Google Announces Its Own Pixel Phones
Google finally enters the phone hardware business.
Google has announced the new Pixel family of smartphones powered by the Linux-based Android operating system. Previously Google partnered with hardware vendors like HTC, LG, and Samsung to sell the Nexus range of devices. With Pixel, Google will have total control over the design and hardware components of their smartphones. Google already sells Pixel Chromebooks and the Pixel Android tablet.
There are two models of Pixel phones: The Pixel showcases a 5-inch display and the Pixel XL features a 5.5-inch display.
Both Pixel phones have identical hardware, except for display size and battery capacity. The Pixel XL showcases a 5.5-inch AMOLED QHD (2560x1440) 534ppi display, whereas the Pixel features a 5.0-inch AMOLED Full HD (1920x1080) 441ppi display. The Pixel XL comes with a 3,450mAh battery, and the Pixel comes with a 2,770mAh battery.
Both Pixel phones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz, 64-bit quad-core processor. The Pixel XL and Pixel come with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Both models are available in 32GB and 128GB capacities. The Pixels will be running Android 7.1 Nougat.
Google claims that the Pixel phones have the best smartphone camera. In a blog post Google said, “Pixel has a 12.3MP camera, featuring an f/2.0 aperture and big 1.55 micron pixels to capture lots and lots of light.”
One of the most interesting features of the Pixel phones is that they include the built-in Google Assistant that allows for natural conversations with Google to find answers, explore search results, and perform a large array of tasks.
The Pixel and Pixel XL are available now on pre-order.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.