Google Store financing not limited to Pixel phones

Google made a huge fuss about the ability to finance the Google Pixel phones announced this morning. You can grab a brand new Google smartphone and pay it over 24 monthly payments. That's convenient, especially considering the new Pixel phones are quite expensive, with a base price of $649. But did you know financing is not limited to the new smartphones?

It turns out Google Store financing extends to any purchase, as long as it meets certain pricing criteria. Google and Synchrony Bank will offer 6-month financing for purchases between $150 and $299. For anything above $299, you can have 12-month financing. Of course, given that you pass certain credit requirements. In short: you must buy more than $150 in products.

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL officially announced: everything you need to know
• Chromecast Ultra announced: 4K video streaming, HDR and more for $69
• Google Home is official: enhanced search, smarthome integration, all for $129
• Google WiFi announced: "designed to support the new ways we use WiFi"

This will be very convenient for Google fans, especially if they often make purchases from the Google Store. You can sign up for Google Home, a Pixel C, Android Wear devices, Chromebooks and more. Then simply make easy monthly payments towards your awesome new tech.

Gadgets can get pricey, so it's nice to see Google offering something like this. Are any of you signing up for Google Store financing? What will be your first purchase?

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Nexus is dead, long live Pixel

Today, in coordination with the launch of the Google Pixel and the Pixel XL, Google has made it clear that the Nexus line is coming to an end. Those who had theorized that Nexus and Pixel might coexist must now sadly pack their hopes away.

This news comes to us via the official Nexus Google+ account, which announced the following this afternoon:

As Nexus users, you've played an integral role in this journey for Google. We're excited about Pixel, and also want you to know that we'll continue to support your Nexus devices (with customer support, software updates, etc.) and the Nexus G+ page will continue to be a place for Nexus convos.

For years, Apple has succeeded in producing something that Google has not excelled at: creating a fully integrated ecosystem of products. It appears that Google is no longer satisfied with leaving the orchestra of their technology in third party hands, and today's event showcased that in spades.

Google is now stepping into the hardware game with full force. The launch of Google Home, Wi-Fi routers, upscaled VR, and – most prominently – two phones "Made by" Google, all point toward the search giant taking the reigns of the technology they've developed over the years.

It's worth noting that Google appears to be taking a much different approach than the current competition. The release of the Pixel puts Google directly in the fray with both Apple and Samsung, but the aesthetic that they conveyed with today's line of products is very different than that offered by these two rivals.

Whereas Samsung aims for sleek and futuristic, and Apple aims for stoic minimalism, Google is attempting to strike a balance between the two. Their products are neither futuristic nor ascetic. They're… comfortable. Google isn't aiming for the future with their design language, they're aiming for the present.

The release of the Pixel puts Google directly in the fray with both Apple and Samsung.

In their presentation of Google Home, the company described its design process as angling toward things you would already find in a home – like candles or wine bottles. Some are comparing its appearance to an air freshener.

In the same way, the abandonment of the Nexus branding brings us away from a concept that is techie and futuristic, and puts us into conversation with a brand named after something we encounter millions of times every day. Pixel.

What are your thoughts regarding Google's abandonment of Nexus? The company recently made an aggressive purge of the branding from the Play Store, evoking the ire of some. Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

Next: Google Pixel receives a DxOMark score of 89, the highest rating ever61

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Google Home now up for pre-order

Google Home was among the most exciting announcements at today's event. The smart device uses Google Assistant to take your experience to a new level, and you can now put your name to one of these gadgets. The Google Store has put Google Home up for pre-order!

Interested? Undecided? We have put together an announcement post with all the information you could need. In summary, this little unit listens to your commands. You can ask it to play music, perform searches, interact with Cast and control your smartphone.

Google Home is official: enhanced search, smarthome integration, all for $1299

Pre-order Google Home now

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Join the waitlist

Other products announced today could be up for pre-order soon, but if they aren't yet you could always join the waitlist to get notified when it becomes available for purchase.

Google WiFi

Google WiFi is a router "designed to support the new ways we use WiFi". But what does that even mean? Google is mainly selling two features here: expand-ability and ease of use.

Google WiFi announced: "designed to support the new ways we use WiFi"1

Join the Google WiFi waitlist now

Chromecast Ultra

Chromecast Ultra now comes the ability to stream content at the 4K resolution and with HDR and Dolby Vision support, an upgrade from the Full HD resolution that its predecessor was limited to.

Chromecast Ultra announced: 4K video streaming, HDR and more for $69"1

Join the Chromecast Ultra waitlist now

Daydream View

The first Daydream-ready smartphone on the market is Google's new Pixel and the first headset for the platform is Daydream View, coming soon for $79.

Google announces Daydream View, coming in November for $791

Join the Daydream View waitlist now

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Also keep in mind you can already pre-order both the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL. Are you guys signing up for any of these products? Which are you most excited about? I am all about Google Home right now!

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Pixel or Pixel XL? [Poll of the Week]

Last week's poll summary: Out of over 8,100 total votes, 47% of our readers said they're using Google Allo. 26% said Allo isn't for them, while 16% said they've yet to try it out.

Featuring top-of-the-line specs, a solid build, and some awesome new software features, the new Pixel and Pixel XL are certainly some of the best smartphones we've seen this year.

See also: Google Pixel and Pixel XL officially announced: everything you need to know94

Both are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 821 processor and backed by 4GB of RAM, which should make the power users out there happy. They also have really great 12.3MP cameras, 24/7 live customer care, and they're both Daydream compatible, too. Plus, they're the first phones to have the wonderful Google Assistant built right in to the software experience.

The problem is, these babies are expensive. Both the Pixel and Pixel XL are now up for pre-order from the Google Store, with the base model Pixel starting at a hefty $649. There are financing options available if you'd rather pay monthly, but that's still a hefty bill to pay.

So, we want to know – are you buying the Pixel, Pixel XL, both or neither? Be sure cast your vote in the poll below, and if there's something you need to add, feel free to speak up in the comment section. We look forward to hearing what you have to say!

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Five new Square Enix games coming to NVIDIA Shield GeForce Now

NVIDIA Shield's GeForce Now platform has been making a push to bring mainstream gaming to the Android ecosystem for a while now, and one of their biggest strides in that direction has been their recent partnering with Square Enix. Now the popular triple-A game developer says they're rolling out five new games onto the platform.

Square Enix is releasing these games starting today with Hitman: Absolution. Next up will be Thief, followed by Tomb Raider Legend and Tomb Raider Anniversary. The last of the five will be the arcade hit Mini Ninjas. All of these games will be free to play for all GeForce Now members.

See also: Square Enix pokes some fun at Pokémon GO's naming scheme7

The NVIDIA Shield GeForce Now platform has become something of a haven for the action-adventure genre, with many titles in that category garnering the most playtime. This puts Square Enix in a comfortable position, as that's kind of their specialty. So far they've already released Sleeping Dogs, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Murdered: Soul Suspect, and Tomb Raider on GeForce Now.

If you want to check out the latest arrivals to the GeForce library, including Hitman: Absolution, click the button below to begin browsing. We don't have any details on when the next four games from Square Enix will be arriving, but the company promises that they will be coming "soon."

What are your thoughts regarding the arrival of these titles on the NVIDIA Shield? Are you a GeForce Now gamer? If so, let us know about your experience with it in the comments below. You might even coax over someone to give it a shot for themselves!

Check it out! Previously: Dead Island and Riptide hit GeForce Now for NVIDIA Shield4

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Really Blue Pixel and Pixel XL are exclusive to the US

So, by now you're aware that Google has taken the wraps off the new Pixel and Pixel XL. Not only do they sport top-of-the-line specs, they're pretty attractive little devices, too.

Part of the reason the Pixel and Pixel XL are so aesthetically pleasing are the color options. They're available in Very Silver, Quite Black and a limited-edition Really Blue. Unfortunately, the Really Blue color option is much more limited than we thought.

According to Google UK on Twitter, the Pixel and Pixel XL in Really Blue are exclusive to the United States.

Let's get to the good stuff. Here's Pixel by the numbers. #madebygoogle http://pic.twitter.com/NI4FB2sRlj

— Google UK (@GoogleUK) October 4, 2016

I guess all other folks looking to buy these new devices will have to settle for the Very Silver or Quite Black colors. Did you have your hopes set on the Really Blue color? Tell us what you think in the comments.

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Google Store clears Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, and a few other non-Google branded products

Out with the old, in with the new. Google just cleaned up its store big time, removing a number of entries to make room for the Google Pixel, Google Home, and other new products unveiled today.

So what's gone? Of biggest note, the Nexus 6P and 5X are now longer for sale from Google. While this isn't necessarily a massive surprise, with no official "new Nexus", it would have been nice to still be able to pick up what's left — perhaps at an increased cut in pricing. This is especially true considering the major price difference between the new Pixel lineup and the Nexus family that came before it.

In addition to axing the Nexus phones, Google also removed a number of VR products currently found on its store like the View-Master VR, in order to focus on the new Daydream View headset. Interestingly enough, Google also cleared out the NVIDIA Shield, and so the only streaming products found on the Google Store are the Chromecast family and Google Home. There might be a few other accessories or products that have been removed as well, but those are the ones that happened to catch our eyes.

Google cleaning house isn't necessarily that strange, but it does seem to suggest that Google has moved on from not only the Nexus family, but its even somewhat distancing itself from Android TV too. The new Google Store is one that is all about showcasing Google's own hardware, and less about its OEM partners (with a few exceptions, like Chromebooks). Whether this change is a good or bad one probably comes down to a matter of opinion.

Of course, if you're interested in any of these products, you can still find them on Amazon and likely several other major retailers.

What do you think of this change? Surprised by any of the products that were ditched?

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