GOOGLE SPECIAL...... 6 Ways the Google Pixel Will Make You Want to Ditch Your iPhone

6 Ways the Google Pixel Will Make You Want to Ditch Your iPhone

It's new, it's fresh--and it might make you wonder about that iPhone 7 you just purchased.

Twist your arm. Pry it from your hands. Pay you in cold hard cash.

It would take a lot for most of us to give up our iPhones, and a new model just debuted last month. Google is not taking this all sitting down, and it has announced a new phone--available later this month--called the Google Pixel. The name comes from one of the best laptops around (the Chromebook Pixel) and there's no question the aluminum smartphone looks remarkably familiar. (People who are not that up on the latest smartphones might think it's an Apple product.)

Even though I haven't tested the Pixel yet, there are several compelling reasons to consider making a switch from the land of Apple over to the land of Google.

1. Better (and faster) camera

Google claims the 12.3 megapixel camera, which has an F/2.0 aperture and 1.55-micron pixels to capture light, is the best ever made. DXOMark rates it higher than any phone. That will depend greatly on the photo comparisons, but on paper, it does seem like it is extremely powerful--capturing 4K videos and high-res photos. That said, it is a single lens, so you won't be zooming in with an optical lens or shooting photos with a slight blur behind the subject like you can with the iPhone 7 Plus.

2. Quick battery charging

Like many Samsung models, the Pixel lets you charge the phone for seven hours of use in 15 minutes. That's an important factor for business folks who might get stuck in an airport ready to catch a flight without a fully charged phone or need a quick power-up before a meeting.

3. Assistant that understands your conversation

The Google Assistant, which is already available in the Google Allo app, runs when you long-press on the Pixel home button. You can ask for directions and set reminders, but what impressed me most is how the Assistant understands your conversation. If you're discussing a meeting location, the Assistant can tell you far a specific restaurant is from work.

4. Unlimited video and photo storage

That great camera also has a great perk. The Pixel phone comes with unlimited cloud storage for full resolution photos and 4K videos. The Photos app from Google on the phone also makes it easy to grab the images from your laptop or tablet later (using photos.google.com), synced automatically without any storage issues.

5. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack

Yes, Google called out Apple for the missing headphone jack. It's not a major issue for me--you can always use the Lightning adapter included with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to connect a 3.5mm cable--but the more I've used the iPhone 7, the more I've missed the headphone jack. I don't always have the adapter handy, and it's a pain to always make sure you have one with you.

6. Video chat app works on Android and iOS

It's also worth noting that the Pixel uses an app called Duo for video calls--similar to Skype or FaceTime--that works on Android and on iOS. It's a differentiator for anyone wanting to hold a quick video-conference because it's cross-platform. (FaceTime works only on Apple phones, tablets, and computers.)

The Pixel costs $649 for an unlocked phone, and Google said it would be available through Verizon only (but it didn't say when that would be).

BY JOHN BRANDON

http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/6-ways-the-google-pixel-will-make-you-want-to-ditch-your-iphone.html