Google unveils new smartphone, VR headset among other devices

SAN FRANCISCO -- Google unveil a slew of devices, including a smartphone at an event held at San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square on Tuesday.

Google's CEO described the world of the future. "In this world computing will be universally available, it'll be there everywhere," Sundar Pichai said.

At the event, a $130 smart speaker called Google Home was unveiled. It comes with a friendly voice known as Google's Assistant. Ask it to play your favorite show and when you walk into a room inside your house, it's already playing it on your TV.

You can take the assistant with you on Google's new phone called Pixel, which goes for $650. They didn't cut corners. Google is proud of the camera. "It's the best smartphone camera anyone has ever made," Pichai said.

It's the first phone to work with Google's 2nd VR headset named Daydream View, which is made from an unconventional material. The first one called Cardboard was made out of cardboard and this one is made of fabric. "It feels like a pillow when you're placing it against your head instead of this rigid crummy plastic device," CNET senior editor Sean Hollister said.

But Hollister really loved the controller that comes with the $80 headset.

Along with a new home Wi-Fi system and a Chromecast that streams in 4K, Google says this is just the first chapter. "A family of devices designed and built by us. This is a natural step, and we're in it for the long run," Google Senior VP of Hardware Rick Osterloh said.