Apple has its iPhone, and now phones are 'Made by Google'.

For years, the Nexus mobile range has been synonymous with a "pure" Android experience. No more. Google just announced the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones developed in-house that the company hopes will redefine the Android platform. Pitched as "the first phone with Google Assistant baked in," the devices are focusing on that, plus photos, storage, communications and VR (they're also the first phones built for use with Google's $79 Daydream VR headset.)

The phones will be available for pre-order starting today, however, at least at first, the only US carrier selling them directly will be Verizon. Otherwise, you can buy the device unlocked (via the Google Store or other retailers) or for use with Google's Project Fi service. The price starts at $649, and you can have one in "Quite Black," "Really Blue" or "Very Silver."

Built with a 12.3MP camera, Google claims these phones the highest rating for a phone ever on the DxOMark test for cameras at 89 (if you're keeping score, the iPhone 7 rated an 86, while the iPhone 7 Plus has not been reviewed yet). Software lead Brian Rakowski didn't stop there, claiming they also have the fastest capture speed of any phone tested, while Google even pointed out that unlike the iPhone (and the Nexus 6P) there's no camera hump here. Finally, since it comes with Google Photos built-in, it's promising unlimited photo storage for your pictures and video, in their original quality.

The Pixel has a 5-inch display, while the Pixel XL's measures 5.5-inches, and they're powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 821 CPUs. The cameras are 12.3MP, and they have 4GB of RAM plus either 32GB or 128GB of storage onboard. Google said both will feature a "high resolution" AMOLED screen (and yes, there is a headphone jack), although the Pixel XL gets a larger 3,450mAh battery. The official spec page confirms the rumors of different displays, as the Pixel has a 1080p screen, while the Pixel XL upgrades to Quad HD. The best news, however, is that with Pixel's fast charging over USB-C, you should expect 7 hours of battery life from a 15-minute charge.

The first demos onstage focused on the software, specifically how it can respond to a user based on what it knows about their app preferences, and provide relevant information in response to a question. They'll also come with a "Quick Switch Adapter" cable to transfer your old data to the new phone, including stuff from iMessage. Built-in customer support software will bring help 24/7, with a screensharing feature so you can show reps exactly what your phone is doing.

The pre-order page is now available (while all traces of Nexus phones have disappeared from the store) and reveals that upgrading to a Pixel XL will add $120 to the price of the 32GB base model. Opting for 128GB of storage adds an additional $100, while two years of device protection is a $100 add-on. That puts the price of an unlocked 128GB Pixel XL at $869, the same price as a similarly outfitted iPhone 7 Plus (a 32GB Galaxy S7 Edge on Verizon costs about $793, with expandable storage) -- now the choice is up to you.

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