Tag Archives: Google AR & VR

Augmented reality brings fine art to life for International Museum Day

Have you ever dreamt of having your portrait taken by a world-famous artist? Or wished a painting would come to life before your eyes? This International Museum Day, we’re unveiling three new Art Filter options via the Google Arts & Culture app so that you can immerse yourself in iconic paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Grant Wood, and Fernando Botero.

Our 3D-modeled augmented reality filter for Starry Night is a creative new twist on our previous Art Filter options and reflects how we continue to innovate with technology. Responding to the evocative atmosphere of Van Gogh’s masterpiece, it lets you set the night sky’s swirling winds and dazzling stars in motion. These filters are possible thanks to our partners in New York, Bogotá, and around the world who make their astonishing collections available online via Google Arts & Culture.

  • Two figures in front of a farmhouse turn towards each other and nod, then tilt their heads in unison

    Journey through the American midwest with Grant Wood’s classic

  • A man gazes at swirling painted stars surrounding him

    Dream of Van Gogh’s Starry Night with its sky full of roiling energy

  • A woman, surprised, backs away from the camera and poses.

    Study the art of volume and form with Botero

In another first for Art Filter, we’ve introduced face-mirroring effects to Grant Wood’s definitive depiction of midwestern America. See the figures of this celebrated double-portrait in a new light by interacting with both simultaneously. Perhaps you’ll put a smile on their famously long faces? Fernando Botero’s La primera dama, by contrast, needs no cheering up. This voluminous figure captures the Columbian artist’s inimitable Boterismo style in all its vibrancy and humor. Each of our three new Art Filter options draws inspiration from the paintings themselves to make these extraordinary artworks fun and educational for everyone.

Museums exist to preserve and celebrate art and culture. Using immersive, interactive technology, we aim to make these vital institutions more accessible. More than 60 museums from over 15 countries have joined Google Arts & Culture in 2022, joining more than 2000 existing partners to share their new collections and stories.

You can flick through the history of manga, tune into Bob Marley’s positive vibrations, tour an Argentinian palace, and hear powerful oral histories from Black Britain. In addition to art-inspired Art Filter options, you can also explore space, air, and sea with Neil Armstrong’s space suit, Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Vega 5B, or a deep-sea diving helmet.

The Google Arts & Culture app is available to download for Android or iOS. Tap the Camera icon to immerse yourself in Art Filter (g.co/artfilter), get creative with Art Transfer, find a pawfect match for your animal companion, and more. From the beauty of India’s celebrated crafts to terracotta toys for Greco-Roman children, we hope it will inspire you to explore and interact with incredible artifacts from around the globe and across history.

Step into the Meroë pyramids with Google

When you think of pyramids does your mind wander to the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt or the Mayan Temples of Guatemala? Great civilizations built each of these pyramids and inscribed their stories onto the walls of them, offering glimpses into their daily life.

The Pyramids of Meroë in Sudan, while lesser known, are no different. Today, you can explore these stunning pyramids, which are a UNESCO World Heritage site, on Google Arts & Culture.

Over 200 pyramids were constructed in Meroë, the third and final capital of the Kushite Kingdom, an ancient African civilization that ruled the lands of Nubia for over 3000 years. Now you can take a virtual walk through the Pyramids of Meroë and explore the inscriptions using Street View’s panoramic imagery. You can also learn more about the Kushite Kingdom, their royalty and the architecture behind the pyramids in an immersive web experience that’s available in a range of languages including Arabic, English, French, German and Spanish.

  • A user searches Google for the pyramids of meroe, then places an Augmented Reality model in front of them

    Search for “pyramids of meroe” to explore a pyramid up close in Augmented Reality

  • A series of pyramids are arranged in two rows

    Uncover the story of Meroë at g.co/meroe

  • A user pans along the outline of a pyramid in Street View

    Explore these remarkable Nubian pyramids on Street View

  • A series of steep pyramids extends across the horizon.

    Sudan’s Pyramids of Meroë

If you want to get even more up close and personal, you can visualize the pyramids using augmented reality — no matter where you are. You can also listen to acclaimed Sudanese-American poet Emi Mahmood share evocative rhymes that are a beautiful ode to her homeland and to this project that shares Sudan’s rich heritage with others.

We’ve also partnered with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESCO) to bring you more information about Meroë, Gebel Barkal and Napatan region and Sudan’s Sanganeb Marine National Park.

Bringing new life to Swedish endangered animals using AR

According to the UN, more plants and animals are threatened with extinction now than in any other period of human history — approximately 1 million species globally. The accelerating pace of extinction is an urgent matter, and at this week’s UN biodiversity conference representatives from countries all over the world are coming together virtually to set out a plan for how to combat the challenge of better protecting our endangered ecological ecosystem.

Sweden, which is home to much of the iconic wildlife in the northern hemisphere — from moose and bears to reindeer and wolverines— currently has 2,249 threatened species, according to the IUCN Red List. Each of these animals plays a vital role in the ecosystem we are all a part of, yet according to a recent study by Kantar Sifo, 30% of Swedes don’t believe or know if there are animals currently at risk of becoming extinct in Sweden.

Meet five endangered species in 3D

Today, in collaboration with the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, and in an effort to raise awareness of endangered animals, we are bringing five new Swedish endangered species to Search in augmented reality. Now, by simply searching for the lynx, arctic fox, white-backed woodpecker, harbour porpoise or moss carder bee in the Google App and tapping “View in 3D”, people from all over the world will be able to meet the animals up close in a life-size scale with movement and sound.

An image of augmented reality animals: a porpoise, a woodpecker, a lynx, an arctic fox and a flower with a bee

Experts from the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation have selected these specific animals for their varying types of reasons for endangerment in the country and relevance to certain types of habitats, based on the IUCN’s Red List. The white-backed woodpecker and the harbour porpoise (in the Baltic sea) are “critically” endangered, with only a few individuals left of each species. The arctic fox has an “endangered” threat status due to its decreasing population, and the lynx and the moss carder bee are considered “vulnerable” - meaning that their natural habitats need to be protected for these species to be able to continue to reproduce in the wild. These animals also exist in other regions and outside of the Nordics, with varying threat levels from none to urgent.

Reasons for endangerment

  • The white-backed woodpecker is affected by logging
  • The harbour porpoise is affected by toxins and noise pollution
  • The arctic fox’s habitat is at risk due to climate change
  • The lynx is affected by traffic and illegal hunting
  • The moss carder bee is contending with a decreasing number of flowers

Preserving endangered animals is a complex effort that requires collective action. Everyone can do something, and by launching this new Search experience we hope that we can help people in and outside of Sweden learn more about the issues at hand and experience some of nature's beloved creatures up close.

Whether you want to take a photo with the arctic fox or teach your family about the moss carder bee, the #Google3D animals are available for anyone to try out starting today through Google Search.

How machine learning revived long lost masterpieces by Klimt

Few artists enjoy such worldwide fame as Gustav Klimt. The new Google Arts & Culture online retrospective "Klimt vs. Klimt - The Man of Contradictions" puts the spotlight on the artist's eclectic work and life. A Machine Learning experiment recolored photographs of lost Klimt paintings, while a “Pocket Gallery” brings some of his most iconic works into your living room in augmented reality and 3D. Together with more than 120 stories about his art and personality, a virtual tour of his studio, and many more highlights from the collections of over 30 cultural institutions around the world, "Klimt vs. Klimt" forms one of the most comprehensive online experiences about the artist.

Klimt’s legacy poses many unsolved questions, not least due to the fact that approximately 20% of his artworks were lost over the course of history. Among the most prominent and painful losses are the so-called Faculty Paintings, created on behalf of the University of Vienna and rejected by the latter for being overly critical towards science. In 1945, only days before the Second World War ended, the paintings were lost to a fire at Immendorf Castle in Austria. What these major works looked like could only be guessed at from black and white photographs taken in the early 1900s, unable were they to convey the magic that makes Klimt’s artworks so captivating — the bold colours, the revolutionary approach to textures, the shocking directness of his figures. Until today.

Using the opportunities offered by machine learning, enhanced by the knowledge of internationally renowned Klimt expert and curator at the Belvedere, Dr. Franz Smola, the team at the Google Arts & Culture Lab was able to reconstruct the colours that Klimt might have used for the Faculty Paintings, thus restoring them to their fully colored beauty. For the first time in 70 years, people can experience his artworks in the colors he might have used.

  • A GIF showing Klimt’s Faculty Painting “Medicine” gradually changing from black-and-white to its recolored version

    Discover how the Faculty Paintings could be recolored combining Machine Learning and expert knowledge.

  • Dr. Franz Smola at the Google Arts & Culture Lab

    Curator Dr. Franz Smola and engineer Emil Wallner working at the Google Arts & Culture Lab.

  • The recolored version of Klimt’s Faculty Painting “Jurisprudence”

    Explore the recolored photo of Klimt’s Faculty Painting “Jurisprudence”.

  • The recolored version of Klimt’s Faculty Painting “Philosophy”

    The recolored photo of Klimt’s Faculty Painting “Philosophy”.

  • A black-and-white photograph from 1928 showing the original Faculty Paintings at the 99th Vienna Secession exhibition.

    In 1928 the Faculty Paintings were on display at the 99th exhibition of the Vienna Secession.

Experience the art of Klimt in new ways online

The paintings are the true centerpiece of “Klimt vs. Klimt”. The retrospective brings together more than 120 of the artist’s most famous masterpieces, as well as lesser known works, and assembles an expertly curated selection in an immersive Pocket Gallery that you can experience in augmented reality on mobile or in 3D on web. This was made possible thanks to a collaboration between Google Arts & Culture and over 30 partners and institutions - with the Belvedere, the Albertina, the Klimt Foundation, the Neue Galerie New York and the Metropolitan Museum of Arts among them. Over 60 masterworks by Klimt have also been captured in ultra high resolution with Google’s Art Camera. Come in closer to see “The Kiss” like never before!

  • View on the 3D model of the virtual gallery

    An AR/3D gallery allows to get fully immersed in Gustav Klimt’s work for a unique exhibition experience.

  • Gustav Klimt’s painting “Adele Bloch-Bauer I” featuring his classical use of gold as a dominating colour

    In more than 120 stories, Klimt lovers and newcomers can get familiar with his art, including his many portraits.

  • Black-and-white-photograph of Gustav Klimt standing in front of his studio, holding a cat on his arm

    They can stroll through the painter’s final studio and trace how Klimt, himself rather shy, became the pioneer of the revolutionary Secession art movement.

  • Black-and-white-portrait of Emilie Flöge

    Discover how the man who is said to have had numerous affairs stayed true to his lifelong companion Emilie Flöge.

Klimt expert Dr. Franz Smola

Meet the expert — Dr. Franz Smola


While creating “Klimt vs. Klimt” the Google Arts & Culture team was advised and guided by Dr. Franz Smola, curator at the Belvedere and acknowledged around the world as one of the foremost Klimt experts. He shared some of his thoughts on working on the project:

Why are Klimt’s Faculty Paintings so important?

Klimt´s three Faculty Paintings were among the largest artworks Klimt ever created and in the field of Symbolist painting they represent Klimt’s masterpieces.

What do you think about the recolored versions?

The colors were essential for the overwhelming effect of these paintings, and they caused quite a stir among Klimt´s contemporaries. Therefore the reconstruction of the colors is synonymous with recognizing the true value and significance of these outstanding artworks.

Is there something the digital presentation adds to how Klimt and his artworks can be perceived?

I am deeply impressed by the fantastic images taken with Google’s Art Camera. They allow you to really explore a work of art, to jump into its texture and color application and to discover every detail in the easiest way possible. I also like how technology allows ideas to come to life that have always been merely hypothetical — I am thinking of the Pocket Gallery we created, which contains a highlight selection of Klimt’s paintings including some of which were lost.

If Klimt was still alive - how do you think he would engage with digital technologies?

Klimt was a highly visual figure. He rarely commented on his work, rather inviting people to look at the work alone and draw their own conclusions. The “Klimt vs. Klimt” project primarily uses visual, non-verbal tools to convey Klimt’s work, which is very much in line with Klimt’s character. Klimt liked to lead a rather secluded life within the walls of his studio, to which only a few had access. I am certain he would have liked the idea of jumping from this remote and quiet place into the World Wide Web, having access to millions of artworks and seeing his art distributed and communicated around the world.

To explore “Klimt vs. Klimt - The Man of Contradictions” visit g.co/klimtvsklimt or download the free Google Arts & Culture app for iOS or Android.

Bring iconic Japanese characters to life with AR in Search

We all need a bit of escapism sometimes, and there’s nothing like a blast from the pop-culture past to do the trick. Today, we’re bringing characters from classic Japanese anime, games and TV shows to life — from Pac-Man to Hello Kitty — with augmented reality (AR) in Search. 


Japan’s anime and video game culture emerged between the 1950s and the 1980s, as comic books, gaming arcades and home TVs and consoles boomed. But it wasn’t just a Japanese phenomenon. The most iconic characters caught people’s imaginations around the world, and they’re still hugely popular today. 


Which animated icon is most searched on Google? Pac-Man leads the pack by a long way: worldwide search interest in the hungry dot-gobbler is more than double the next most-searched character, Hello Kitty. What might surprise you is that the top country for search interest in Pac-Man over the past five years was...Peru. Hello Kitty is most searched in the Philippines. 


When it comes to the broader trends, anime wins out. It’s more popular than video games worldwide, with interest for anime climbing to its highest peak on record in the past month. That’s pretty amazing — and in fact, search interest for “anime sugoi” (or “anime is amazing”) has spiked 2,300% in the past five years globally.
An animated world map showing search interest in anime characters over the past five years

Now, you can have these characters do their cute thing right in front of your eyes. Take a break to watch ghosts chasing after Pac-Man or Gundam swoop in your living room! Characters that are viewable in AR include Evangelion, Hello Kitty, Gomora, Gundam, Pac-Man and Ultraman. (For die-hard otaku who can read Japanese, check out our Japanese blog with the full list.)

An animation showing how the Japanese anime characters will look in augmented reality on Google Search

How to access and share:

Search for one of the characters on Google using a mobile device and tap “View in 3D” to rotate or zoom in and see it up close. You can then bring the characters from outer space into your space with AR and turn up your volume to hear Hello Kitty deliver a cute message, or Pac-man's retro sound effects.

  • Android: Search for “Hello Kitty” or one of the 14 characters on the Google app or any Android browser and tap “View in 3D.” You can see 3D content on devices with Android 7 Plus and you can see AR content on ARCore-enabled devices.
  • iOS:  Search for “Hello Kitty” or one of the 14 characters on the Google app. 3D and AR content is available on iOS 11.0+ devices.
You can also create AR videos — or recreate your favorite scenes — with the recording option. Don’t forget to tag your photos and videos on social with #Google3D.

Source: Search


Experiment with AR and VR made for the web

Augmented and virtual reality are opening up the possibilities of how we interact with the world and information around us. WebXR brings together AR and VR on the web to make them more convenient and widely accessible.

Today on the Experiments with Google platform, we’re launching the new WebXR collection to showcase what is possible with this technology — from helpful utilities to get things done, to playful and immersive experiences:

From left to right: Sodar, Measure Up, Floom and Picturescape

Sodar helps to visualize social distancing. By activating a personal augmented reality radar from your browser, you can see what six feet (or two meters) looks like in any environment.

With Measure Up, you can calculate the length, area and volume of the things around you without using a tape measure. 

Floom is a fun new way to explore the planet, built with WebXR and Google Maps. Open your browser to tunnel through the earth and see what’s on the other side.

And coming soon, Picturescape turns your Google Photos library into an immersive gallery so you can explore your memories in augmented reality.

All you need to try these experiments is a supported Android device and the latest Chrome browser.

Check them out now and submit your own at g.co/webXR.

Source: Google Chrome


A new audio guide for our Augmented Reality Galleries

Since we launched our first Pocket Gallery in 2018, people all over the world have used the augmented reality (AR) feature to explore virtual art galleries ranging from Vermeer to Indian miniatures. With many of us missing the opportunities to explore, we have now collaborated with cultural institutions including the Jean Pigozzi Collection and J. Paul Getty Museum to create three new Pocket Galleries - one of which includes a brand new audio guide feature. Just open the camera tab in the Google Arts & Culture  app to get started.


The virtual exhibition space of Jean Pigozzi’s Pocket Gallery invites you to discover highlights from its African and Japanese collections  featuring 40 of its most important artworks ranging from renowned painter Chéri Samba to emerging new talent. These treasures are frequently lent to museums across the globe, but until now have never had a dedicated building of their own, making this Pocket Gallery a truly unique space.
  • Image of an animated AR room with paintings on the wall

    Inside the Pigozzi Pocket Gallery

  • Colourful image

    You can learn more about this renowned collection with 19 stories and over 500 high-resolution images. Find out how Ndebele traditions inspired Esther Mahlangu  or dive into the portraits of the world famous Malian photographer Seydou Keïta.

  • animated zoom into an image

    We have also collaborated to create a new and improved version of embedded content from Google Arts & Culture, allowing you to explore high resolution highlights of the collection directly on the Jean Pigozzi Collection of African Art website.

Image of the inside of the Getty AR Pocket Gallery

Continue your journey with a Pocket Gallery presented by the J. Paul Getty Museum, bringing together celebrated works across 200 years of art history. Here you’ll meet cheerful crowds welcoming you to join, whether you’re craving music and merriment, dinner gatherings, or a city stroll. Dive in and experience the joys of dancing with Henri Rousseau, stolen kisses with Jean-Antoine Watteau, and concerts with Gerrit van Honthorst, all from the iconic LA-based collection.

A new way to experience a virtual exhibition space is by using sound and narration -  a feature we are testing first with the guided “Brushes with the World” Pocket Gallery. Here, in each room a narrator will give a short introduction as you follow along on a tour of larger-than-life artworks. Gaze upon immersive landscapes - from Georgia O’Keeffe’s dreamy depiction of Machu Picchu to Hokusai’s majestic vision of Mount Fuji - and take in the city views of  Zaha Hadid’s London or Habeeb Andu’s Lagos. As you approach each masterpiece, you will hear a bespoke soundscape inspired by the locations and objects in the paintings. Some paintings are even accompanied by additional commentary to help you learn more along your voyage. Featuring artworks from 27 cultural partner institutions that depict scenes across 24 countries. This gallery is available now on Android and coming soon on iOS.

Video showing the AR Pocket Gallery
10:25

Together, with our partners, we are always experimenting to find new ways to bring people closer to art and culture and we hope these new Pocket Galleries will help you - not just to explore a diverse set of artworks, but also to feel connected to destinations around the world. 


Find the galleries in the Camera Tab of the free Google Arts & Culture app for Android and iOS and jump inside to explore each one from there.

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Music, Makers & Machines

In 1895, Thaddeus Cahill, an inventor from Iowa, started work on the world’s first electromechanical musical instrument. Weighing in at 200 tons and measuring 60 feet long, the Telharmonium was a colossal machine for producing and sharing music on the telephone.


In the 126 years since, electronic music has evolved in similarly bold and ingenious ways, a testament to the magic that occurs when human beings build and interact with machines. We listen to it while working out, riding the subway, studying for exams — and hopefully soon again at the clubs and festivals that have made it what it is today.


Music, Makers & Machines, the new exhibit from Google Arts & Culture and YouTube, celebrates the history of electronic music: its inventors, artists, sounds and technology. More than 50 international institutions, record labels, festivals and industry experts have come together to capture the crucial role electronic music plays within wider culture, from the WDR Studio for Electronic Music to Blacktronika to the “Diva of the Diodes” Suzanne Ciani. There are more than 250 online exhibitions, an extensive archive of photos, videos, 360° tours and 3D-scanned objects, including synthesizers and the door of Berlin’s legendary Tresor techno club.


In the spirit of pioneers like Cahill, you can also compose your own electronic music. Use the augmented reality feature of AR Synth to mix and match five famous synthesizers in a virtual electronic music studio.


MUSIC: Let’s get to know some of the legendary tracks and artists:

  • Bernie Worrell (c) Brian Diescher - Bob Moog Foundation

    Follow King Britt (DJ, label founder and professor at University of California San Diego) to explore Black innovators in electronic music in the Blacktronika exhibit, which even comes with its own soundtrack. (c)Brian Diescher - Bob Moog Foundation

  • Brief History of Early Dubstep

    Georgina Cook’s Brief History of Early Dubstep talks us through the early days of the genre, starting with its underground beginnings in South London.

  • Detroit Techno
    Along with R'n'B, soul, funk, and hip-hop, Detroit Techno is one of the recent major stylistic inventions in African-American pop music.

  • Phatmedia

    One of Europe’s biggest flyer collectors, phatmedia, has contributed about 10,000 of their digitized flyers, which tell the history of electronic music in the UK from Early Rave and Drum’n’Bass to Hardcore and House.

MAKERS: Go behind the scenes in studios and see iconic inventors in action:

  • Suzanne Ciani

    Learn more about five-time Grammy nominated electronic music icon Suzanne Ciani and her 50-year career. (c)Suzanne Ciani

  • WDR Studio

    Explore the WDR Studio for Electronic Music in Cologne, Germany, one of the world’s first studios for electronic music and made famous by composer Karlheinz Stockhausen.

  • Bob Moog

    Explore the life of Bob Moog, best known for inventing the Moog synthesizer in 1964, which revolutionized the world of music by providing musicians with access to an expanded sonic universe. (c)Bob Moog Foundation

  • Tresor door

    Few other clubs have defined techno as much as Tresor in Berlin, which opened in 1991.

MACHINES: Play with the instruments that made the tunes: 


  • AR Synth

    Turn your home into an electronic music studio using AR Synth (g.co/arsynth), an experiment that helps everyone to engage and play with five famous synthesizers (from the collection of the Swiss Museum for Electronic Music Instruments) through augmented reality (Android) or in 3D (Android, iOS, desktop): create interactive loops, compose patterns and interact with features inspired by these machines.

  • Akai S900

    Rotate and zoom in on 22 legendary synthesizers, which have been scanned in 3D, from the collection of the Swiss Museum for Electronic Music Instruments.

  • Songs created by AI

    Twelve songs created by AI: How musicians are continuing to embrace new technologies in music production

Electronic music brings people together from all walks of life and from all over the world. Its community has always been one of creativity and shared experiences. And while it may take a while until club doors open again, fans and musicians keep connected through new online forums and formats.


We hope that Music, Makers & Machines will let you explore and appreciate the stories of electronic music and celebrate the creativity of its makers. Find the project on the Google Arts & Culture app for iOS and Android and at g.co/musicmakersmachines .

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The best hardware, software and AI—together

Today, we introduced our second generation family of consumer hardware products that are coming to Canada, all made by Google: new Pixel phones, Google Home Mini and Max, an all new Pixelbook, Google Pixel Buds, and an updated Daydream View headset. We see tremendous potential for devices to be helpful, make your life easier, and even get better over time when they’re created at the intersection of hardware, software and advanced artificial intelligence (AI). 

Why Google? 
These days many devices—especially smartphones—look and act the same. That means in order to create a meaningful experience for users, we need a different approach. A year ago, Sundar outlined his vision of how AI would change how people would use computers. And in fact, AI is already transforming what Google’s products can do in the real world. For example, swipe typing has been around for a while, but AI lets people use Gboard to swipe-type in two languages at once. Google Maps uses AI to figure out what the parking is like at your destination and suggest alternative spots before you’ve even put your foot on the gas. But, for this wave of computing to reach new breakthroughs, we have to build software and hardware that can bring more of the potential of AI into reality—which is what we’ve set out to do with this year’s new family of products.

Hardware, built from the inside out 
We’ve designed and built our latest hardware products around a few core tenets. First and foremost, we want them to be radically helpful. They’re fast, they’re there when you need them, and they’re simple to use. Second, everything is designed for you, so that the technology doesn’t get in the way and instead blends into your lifestyle. Lastly, by creating hardware with AI at the core, our products can improve over time. They’re constantly getting better and faster through automatic software updates. And they’re designed to learn from you, so you’ll notice features—like the Google Assistant—get smarter and more assistive the more you interact with them.

You’ll see this reflected in our 2017 lineup of new Made by Google products:

  • The Pixel 2 has the best camera of any smartphone, again, along with a gorgeous display and augmented reality capabilities. Pixel owners get unlimited storage for their photos and videos, and an exclusive preview of Google Lens, which uses AI to give you helpful information about the things around you. 
  • Google Home Mini brings the Assistant to more places throughout your home, with a beautiful design that fits anywhere. And Max, which is coming later to Canada, is our biggest and best-sounding Google Home device, powered by the Assistant. And with AI-based Smart Sound, Max has the ability to adapt your audio experience to you—your environment, context, and preferences. 
  • With Pixelbook, we’ve reimagined the laptop as a high-performance Chromebook, with a versatile form factor that works the way you do. It’s the first laptop with the Assistant built in, and the Pixelbook Pen makes the whole experience even smarter. 
  • Our new Pixel Buds combine Google smarts and the best digital sound. You’ll get elegant touch controls that put the Assistant just a tap away, and they’ll even help you communicate in a different language. 
  • The updated Daydream View is the best mobile virtual reality (VR) headset on the market, and the simplest, most comfortable VR experience. 

Assistant, everywhere 
Across all these devices, you can interact with the Google Assistant any way you want—talk to it with your Google Home or your Pixel Buds, squeeze your Pixel 2, or use your Pixelbook’s Assistant key or circle things on your screen with the Pixelbook Pen. Wherever you are, and on any device with the Assistant, you can connect to the information you need and get help with the tasks to get you through your day. No other assistive technology comes close, and it continues to get better every day.

Google’s hardware business is just getting started, and we’re committed to building and investing for the long run. We couldn’t be more excited to introduce you to our second-generation family of products that truly brings together the best of Google software, thoughtfully designed hardware with cutting-edge AI. We hope you enjoy using them as much as we do.

Availability
Here’s some more info on where and when you can get our new hardware in Canada. Visit The Google Store for more info.

  • Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are available for pre-order today, starting at $899, on The Google Store, Bell, Best Buy Canada, Fido, Freedom Mobile, Koodo, Rogers, The Source, TELUS, Tbooth wireless, Walmart, WIRELESSWAVE, Videotron, and Virgin. 
  • Pixel Buds will be available later this year for $219 on The Google Store and Best Buy Canada. 
  • Pixelbook is available in three configurations starting at $1299, so you can choose the processing power, memory and storage you want. The Pixelbook Pen is $129. Both will be available for pre-order today in Canada, with the exception of Quebec, and on sale at The Google Store and select retailers, including Best Buy Canada. We’re working to bring Pixelbook to Quebec in the future. 
  • Google Home Mini is available for pre-order today for $79 on The Google Store, Best Buy Canada and select retailers. 
  • The new Google Daydream View is available for pre-order today for $139 on The Google Store and select retailers. 

Posted by Rick Osterloh, SVP, Hardware