Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. Features

Google September 2020 event: Everything announced

Christian de Looper
By

Google has held its annual hardware event. Rumors about the event have been floating around for months — and it turns out that they were pretty much all true.

At the event, Google launched the new Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G, a new Chromecast with the newly rebranded Google TV operating system built-in, and a refresh for the Google Home speaker, called the Google Nest Audio.

Related Videos

Interested in learning more? Here’s a rundown of everything Google announced at its latest hardware event.

Related

Google Pixel 5

Rumors about the Google Pixel 5 have been circulating for months, and it turns out they’re … all true. The Pixel 5 offers a design that’s very similar to the Pixel 4a, with an edge-to-edge display and a dual-sensor camera on the back, along with a fingerprint sensor.

Thankfully, there are some flagship features on offer. Notably, the device has a 90Hz display, which should make for an ultra-responsive feel. And, as you would expect in 2020, the Pixel 5 has 5G support. Google says the device will get three years of Android updates. Unlike the Pixel 4a 5G, the device also offers wireless charging, 8GB of RAM, and a 90Hz refresh rate.

Under the hood, Google is taking a slightly different approach to its flagship phone. While the Pixel 4 offers a Snapdragon 855 processor, the Pixel 5 has a Snapdragon 765G. For most uses, the overall experience with the lower-end chipset will be very similar, and it’s a solid trade-off considering the device comes at only $699.

Read more about the Google Pixel 5

Google Pixel 4a 5G

Google

The Google Pixel 4a was released in August, but there’s another variant of the ultra inexpensive device, too. The new Google Pixel 4a 5G offers a nice 6.2-inch edge-to-edge display, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, 6GB of RAM, and 5G support, as the name suggests. It also comes with three years of Android updates, like the Pixel 5. The device is only available with 128GB of storage — though that should be enough for most.

Even the camera experience is the same between this phone and the Pixel 5. You’ll get the same 12-megapixel main sensor and 16-megapixel ultrawide sensor, along with the new camera features like the ability to tweak background lighting.

So what’s the difference between this phone and the Pixel 5? Well, there’s no 90Hz refresh rate, and the device has less RAM, too. It also doesn’t offer any water-resistance, nor does it have wireless charging. Not having those features makes for a much cheaper phone — it comes in at $499. That’s pretty excellent value for money, especially because of the fact that it comes with extras like 100GB of Google One, and three months of Stadia. 

Read more about the Google Pixel 4a

Google Nest Audio

After four years, Google is finally refreshing the Google Home smart speaker. The newly named Google Nest Audio offers a major design change, boasting a rectangular design with four LED lights to indicate the status of Google Assistant on the front. 

The Nest Audio is built around offering a great audio experience. According to the company, the speaker offers more bass, more volume, and a more natural sound. In fact, it apparently offers 50% more bass than the original Google Home, thanks to the 75mm woofer that’s built into the new device.

The device is being built sustainably, too. It’s built with 75% recycled material, including the fabric covering on the outside. Perhaps the best thing about the device is the price — it’s available for a relatively inexpensive $99, which puts it on par with the new Amazon Echo. 

Read more about the Google Nest Audio

Chromecast with Google TV

The Google Chromecast has long been a great way to beam content to your TV — but this year, the device is getting a little smarter. Google has built Google TV straight into the latest Chromecast, meaning that you can install and use your favorite smart TV apps straight from the device itself.

The Chromecast isn’t expensive either — it comes in at only $50, making the smart TV operating system more accessible than ever. And, as you would expect from a smart TV device like this, it comes with a remote to control the interface, and supports Google Assistant. It also has quick access buttons for Netflix and YouTube.

Read more about the Google Chromecast with Google TV

Google TV

Google is rebranding Android TV — to Google TV. The newly minted operating system offers a design refresh compared to Android TV, and is built around organizing your content for you and helping you find the content you want to watch quickly, without that content needing to be separated by service. Google TV also has a new so-called Watch List, which you can add content to from your other devices, and it has an Ambient Mode that can show photos.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Google discontinues Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G after Pixel 5a launch
The back of a Pixel 5, showing its camera and fingerprint sensor.

Google has discontinued the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G barely 10 months after launch, the company confirmed this week. While eagle-eyed observers had noticed fluctuating stock levels on both Pixels globally, Google had yet to officially weigh in one way or the other until now.

"With our current forecasts, we expect Google Store in the U.S. to sell out of Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 in the coming weeks following the launch of Pixel 5a (5G). The Pixel 5a (5G) is a great option for customers and delivers valuable hardware upgrades compared to the Pixel 4a (5G), all at a lower price point," a Google spokesperson confirmed to Digital Trends. This will also apply to non-U.S. markets, with UK vendors like Carphone Warehouse and John Lewis no longer stocking the older Pixels. The older Pixel 4a remains on sale as a low-cost Pixel option.

Read more
A new Google Pixel 5a leak just showed off its beefy battery
An alleged render of the Pixel 5a 5G.

Just ahead of its expected August launch, Google's Pixel 5a has provided yet another leak, this one focused on its components. This new report comes from sources in repair stores, as shared by Android Police on Sunday. In photos showing off the upcoming Pixel 5a, the report confirms some of the previous Pixel leaks, including the battery size and overall design.

As expected, the Pixel 5a 5G will look quite similar to the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 5. The headphone jack makes a return as a stalwart of the Pixel A-Series line, though the power button appears to be ribbed, unlike on previous Pixels.

Read more
Google’s upcoming Pixel 5a rumored to launch August 26 for $450
A purported render of the Google Pixel 5a from the rear and the front.

Google earlier this year announced an upcoming launch for its Pixel 5a 5G, the successor to the 2020 Pixel 4a. As the launch period for the 5a's launch fast approaches, a new report from leaker Jon Prosser appears to spill all the beans.

Unlike previous rumors which cast the Pixel 5a 5G as a rebranded Pixel 4a 5G with a weaker processor, this one shows the phone as one which has a few upgrades over the older Pixel. Like the Pixel 4a 5G and 4a before it (barring limited edition models), it'll come in a "Mostly Black" color. Like the 4a 5G, it'll keep the Snapdragon 765G paired with 6GB of RAM and the headphone jack. The camera system is also said to be the same as the Pixel 4a 5G, with a 12-megapixel main camera, a 16MP ultra-wide, and an 8MP front-facing camera. The similarities end there though.

Read more