The Rumour Mill
While Google Pixel has quickly established itself as one of the best Android phones you can buy, it has probably got the worst luck when it comes to leaks, with the Pixel 4’s design and a couple of major features being revealed by leakers prior to its October 15th 2019 announcement. People love to speculate about new hardware, and there were plenty of rumours about the Pixel 4 even before the leaks started coming. Project Soli was one of the first, as were the automatic audio transcription and improved ‘on-board’ Google Assistant – all of which turned out to be true. Things that didn’t happen? The Pixel 4 doesn’t support 5G; at least, not yet. However, there are credible reports of Google doing test production for a 5G phone.
So, what’s the community saying? Early reports suggest that the Pixel 4 could be a camera winner for 2019, and the new design, with its aluminium banding, is another step forward for Google’s industrial design. Motion gestures take some getting used to, but Google’s facial unlock system is a faster experience .
Top Reasons to Get a Google Pixel 4 right now
1. Camera – Google’s marriage of software and hardware on the Pixel 4 means they continue to be one of the best money can buy.
2. Facial Recognition – a fast and secure way to unlock your phone.
3. Motion Sense – Quick Gestures means the Google Pixel 4 lets you do more with just a wave of your hand.
4. Improved Google Assistant – with Google Assistant now stored locally on the Pixel 4, responses are faster than ever.
5. 90Hz display gives one of the smoothest Android experience available.
6. New design – in our opinion, this is the most premium feeling Pixel phone yet.
Optus is relying on product information supplied by Google in making the representations above. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law and Consumer Guarantees are unaffected. Optus makes no representations as to the capabilities of these devices.