Google aims to take a bite out of Apple with Pixel smartphone

Google has unveiled a new smartphone and a virtual reality (VR) headset it hopes will take on the likes of Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) and Samsung.

Pixel comes in two sizes and has the best mobile camera ever made, the tech giant said at an event in San Francisco.

Artificial Intelligence is at heart of the device, which has digital helper Google Assistant built in, along with a battery that can get a seven-hour charge in just 15 minutes.

It also has a dedicated headphone jack, something Apple has eliminated from its latest iPhone.

Pixel phones will come in black, blue and silver and be available with screens 5" and 5.5" across (12.7cm and 14cm).

The Daydream View VR headset will work with the new Pixel phones and other Android devices.

Supported by a companion controller that can be used as a remote, it will enable users to watch YouTube videos and access Google Maps in virtual reality, as well as play games.

:: Google Unveils Touchscreen Chromebook Pixel

Google has sold another line of phones, called Nexus (LSE: 0FGL.L - news) , since 2010, but the devices have gained little traction in a market dominated by Samsung and Apple.

Pixel is an aggressive challenge to the smartphone market and marks a bold direction for Google, which remains best-known for its search engine and makes most of its money from online software and digital ads.

New (KOSDAQ: 160550.KQ - news) devices could help Google keep its services front and centre in the battle for consumers' attention, said analyst Julie Ask at Forrester Research (NasdaqGS: FORR - news) .

Unlike a new mobile app or other software, she noted, it can be an expensive gamble to build and ship new hardware products. "But if you're Google, you can't afford to stop placing bets," she said.

Google chief Sundar Pichai claims the Pixel marks the beginning of a new era in computing and smartphones.

"We're at a seminal moment in computing," he said.

"We've always had big shifts in computing in every 10 years or so.

"It began in the 1980s with personal computers. In the 90s the web arrived and it was the biggest platform shift ever. 10 years later in the mid-2000s, we had the smartphone revolution.

"Now (Frankfurt: 11N.F - news) the shift continues. We are evolving from a mobile first to an Artificial Intelligence first world."

Prices for Pixel will start at $649 (£599) for the 32Gb model with a 5" screen and pre-orders will begin shipping from the end of October. The Daydream VR will be released in November and will retail for £62.