San Francisco (AFP) - Google took on rivals Apple, Samsung and Amazon in a new push into hardware, launching premium-priced Pixel smartphones and a slew of other devices showcasing artificial intelligence prowess. The unveiling of Google's in-house designed phone came as part of an expanded hardware move by the US company, which also revealed details about its new "home assistant" virtual reality headset and Wi-Fi router system. The San Francisco event marked a shift in strategy for Google, which is undertaking a major drive to make Google Assistant artificial intelligence a futuristic force spanning all kinds of internet-linked devices. "We are evolving from a mobile-first world to an AI-first world," Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said. "Our goal is to build a personal Google for each and every user."

In a bid to take a bite out of Apple and send Amazon up the proverbial creek, Google today introduced new hardware that will directly compete with its rivals' signature products. With the introduction of a new phone and smart speaker, Google is taking on its Silicon Valley competitors and also playing catch-up. Google, best known for its search and Android, is taking a big step into the hardware world -- a place where until recently it had only a light footprint. During a presentation in San Francisco, Google repeatedly said that in order to be competitive it must be in both the hardware and software businesses. Having a foot in both worlds, Google officials suggested, allowed for greater innovation -- namely in artificial intelligence(AI), which Google clearly believes is the next big evolution in our digital lives.

Google may have finally taken control of its hardware with the new Pixel phones, but the company's still focusing on software. The AI-powered Assistant is an integral part of its new phones, Allo messaging app and smart speaker, making for a more uniform and useful experience across all of Google's (and other brands') devices. If that sounds familiar, it's because Apple brought Siri to multiple platforms first. Assistant brings voice control to the new Google Home smart speaker, in addition to the new Pixels, and lets you control your Chromecast playback with your voice. The goal, said the company's CEO Sundar Pichai, is to make Assistant "universally available."

Google's "hardware" push is still really about its software. On Tuesday, the technology giant unveiled a raft of new gizmos it proudly proclaimed to be #madebygoogle, including two smartphones and a smart home speaker. The message from Google is that it's a new and gadgety dawn for the tech firm, which has floundered a bit in its hardware efforts. But based on what the company showed off today, Google still seems far behind despite earlier serious hardware efforts. It's easier to think of the new gadgets as follow-ups to competitor products: a competitor for Apple's iPhone and for Amazon's Echo speaker.

Google has revealed its new own-built smartphone, Pixel, which the tech giant says has been built with artificial intelligence at its centre. The Pixel has Google Assistant built into its software, the firm's artificial intelligence program that is designed to understand context and help with tasks. The new phone was unveiled at an event in San Francisco, and comes in both a 5in and 5.5in size. Google's range of new products including its new own-built smartphone, Pixel (centre), which the tech giant says has been built with artificial intelligence at its centre It has been billed by Google as housing the "best smartphone camera ever made" and the first device to be built to work with Google's new Daydream virtual reality platform. Users will be able to access the Assistant AI program from any screen on the device, and it will be able to understand context.

It's impossible to discuss Google Home in a vacuum. It's a direct, blatant, so-obvious-it-hurts competitor to the Amazon Echo--and if you spend just a few minutes with it, you may come away feeling it's got the Echo's number. Like the Echo, Google Home can start playing music with simple voice prompts. But it sounds better than the Echo, with much deeper bass. I only spent about 10 minutes with Google Home at Google's hardware launch event on Tuesday, and I certainly didn't have an Echo handy for A/B testing, but it took only five seconds of a Hooverphonic track to tell that Google Home delivers better low-end punch.

Google unveiled a massive strategic shift on Tuesday, announcing that it is officially getting into the business of designing and releasing its own smartphones. The Pixel and Pixel XL, announced at a special event in San Francisco, are the company's first forays into that market after working with outside manufacturers for several years to produce its Nexus line of devices. The phones are snazzy gizmos packed with some of the latest features that Google could come up with, like a new intelligent assistant and a high-quality camera. It feels like one of the best Android smartphones on the market and could be a serious contender to take on Apple's iPhone, especially for people looking to purchase a flagship smartphone. Google's launch answered a lot of questions that were floating around after details had leaked over several weeks.

Summer is now just a memory as the leaves slowly begin to change color and football dominates the weekends. One thing that didn't change is the constant stream of new Android apps. The last month was a little lighter on app releases, but we still had some excellent ones make their debut.

SAN FRANCISCO – Alphabet Inc.'s Google on Tuesday announced a new Pixel smartphone and a virtual reality headset, making a concerted move into home electronics and challenging Apple Inc.'s iPhone at the high end of the more than 400 billion global smartphone market. The string of announcements, including the 649 Pixel, a new Wi-Fi router and its voice-activated digital assistant for the living room, Home, is the clearest sign yet that Google intends to compete directly with Apple, Amazon.com and even its own Android mobile operating system customers to create a world of integrated devices and services that meet every digital need. The moves also show Google is taking tighter control of its products. Google lets Android device makers modify software almost without limit, which has helped make Android the most-used mobile operating system in the world. But company executives boasted that the Pixel was developed in-house from start to finish and gives it a direct hand on a platform for the distribution of its internet-based services.

If Google Home proves more capable than the Echo at responding intelligently to a wide range of queries--and I suspect it will, given Google's expertise in search and natural language--then it might not matter that it has a dumb name. Amazon pioneered the smart speaker category, but Google may be best equipped to perfect it. That could go a long way toward establishing Google Assistant as the new Google search--your default portal to the online realm. How exactly Google will monetize it, the company will have to figure out: Selling ads against search queries is one obvious possibility. Regardless, the history of the Internet suggests that if a company finds a way to monopolize a given type of online behavior, piles of money will follow.