Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL

Few smartphones have suffered as many leaks as Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL , but finally we have them here. Google has presented them in their event today, and with them comes a reinforced commitment to mobile photography - dual camera for the first time in the back - which also provides other interesting developments.

Among the novelties is of course the new design with square module of cameras and without notch, but it highlights the new advanced technology of facial recognition and gestures and also a new OLED screen with refresh rate 90 Hz that promises an especially smooth and fast interface . Let's get to know the new Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL closely.

Data sheet of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL

The jump from last year's Pixel 3 / XL is notable in some sections, and it shows for example in the processor, which although it is not the most recent Snapdragon 855+ it does represent an improvement with a Snapdragon 855 that already takes a few months with us and that offers a remarkable power.

In addition, this improvement is helped by the Pixel Neural Core that replaces the Visual Core and that drives the field of computer photography that Google has so well exploited.

	GOOGLE PIXEL 4	GOOGLE PIXEL 4 XL
SCREEN	Flexible OLED 5.7 inches FHD + (444 dpi) 81% frontal occupancy 90 Hz dynamic	Flexible OLED 6.3 inch QHD + (537 dpi) 82% front occupancy 90 Hz dynamic
PROCESSOR	Snapdragon 855 at 2.8GHz Adreno 640 Pixel Neural Core GPU	Snapdragon 855 at 2.8GHz Adreno 640 Pixel Neural Core GPU
VERSIONS	6GB / 64GB 6GB / 128GB Without microSD	6GB / 64GB 6GB / 128GB Without microSD
REAR CAMERA	12.2 Mpi f / 1.7 OIS PDAF 28mm 16 Mpi f / 2.4 OIS PDAF 56mm Dual LED Flash Video 4K @ 30fps	12.2 Mpi f / 1.7 OIS PDAF 28mm 16 Mpi f / 2.4 OIS PDAF 56mm Dual LED Flash Video 4K @ 30fps
FRONTAL CAMERA	8 megapixels f / 2.0 18mm Sensor TOF 3D Project Soli / Motion Sense Video FullHD Wide Selfie	8 megapixels f / 2.0 18mm Sensor TOF 3D Project Soli / Motion Sense Video FullHD Wide Selfie
SOFTWARE	Android 10	Android 10
BATTERY	2,800 mAh Fast charging 18W Wireless charging	3,700 mAh Fast 18W charging Wireless charging
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	147.05 x 68.8 x 8.2 mm, 162 g	160.42 x 75.13 x 8.2 mm, 193 g
CONNECTIVITY AND SOUND	4G Dual (nanoSIM, eSIM), Cat18 (1.2 GBps) WiFi 5 Bluetooth 5.0 GPS USB Type C NFC	4G Dual (nanoSIM, eSIM), Cat18 (1.2 GBps) WiFi 5 Bluetooth 5.0 GPS USB Type C NFC
OTHERS	On-screen fingerprint reader IP68 Active Edge v2 Motion Sense Titan M security module	On-screen fingerprint reader IP68 Active Edge v2 Motion Sense Titan M security module
PRICE	759 (64 GB) / 859 euros (128 GB)	899 (64 GB) / 999 euros (128 GB)

The differences are also noticeable on that screen with refresh rate of 90 Hz and with the jump to 6 GB of RAM for both models. We also won something key like cameras: Google leaves the unique sensor and includes a telephoto sensor that will undoubtedly give much play and more versatility in the photographic field.

A design marked by the camera module (and without notch)

The trend of screens without frames has not taken over the new Pixel: Google maintains a certain chin in the lower frame, but it is the upper frame that stands out for a thickness that without being exaggerated is of course sensitive and contrasts with the mobiles of others manufacturers of recent times.

Those frames are there for something, and in particular the upper one is the one that hides a good array of sensors : the infrared for facial recognition, the front camera, the ambient brightness and proximity sensor, the speaker, the Soli chip, and the triplet of focus, spot projector and additional camera for that advanced facial recognition.

The use of the front is still notable for these terminals: 81% of the front of the Pixel 4 is a screen , and in the Pixel 4 XL that percentage rises slightly to 82%.

The rear part is the one that certainly makes the most notable difference with its predecessors, and makes use of a square module in which the sensors of the two cameras that both terminals have are integrated.

This module is located in the upper left of that rear in the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, and makes use of a small protrusion : it protrudes slightly from the back cover, which only has one more differential detail: the presence of a small "G" at the bottom to show clearly that we are facing a Google Pixel family mobile.

Several things disappear from that design. Among them the goodbye to the notch stands out, although here that absence is compensated by the aforementioned upper frame. Nor do we already have the two matte and gloss textures we had seen so far in its predecessors, and the fingerprint sensor on the back disappears as well .

In fact Google leaves that biometric system and instead bets on its own adaptation of the Face ID of the iPhone , with a powerful facial recognition system based on the use of various sensors next to the front camera, as you can see in that image Schematic somewhat higher.

On the right side of the phone we will find both the power button with a different color than the case , which we will find in three variants: orange, white or black. If we choose the white or orange Pixel 4 / XL that button will be orange, while it will be white on the black model. On the left side is the SIM slot, which does not have Micro SD support to increase the storage capacity of these devices, a shame.

Google will also offer its traditional official cases , rigid and in four different colors (blue, pink, violet and black) and with that texture so particular that it will help differentiate them in addition to protecting them and sounding that protrusion of the camera module.

Welcome, 90 hertz

One of the most striking options of the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL is the support of refresh frequencies of 90 Hz , an option that we have seen in some terminals like the last ones of OnePlus and that seems that little by little it is becoming an important (and fantastic) trend in the market.

In the case of Google it is important to note that the refresh rate can reach 90 Hz, but it will not always work like this: in fact Google emphasizes the fact that it is a dynamic frequency .

What does that mean? Well, that screen refresh rate will adapt to each situation to save battery . It is well known that a constant use of this frequency of work makes the autonomy of the battery cut, so that dynamic philosophy could help the impact is not exaggerated.

Cameras: look mom, now with two instead of one

Google had stayed out of that apparent war for megapixels and especially for increasing the number of sensors that it integrated into its mobile devices.

Thus, while other manufacturers began to include two, three, four or even 5 rear cameras on their phones, Google achieved with one camera what most of its competitors did not achieve with several . His prodigious work in the field of computational photography made it possible that the photographic quality of the Pixel has always been outstanding.

However in the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL there are surprises because for the first time we have two sensors in the back . Google retains the 12.2-megapixel sensor of its previous model, but adds a 16-megapixel tele lens with which it is possible to have a 1.8x optical zoom.

Google's bet is certainly not as striking on paper as that of other manufacturers. That zoom is not as spectacular as the optical 5x that some manufacturers handle, but it is also that we do not have that third super wide angle sensor that is being a very striking trend and appreciated by those who seek maximum versatility in the photographic experience in their mobiles.

Even so, it is expected that the behavior of these two cameras will make things very difficult for their rivals, especially for that domain of computer photography that in these models is helped by a new chip, the Pixel Neural Core , destined to free the CPU from working in the field of tasks related to artificial intelligence, as with its algorithms for automatic post-processing of images.

In Google they also pose a curious novelty although somewhat smaller: if last year they surprised us with a spectacular night mode, on this occasion they wanted to bet on the astrophotography segment with the special support of these types of photos.

That option is curious, but in reality the really remarkable thing could come from the other side. The new double exposure mode allows you to control or modify the brightness values ​​of the lights and shadows separately in real time before taking the photo itself. That option promises many joys for those who like to refine to the maximum in this area and that could certainly represent a remarkable help in difficult shots.

Google's software will now also allow third-party applications such as Instagram or Snapchat to take full advantage of the camera from the application itself : sharing photos from the camera application is now easier, but also squeezing it from the native applications that many use to take pictures without going to Google’s own camera app.

In these models we totally forget the fingerprint reader, because everything will be done through the powerful set of sensors on the front, reminiscent of the Xbox Kinect peripheral and in fact not only provide that advanced facial recognition - our "face" It is not sent to the cloud, it stays on the device - but also a gesture and motion sensor.

It is in that part where Motion Sense (internally known as Soli) comes into play , a technology in which Google has been working for 5 years and that creates a kind of "virtual bubble" around the phone and detects what happens.

On the one hand that allows an instant facial recognition that unlocks the screen automatically without having to swipe it with your finger. On the other, interact with the mobile through gestures to for example pass songs or silence it. This technology is specially designed for areas in which we use the mobile in hands-free mode , such as in the car or when cooking.

The function is active even with the phone locked and is even capable of detecting the movement of the fingers, something that poses an advance against the support of gestures that for example we saw previously in the LG G8 ThinQ . Huawei, by the way, seems to be working on a similar technology.

This type of gesture control and advanced facial recognition are joined again by a unique option of the previous models : the Active Edge , which allows you to control certain functions of the mobile, such as activating the voice assistant, pressing those edges a Little to catch it.

Android 10 and a supervitaminated assistant (but not for Spain until 2020)

Google's software bet is as expected: the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL will be governed by Android 10 , the latest version of its mobile platform that has been polishing with various betas for months and will now finally arrive in its final version to these mobiles.

To the many novelties that the new Android 10 brings is added one that has its own relevance: it is the new Google assistant , which we already saw during the Google I / O event in May how it had become a really promising component in Different scenarios

Latency is now almost non-existent for an assistant who responds instantly and more naturally to our questions: everything is processed locally on the phone itself and without a cloud connection, which speeds up the use of a winning voice assistant many integers

Options such as the real-time generation of subtitles is another of those striking options for content that for example we are enjoying on YouTube, something that already existed but is now done with even greater precision.

More interesting is probably the real-time transcription of the audio in the new recorder application , which in Google's demonstration worked perfectly in English, and that will arrive in other languages ​​such as Spanish "soon." Not only that: the transcription is done locally on the device, without the need to connect it to Google's servers.

The downside is that the new Google assistant will not be available in all markets: initially all these new features will be available in English, but Spain will have to wait next year to enjoy them, for example.

Price and availability of Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL

The new Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL from Google will be available on  with the following prices according to each variant:

• Pixel 4 (64 GB) : 759 euros
• Pixel 4 (128 GB) : 859 euros
• Pixel 4 XL (64 GB) : 899 euros
• Pixel 4 XL (128 GB) : 999 euros