Google has launched its flagship smartphones Pixel and Pixel XL which come with Google Assistant built in. The devices will be available in India starting the 15th of October on Flipkart, with the smaller sized Pixel priced at Rs 57,000. Interestingly, the new Assistant feature allows anyone to build interactions for it with an open developer platform. Developers can use direct or conversational actions - for example requests to play music, dimming lights etc., are direct actions while conversational actions are those that require user interaction, like asking the destination when users request a ride. Essentially this will let anyone build dynamic interactions with the phones. The phones are manufactured by HTC, however they are designed by Google and come with a ‘phone by Google’ branding. Hardware-wise, the Pixel comes with a 5-inch 1080p screen while the XL comes with a 5.5-inch 1440p screen, both sport the latest Snapdragon processors (821), 12.3MP back cameras with gyroscope-based video stabilization on board, 4GB of RAM, 32GB or 128GB onboard storage, a 3.5mm audio jack and a fingerprint reader. Google also offers free unlimited storage for full-resolution images and video shot with the Pixel on Google Photos. The phones run the latest version of Android and the company claims users will get updates directly as soon as available (not through carriers as on some previous Nexus phones). VR compatibility: The Pixel phones are VR compatible with Google’s Daydream project. The Daydream headset will be available at $79 and is apparently designed with comfort…
