Google poised to unveil new Pixel phones, other services
Google is expected to introduce two new smartphones Tuesday, part of its continuing push to embed its digital services and Android software more deeply into the main stream.
The new Pixel-branded phones will anchor a product event Tuesday in New York. Google launched its line of high-end phones two years ago to better compete against Apple, Samsung and other device makers. That includes many that rely on free software and apps such as the free Android operating system, which powers most of the world's mobile devices, as well as Google's search engine, Google Maps and YouTube.
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The product roll out comes one day after Google shuttered its consumer Google+ site, after the company discovered a software glitch that gave outsiders potential access to private profile data.
According to Google, a software glitch in the social site could allow outside developers to potentially access private profile data from up to 500,000 accounts from 2015 through March 2018. The company cannot confirm which users's data were impacted.
Additionally, the tech giant disclosed it will not bid for a lucrative cloud contract with the Pentagon over concerns the job does not align with the company’s artificial intelligence principles.
“While we are working to support the U.S. government with our cloud in many areas, we are not bidding on the JEDI contract because first, we couldn’t be assured that it would align with our AI Principles and second, we determined that there were portions of the contract that were out of scope with our current government certifications,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement, reported by FOX Business.
As Google ups its product game, CEO Sundar Pichai is facing growing political pressure. He came under fire last month for declining to appear before a Senate Committee to address questions on social media privacy issues. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg did attend.
Late last month he met with members of the House Judiciary Committee and is expected back on Capitol Hill in November.
The Google exec also met with Trump’s top economic advisor Larry Kudlow, who called Pichai "extremely cooperative."
As for other gadgets to watch, Google is also likely to roll out a new version of its "smart" Home speaker, a rumored tablet with a detachable keyboard and an update to its Chromecast streaming device, based on media leaks.
The latest Pixel phones are likely to attract the most attention, even though the first two generations have so far barely made a dent in the market. Google has sold an estimated 7 million Pixels over the past two years, almost imperceptible next to the 3.6 billion phones shipped during that time, according to the research firm International Data Corp.
Google doesn't disclose its phone shipments, unlike Apple, which has sold about 388 million iPhones since the first Pixel came out in October 2016.
"If you have a Google tattoo on you, then these are the phones for you," IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said of the Pixel's limited appeal so far.
Google has been somewhat restrained in its distribution and marketing the Pixel phone, Llamas said, because it doesn't want to alienate Samsung and hundreds of other device makers who feature Android in their own phones. Because Android highlights Google services, it's key to Google's business of selling ads through its search engine and other mobile apps.
The iPhone also features Google's search engine, but Google may be paying Apple as much as $9 billion annually for that privilege, based on the estimates of Goldman Sachs analyst Rod Hall.
The new Pixel phones are expected to follow the trend of expanding the phone screen nearly to the edges of the device. Apple, for instance, just released its biggest iPhone yet, the XS Max, which sells for as much as $1,450. Google hasn't yet discussed prices for its Pixel phones.
Analysts are also expecting Google to add higher resolution and more cameras to the Pixel, whose first two generations attracted rave reviews for its high-quality pictures.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.