With Pixel and Home, Google gets serious about hardware

Google has created hardware before, but never quite like this. Google's just announced a suite of new products, including a brand-new phone called the Pixel that takes direct aim at Apple's iPhone There's also a smart speaker called Google Home which is the first series challenger to the Amazon Echo. Both are stuffed with a voice activated digital system called simply, Google Assistant. This nameless female voice software is Google's main weapon against Apple and Amazon to rule your pocket and your living room. Together with a new virtual reality headset, WiFi router, and Chromecast Google is creating a suite of products that just feel like they belong together. Let's start with Google Home. It's $130, it comes in six colors, and it arrives next month, on November 4th. Sure, it plays music and answers trivia questions, like you spec but it also can control some smart home devices. You can ask her to turn lights on and off or even pull up a show to watch on YouTube or Netflix. But you will need a Google Chromecast for it to pull up videos. Speaking of Chromecast, Google ultra new Chromecast is twice the price of the original costing about $70 but with it comes higher definition for Arcade video and wider resolution HDR. Google wants to be in all corners of your home with this new WiFi routers. I mean it's not exactly exciting tech but it does show Google series this about being in every Facet of keeping you connected to the world. Unlike a single router, the idea is that with Google you'll have several of these Wi-Fi routers in the home to expand coverage. They ship in December and start at $120. But let's go back to that Pixel phone. Google's directly targeting the iPhone with this one. Google puts its own touch on the Phones design with rear glass panel and aluminum casing. Like most phone todays. They are also comes in two sizes but with the big point with the pixel is the camera. It claims to be the best Smartphone camera base on a ranking by camera testing lab DSO. All pixel owners also get unlimited online storage for photos and videos. At full resolution. Charging is another selling point. 50% of charging will get you seven hours of battery life but unlike google's previous Nexus phone, this is pricey. It starts at $650. In the US you are gonna have to buy it directly from Google to get it unlocked or Via through Verizon. Google is taking preorders now, but it arrives October 20th. The phone even has its own virtual reality accessory. The Daydream View is a fabric headset that you pop your phone to the front to watch VR video. It comes out in November and it costs $80. That's much more than the original $15 Google Cardboard, but hey, it's also still cheaper than Samsung's $100 Gear VR. That's it for this Tech News Update. I'm Bridget Carey. You can stay on top of the biggest stories at CNET.com/Update. [MUSIC]