How to get the most out of your Google Pixel smartphone
Google pixel is different, because for the first time the company has entirely designed and developed a phone.
This year Google broke the trend of its Nexus line of mobile devices and instead launched the Google Pixel series. Nexus phones were sought after for the stock Android experience combined with competitively priced hardware.
Google pixel is different, because for the first time the company has entirely designed and developed a phone. The Pixel is, in some aspects, the Google flagship-phone of 2016. It offers the stock Android experience that some people have come to love from Nexus devices, and few exclusive features that no other Android device has so far.
Read on to learn what these features are and how to use them.
Google assistant
In order to understand capabilities of Google assistant, let us first look at ‘OK Google’ found on other Android phones. OK Google is a voice controlled service that can open apps, schedule appointments, start navigation amongst other tasks. It essentially knows details about you from your Google account, and can perform a linear web search after which it terminates follow-up actions.
Google Assistant is much more. It can have a conversation with you and get to know you better as you use it more often. For instance, it can plan events, help you find restaurants nearby without open a linear Google search. It offers information on easy to tap cards, and can follow-up your question in a two-way conversation. Most importantly it remembers your preferences, style and improves results over time. You can use Google Assistant by holding down the home key on your Google pixel.
Unlimited storage
Google currently offers 15GB free storage through Google Drive that can be used to store any data. Users have access to unlimited photo and video storage, but with one caveat. The video resolution capped at 1080p, and there is no length restriction. If you record 4K video, they will be re-sampled to 1080p and then backed-up. If you record video at lower resolution, it will be uploaded as is.
Similarly, the photos will be re-sampled to 16MP resolution, if they are captured at higher resolution. These settings are rather respectable, but 4K video looks stunning on a 4K screen. If you want to use the pictures you take from your camera to print posters or any high-resolution print media, then 16-megapixel is not enough.
Enter Google pixel’s exclusive feature. Backup all the video and photos you take with your pixel at the exactly the same resolution you capture. Free, for life. It is a big deal because a minute of 4K video can easily take around 400 MB of storage.
Moves
These are essentially gestures which allow additional ways to interact with your phone. For instance swiping your finger on the fingerprint scanner can pull down notifications.
This is pretty handy especially on the larger Pixel XL. Another gesture includes flipping phone to switch between front and back cameras. I couldn’t care about both these gestures honestly as I prefer front fingerprint scanner and am paranoid about dropping phones.
Camera and software lens blur
The Pixel smartphone packs a good rear camera. It has an impressive low light performance due to the High Dynamic Range technology. It also offers a cool software lens blur feature, completely through its single main camera. Lens blur feature allows you to shoot images that can make the background appear blurred. It is essentially a simulated version of a shallow depth-of-field imaging.
The software lens blur is neat trick to play around, but it greatly exaggerates the depth. The digital photography experts at dpreview.com recently reviewed the Pixel camera in great detail and had the following to say about Pixel’s main camera: “currently offers the best image quality of all smartphone cameras.” Of course, this is without considering the extra tricks that a dual-camera setup in iPhone 7 Plus can perform.
Voice and chat support
Got a problem with your Pixel? Or got a question about your Pixel? Google’s customer support is there to help you. To help diagnose the issues, it is also possible to share screen with Google’s customer support personnel and allow remote control. This level of personal assistance is unmatched. The voice and chat support is available 24/7 in the US. However, for India, the support timings are limited to 9 AM to 6 PM.
— by Durgesh Kawale who works as a features writer at CompareRaja.com.