Google’s first Surface competitor and new Chromecast

A bunch of hardware made its way out of Google’s kitchen during its Nexus event in September. Not only do we get new phones, we also get Google’s first Surface competitor and a new Chromecast.

Advertisement

Pixel C
The Pixel C tablet is made out of anodized aluminum and comes in at 7mm thick and weighs just around a pound. It features a 10.2-inch display with 2,560 x 1,800 resolution. It runs on Android Marshmallow, an NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor, and 3GB of RAM. The shooters on it are an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera. The C in Pixel C means convertible. It comes with an optional keyboard that you attach via magnets. Its flip-up backstop self-aligns with the tablet’s rear and allows you to position it anywhere from flat up to almost 90 degrees. It’ll cost $499 or roughly P23,000, while the keyboard accessory goes for $149 or about P6,800.

Chromecast 2.0
Google ditches the USB dongle of the old Chromecast for a more colorful dangling disk. The disk plugs into your HDMI port and has a magnetized back so it doesn’t hang off any of your side-mounted ports. In case you weren’t sure what it does, the Chromecast is basically a conduit for you to “cast” or send stuff from your mobile devices to your TV. You can use cast-ready apps, such as YouTube, and have these play on your TV. The new Chromecast gets better search features and a “What’s On” tab for personalized content recommendations, among other new features. It retails for $35 or roughly P1,600.

Google also outed Chromecast Audio, which has the same price tag as the new Chromecast. It basically turns your “dumb” speakers into smart ones. It even comes with Spotify integration. Just plug it into your speaker and cast your music to the device and it’ll start playing. Chromecast Audio has high-quality capabilities, 2 watt RMS, and optional optical digital out in its hybrid port.