In New York City or Los Angeles? Interested in Google’s latest wave of hardware products? Lucky for you, Google has deployed two pop-up stores where you can check them all out in person, and even purchase products right there.
The New York City store is located in the Flatiron district at 110 Fifth Avenue, and will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The L.A. store has the same hours, and it’s located at 8552 Melrose Avenue. The stores are expected to be open through the holidays until December 31. There will be various “programming” at these spaces throughout the holiday season — at last year’s pop up, Google had a giveaway event where it offered the chance to win various prizes, including Pixel phones.
So what exactly can you see at this year’s pop up stores? Google announced a slew of new products at its October 4 hardware event, and you’ll be able to see and eventually purchase everything as they become available. This includes the new Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones, the Daydream View virtual reality headset, the cheaper Google Home Mini, the more expensive but better-sounding Google Home Max, the Assistant-enabled Pixel Buds earbuds, Google Clips, the Pixelbook Chromebook and Pixelbook Pen. There are also a few accessories available, such as cases for the Pixel phones.
You should know — only the Verizon model of the Pixel 2 phones are being sold at the pop ups, meaning you’ll need a Verizon subscription. If you’re not on Verizon, you can purchase the phones from the Google Store online.
We got a sneak peek of the New York store. While you can purchase products like a normal retail store, the pop ups are more of an interactive experience. There’s an augmented reality Stranger Things tie-in, as Pixel phones can produce animated stickers of the characters and drop them into the real-world, if you want a selfie with the Demogorgon. The room is set up exactly like Joyce Byer’s living room, with the Christmas lights lighting up the alphabet.
There’s also a Daydream virtual reality station, where you can try out the new Daydream View VR headset. Daydream now lets you cast VR content to a Chromecast-enabled TV, so you can see what people are doing in VR while waiting in line inside. Nearby, step inside a curtained-off booth to snap some selfies and test the capabilities of the Pixel 2’s camera. You stand in front of a digital backdrop, and store employees can change the colors and pattern via a tablet.
You can check out the Pixelbook, Pixel Buds, and all the other products on tables throughout the store, but the Google Home devices get special rooms at the back for personalized demos. There are three little rooms you can stop by to learn more about what the Google Home, the Home Mini, and the Home Max can do.
That’s more or less it. No other pop-up stores are planned other than the ones in New York and L.A., and these stores are expected to stay open until December 31.
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