Google unveils everything Apple just launched, but cheaper
Google unveils everything Apple launched, but cheaper
Published: Sept 29, 2015 6:08 p.m. ET
By JENNIFER BOOTON
iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. Refreshed Apple TV.
Enterprise-focused iPad Pro.
Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. Refreshed Chromecast.
Enterprise-focused Pixel C tablet.
Those lineups show the similarities between the new
products Google Inc. announced Tuesday and those Apple Inc. announced earlier
this month. The big difference between the two companies’ new offerings is
price, with Google undercutting Apple across the board.
Smartphones
Google introduced two new Android smartphones, the Nexus
5X and Nexus 6P, at a product event on Tuesday. Both phones — manufactured by
LG and Huawei, respectively — will be sold as unlocked devices, meaning they
can be purchased directly through Google’s digital store or at partner brick-and-mortar
retailers and used with a wide variety of carriers. They will also be
compatible with Project Fi, Google’s new WiFi program, part of a trend among
Google, Apple and more to take over parts of the wireless business previously
reserved for carriers.
The 5.2-inch Nexus 5X will retail for $379 and up, while
the 5.7-inch Nexus 6P will start at $429. Both devices will come equipped with
fingerprint technology similar to Apple’s TouchID, though the sensor is on the
back of the phones, and will operate on Android’s upcoming Marshmallow
operating system.
Apple’s 4.7-inch iPhone 6s and 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus,
unveiled at Apple’s product event earlier this month, can also be purchased as
unlocked phones directly through Apple for $549 and $649, respectively. Apple
also offers a monthly pricing plan that allows consumers to upgrade every time
a new iPhone hits the market.
Google is sweetening the deal by offering a $50 Google
Play app-store credit and free three-month trial subscription to Google Play
Music. Apple also offered a free three-month trial for Apple Music.
Enterprise tablet
Tablets for the workplace are all the rage this year.
Google launched its answer to the iPad Pro and Microsoft Inc.’s Surface Pro
with a new tablet called Pixel C on Tuesday that will start at $499, versus
$799 for the iPad Pro. Pixel C will also come with a detachable keyboard, which
can be purchased separately for $149; Apple’s keyboard costs $169. Microsoft’s
Surface Pro 3 starts at $699 and offers a $129.99 keyboard. Unlike both tablets
from Apple and Microsoft, Google is not marketing the Pixel C with a stylus.
Google launched its second-generation Chromecast device
that will retail for $35. It will receive support for Showtime content
immediately, and Sling TV and Spotify will join within a few weeks. The device
already supports Netflix, Google Play Movies, HBO Now, Hulu, Pandora and many
other streaming services. Google also launched a $35 Chromecast Audio device
with a plug-in that can turn a user’s existing speaker into a conduit for music
streaming.
Earlier this month, Apple unveiled its fourth-generation
Apple TV, which comes with a remote control, Siri compatibility, and content
from similar streaming services for $149, though Apple’s TV streaming device
does not natively support Apple Music’s rival streaming services.
The only place where Google is not trying to undercut
Apple by price is music streaming. Both Apple and Google offer music streaming
services for $9.99 a month. Google unveiled a six-person family plan on Tuesday
that will cost $14.99 a month, matching the price of Apple’s six-person family
plan launched earlier this month.
Shares of Google rose ahead of its product event but
declined slightly after it kicked off, ultimately closing down 0.3% at $622.61.
Apple’s stock declined throughout the day, with the fall accelerating after the
Google event, and shares ultimately closed down 3% at $109.06.
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