A smart trick
Google is going big on Smart Displays, even unveiling its own – the Google Home Hub. But it’s not stopping there, as rumored previously it wants to turn your smartphone into a baby Smart Display.
Enter the Pixel Stand, which does exactly that. It’s a wireless charging stand that gives your Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL special Google Assistant powers while it’s charging. As soon as you dock it, your Pixel’s interface will change to more prominently feature Google Assistant.
Read this: Google Home Hub revealed
There are buttons for quick actions, but you can also just throw out a “Hey Google” and do everything you can with a Google Home speaker. In the morning, you’ll gently be woken up by a gradual alarm, and then Google Assistant will preview your day for you, including your calendar of events, traffic information and weather. At night, it’ll automatically enter Do Not Disturb mode and wind you down for bed.
You can also set up Pixel Stand to start playing your photos from Google Photos in a slideshow, just like the Google Home Hub. Even better, if you’ve got a Nest Hello video doorbell, the video feed will pop up automatically when someone rings the door and your Pixel is charging on the Stand.
You’ll get all the features you expect from the Nest app right on your Pixel – automatically. So you’ll be able to talk to your visitors from your Pixel Stand and even use Nest’s quick replies to have Google Assistant reply for you.
The Pixel Stand can also charge other Qi-compatible devices, but all of those new smart abilities are reserved for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL only. The Pixel Stand is available for pre-order now for £69 and will ship 18 October.
