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TV tech is on the move again. From the relative simplicity of 1080p versus 4K resolution, we humble buyers now have to contend with HDR (High Dynamic Range) in all its multiple flavours.

HDR has pushed screen makers to new levels of innovation. The idea of higher peak brightness and wider colour range (the two key attributes of HDR) may sound relatively straightforward, but executing them has caused a fundamental rethink with display technologies – and there's no clear consensus between brands (or I suspect even within brands) as to which solution is best.

So how do the approaches of the three biggest innovators, Samsung, LG and Sony, compare? They all have a very different idea about how best to bring home the incredible dynamics and wide colour of HDR…

Samsung SUHD Quantum Dot TVs

Quantum Dot technology is the future of TV… at least according to Samsung. We know this because it shills the point at every opportunity, but what makes QD so interesting?

In short, it's allowed Samsung to reconceptualise TV construction.

Quantum Dot nano-particles are pretty useful. They're incredibly efficient when it comes to brightness, and are capable of astonishing colour purity. 10,000 times smaller than a human hair, they can deliver perfect primary colours, depending on their particle size. But Samsung doesn't use Quantum Dots for the display itself, instead they're used as a backlight enhancement.

In a common or garden LED backlit LCD TVs, those white LED backlights are actually blue, coated with yellow phosphor. This coating leads to diminished intensity, one reason why many LCD TVs produce an orangey red. Using a Quantum Dot Enhanced Film (or QDEF) layer between the TV backlight and the Liquid Crystal panel can fix this.

The phosphor can be removed and the native blue backlight, mixed with Red and Green produced by the QDEF filter, produces a brilliant white light, which allows the attached LCD panel module to function more efficiently. The result is more accurate colour – and lots of it. The range-topping UE55KS9000, for example, claims to cover 96 per cent of the DCI P3 colour spectrum. This, and the ability to deliver a better peak luminance, make QD screens seem a natural for HDR content.

Spend five minutes spent with any Samsung TV boffin and they'll also tell you quite emphatically that inorganic Quantum Dots are not prone to aged related degradation. A Quantum Dot screen bought today, should be just as bright a decade hence. That's not something OLED vendors are prepared to claim.

But adopting Quantum Dots alone does resolve fundamental LCD issues of limited contrast and haloing around bright objects on a dark background. This remains a problem that both edge-lit screens and local dimming full array models struggle with.

Samsung hopes to solve this with QLED, a next generation screen technology which looks likely to jettison that LED backlight in favour of an organic light source, or involve some sort of shift to directly energised electroluminescent Quantum Dots. QLED TVs (however they end up being made) could theoretically be 30 per cent brighter than OLED, but have comparable black levels. But we'll probably have to wait till 2018 or so before we get a proper first look.

LG OLED TVs

LED LCD TVs may be unable to deliver a really good black, but that's an area where OLED shines (or rather, doesn't). This is because organic LED panels are self emissive. Like plasma TVs of yore, they don't require a constantly beaming backlight. When you need total black, the pixels literally turn off.

The catch is OLED panels can't deliver the kind of peak brightness that high-end LCD screens muster either.

This discrepancy has led to two different certification grades for Ultra HD premium HDR capable TVs. Ultra HD Premium badge certification can be applied to LED displays which offer more than 1000 nits peak brightness and less than 0.05 nits black level, or OLED TVs which only offer 540 nits peak brightness yet drop to 0.0005 nits black level. A disparity that makes sense when you consider certification is a guarantee of range, not brightness.

Of course, when you're watching HDR on an OLED TV, the perceived dynamic contrast, often seems just as great as that on an LED LCD display. And some might argue it's less fatiguing to watch too.

Significantly, OLED also doesn't suffer from unwanted haloing around areas of brightness on dark backgrounds, either, as there's no backlight chicanery to disguise.

If only there was a display technology which combined the black level performance of OLED with the brightness of top end LED LCDs…

Sony Backlight Master Drive TVs (a.k.a. the Z-Series)

Making its debut on Sony's Z-Series flagship 4K screens this autumn, the Backlight Master Drive is a new backlighting technique which seeks to combine the black level performance of OLED with the extreme peak luminance associated with HDR.

First seen in prototype form at CES 2016, this ingenious direct array technology sets out to address many of the problems associated with conventional backlighting.

While Sony is keeping specifics under wraps, we do know the system uses an undisclosed number of precision controllable white LEDs driven by a highly accurate lighting algorithm.

These LEDs use a calibrated beam design which focuses the LED light into a defined spot. The effect is less diffusion. The splashy, often indiscriminate halo often seen around bright objects is largely eradicated.

Peak highlights are crisply delineated against dark backgrounds. The visual effect is far more OLED like than you might image. Yet peak luminosity, a benefit of LCD backlighting, remains high. Allied to Sony's own X-Tended Dynamic Range Pro image processing, HDR highlights really zing. Backlight Master Drive technology really does appear to offer the best of both worlds.

So who has the better TV tech?

Inevitably, all these competing TV designs have strength and weakness but in all cases the pros significantly outweigh the cons. 

Samsung's SUHD implementation of Quantum Dot combines extreme HDR brightness with a rich, wide colour gamut; LG OLED delivers unbeatable black level performance with dynamic colour performance; and Sony's Backlight Master Drive combines OLED-like contrast with huge luminosity.

When it comes to image performance, it seems TV buyers have never had so many great (or difficult) choices to make.

• Still can't decide? Check out our guide to the best 4K TVs in 2016

Flashpoint is having ripple effects across all of the DC shows, and in Tuesday's episode of The Flash it was revealed how Barry Allen had a significant effect on Arrow in a way that tied back to a Season 1 plot point on Legends of Tomorrow.

Full spoilers for "Paradox" continue below.

In the second episode of the season, Barry Allen catches up with Arrow's Felicity Smoak to talk through the ripple effects of Flashpoint. He realizes that the deviations between the original timeline and the Flashpoint timeline -- which have resulted in a third, slightly altered timeline -- have affected those closest to him.

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Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.

Apparently Barry Allen should have watched The Butterfly Effect before he started mucking about with the timestream. Then he might have known that using time travel to fix one’s problems never ends well. There are always unintended consequences, and it’s those consequences that formed the basis of this week’s episode. “Paradox” offered an intriguing view of the Arrow-verse as it exists in the aftermath of “Flashpoint,” even if not all of the changes to the timeline are as dramatic as they seemed.

Barry had no shortage of headaches to deal with this week as he adjusted to life in his new (and apparently permanent) universe. Iris and her father aren’t on speaking terms. Cisco is a shadow of his usual self as he mourns the death of his brother. All of a sudden, some surly British guy is hanging out in Barry’s office. And now there’s a new metahuman killer leaving husks of skin in his wake. It’s a lot to take in.

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Just a day after it was revealed that James Olsen will become DC Comics hero Guardian on Supergirl in Season 2, the first image of his new alter ego has been revealed.

As seen below, this Guardian is influenced by the character's usual comic book look, though with some changes - and none of the yellow color scheme he usually has. Said Supergirl's producers said in a statement, “James Olsen takes on the mantle of the classic DC Comics hero, Guardian. With his trademark shield intact, James will fight to protect National City alongside Supergirl."

Mehcad Brooks as James Olsen/Guardian in Supergirl.

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The Sorcerer Supreme is coming to the big screen in Doctor Strange, the latest installment in Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the titular hero in the movie, which will usher the mystical arts into the superhero saga.

Doctor Strange in many ways will be an origin film, explaining surgeon Stephen Strange's transition to the Mystic Arts as he becomes one of the most powerful heroes around. It also will introduce magic into the MCU in a way that is certain to have a lasting impact on the series. And will one of the missing Infinity Stones pop up as well? Only time will tell.

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Turns out graphene, the wonder material with so many potential applications, is also the secret sauce to making tougher silk. A team of scientists from Tsinghua University in Beijing successfully created silk that's twice as tough simply by feeding t...

Spoilers for The Flash's Season 3 premiere, "Flashpoint," continue below.

Flashpoint might have only lasted one episode on The Flash, but executive producer Todd Helbing promises we're just beginning to see the problems Barry Allen caused by trying to change history and altering the timeline.

Helbing got on the phone to talk about what's coming up on The Flash, and also what's not; it had been speculated that Flashpoint could last for multiple episodes, so he explains why The Flash team decided to wrap it up after only one episode. He also previews the introduction of Tom Felton's character Julian Albert in Tuesday's episode, "Paradox," what the additions of speedsters Jesse Quick and Kid Flash mean for the show, and how The Flash is planning on using Wentworth Miller's Leonard Snart this time around. Read the full Q&A below.

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Philip Klemenov, a well-known pro gamer and livestreamer who went by "Phizzurp," had his life tragically cut short when he died in a car accident on October 2nd. However, his passing is also showing how the streaming community can unite in moments...

Update 10/13: After earlier asking customers to stop using the Note7, today the company has expanded the matter to a full recall in the United States. All Note7s, originals and replacements, are now being recalled by the company. As most users are expected to want to swap to another phone, the actual processing of the recall is being handled by both Samsung (for direct sales customers), and retailers/carriers for remaining customers.

Meanwhile, along with the refunds/partial rebates being offered by retailers to either cover the cost of the phone or the price difference between it and its replacement, Samsung has also announced that they are expanding their US bill credit program. In short, customers who stay with Samsung will receive a $100 bill credit, while customers who replace their Note7 with another manufacturer's phone or opt for a full refund will receive a $25 bill credit.

U.S. Note7 Refund and Exchange Program

Under the terms of the U.S. Note7 Refund and Exchange Program, you have the following choices and can take these next steps beginning October 13, 2016 at 3pm ET:

1. Exchange your current Galaxy Note7 for any Samsung smartphone and replacement of any Galaxy Note7 specific accessories with a refund of the price difference between devices
2. Obtain a refund at your point of purchase

In addition, you may be eligible for additional incentives described below:

What if I want to exchange my Galaxy Note7 for another Samsung smartphone?

As a sign of our appreciation for your patience and loyalty, we are offering up to a $100 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets if you exchange your Galaxy Note7 for another Samsung smartphone, less any incentive credits already received.

What if I already exchanged my Galaxy Note7 for another Samsung smartphone?

If you already exchanged your Galaxy Note7 device for another Samsung smartphone, you will receive up to a $75 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets in addition to the $25 you previously received.

What if I want a refund for my Galaxy Note7?

If you choose to obtain a refund, you will receive up to a $25 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets as a token of our appreciation and acknowledgement of your inconvenience, less any incentive credits already received.

What if I want to exchange my Galaxy Note7 for another brand of smartphone?

If you choose to exchange your Galaxy Note7 for another brand of smartphone, you will receive up to a $25 bill credit from select carrier or retail outlets as a token of our appreciation and acknowledgement of your inconvenience, less any incentive credits already received.

 

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Update 10/12: Seemingly set to put an end to this saga, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Samsung has informed South Korean regulators that it intends to permanently cease production of the phone. Given the issues Samsung has experienced, it goes without saying that this is not surprising, and this will mean that the Note7 will not get a third shot in the market.

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Samsung made it official today that it is suspending all sales and exchanges of its beleaguered Galaxy Note7 smartphone, and it is also asking all partners to do the same.

After reports of several phones catching on fire after it initially went on sale, Samsung initiated a global recall while it investigated the source of the problem, which traced the issue to defective batteries from a specific supplier (Samsung sources batteries from more than one supplier). With the problem seemingly solved, Samsung initiated an exchange program where customers could trade in their defective Note7s for new, supposedly safe, ones or a new Galaxy S7 or S7 edge instead.

Unfortunately, it did not take long for fresh reports of battery fires to surface. Several of the replacement Note7s have caught fire too, including one that forced a Southwest Airlines flight in Louisville, Kentucky to be evacuated on October 5th. Another replacement Note7 caught fire in a Farmington, Minnesota girl’s hand on October 7th.

Here's Samsung's official statement:

We are working with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate the recently reported cases involving the Galaxy Note7. Because consumers’ safety remains our top priority, Samsung will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note7 while the investigation is taking place.

 

We remain committed to working diligently with the CPSC, carriers and our retail partners to take all necessary steps to resolve the situation. Consumers with an original Galaxy Note7 or replacement Galaxy Note7 should power down and take advantage of the remedies available, including a refund at their place of purchase. For more information, consumers should visit samsung.com/us/note7recall or contact 1-844-365-6197.

These new incidents suggest that the Note7’s issue is not limited to a single battery supplier like Samsung first thought. The Note7 is clearly a safety risk at this point, and we recommend that anyone that currently owns a Note7 heed Samsung’s advice and immediately power down the device and store it in a fire-safe location until it can be returned or exchanged.

A new video from Justice League director Zack Snyder gives a look behind the camera of the upcoming film.

Green screen magic, as well as on-location scenes, show the stars of the film as they go through the superhero paces, being epic, looking heroic, and generally seeming to really enjoy themselves.

Last day filming in the UK. It has been an amazing shoot. Big thanks to everyone involved! #JusticeLeague pic.twitter.com/TEjEdlo81u

— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) October 7, 2016

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At New York Comic-Con today, Marvel announced that Sigourney Weaver will play the villain in Netflix’s upcoming superhero team-up series The Defenders. The news was confirmed by Marvel vice president of digital media Ryan Penagos on Twitter.

Marvel didn’t reveal exactly which character Weaver will play, but Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb called her “a worthy foe" during the panel. In a press release, Netflix simply referred to her as "a significant but unspecified role."

Weaver joining The Defenders actors on stage at NYCC. (image via IGN's Eric Goldman)

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Netflix premiered the first teaser trailer for its upcoming Marvel's Iron Fist series.

Earlier in the week, Netflix teased us with a new Iron Fist poster, one that leans heavily into its comic book origins.

On top of the new trailer and poster, Netflix also revealed the March 17, 2017 premiere date for Iron Fist earlier in the month.

The new series will join Netflix's already impressive selection of Marvel-based superhero shows.

Marvel's latest Netflix show, Marvel's Luke Cage, just dropped ahead of NYCC. Make sure to check out our Marvel's Luke Cage review, and while you're at it, here are 5 Luke Cage comics you should read right now. Well, not right now. But as soon as you can.

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After more reports of replacement Galaxy Note 7 phones catching fire, Yonhap News reports that Samsung has temporarily suspended production. The Korean paper cited an anonymous source working at one of Samsung's suppliers, and the company has not yet...

Google has spent a while reducing Chrome's sometimes notorious demands on your system, but it knows that its web browser still needs some work. Accordingly, the upcoming Chrome 55 will include an upgraded JavaScript engine that significantly reduces...

In addition to dropping two pieces of casting news during the Netflix/Marvel panel today at New York Comic Con, the cast of Marvel’s IRON FIST also took to the stage to discuss the show and present the first real trailer. Finn Jones steps into the role of billionaire Danny Rand, who returns to New York […]

Netflix made two big casting announcements during the panel for its Marvel series today. First was the news that Deborah Ann Woll is going to appear in THE PUNISHER along with star Jon Bernthal. Woll will reprise the role of Karen Page, whom viewers first met in Marvel’s Daredevil. In addition, the four leads of […]

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is being turned into a TV series.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Anonymous Content’s Steve Golin, who produced the 2004 film, will remake the movie into a show with Universal Cable Productions attached. But, the project is still in its early stages.

Zev Borrow, who’s known for writing Chuck, is in talks to pen the script. But Charlie Kaufman, who wrote the original film, won’t be involved with the remake. Anonymous Content, the production company that's responsible for True Detective and Mr. Robot, will be producing the project.

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The third season of Charlie Brooker's dark, technology-infused drama Black Mirror is almost upon us. The show is known for its bleak but surprisingly believable depictions of the future, where society has pursued revelatory technologies -- only to di...

The polarizing poster child for the wonders and woes of free speech on the Internet, 4chan, is enduring tough times. With ad revenue drying up, it faces an existential dilemma to change or die. Last Sunday, the site's owner Hiroyuki Nishimura broke t...

Facebook has launched yet another mobile app today. Events from Facebook is only available on iOS right now, and it's coming soon to Android. You can already grab it from the iTunes App Store. As its name implies, this app is all about events - namely, its purpose is to make it easy for you to always find interesting stuff happening nearby. Hundreds of millions of events are shared on the social network every year, so clearly there will be plenty to choose from. The app shows you what events your friends are interested in, recently unveiled events from the Pages you like, as well as...

The cast and crew of Arrow are keeping things pretty close to the vest when it comes to the show's fifth season. We know that this new season will revolve around Oliver Queen's efforts to rebuild his fractured team and deal with a mysterious threat tied to his past. We also know that Prometheus will be one of the major villains this year, though not necessarily the same character fans know from the comics. But despite how little we know about the show's direction this year, the first episode made it clear that Prometheus will be a major player from the start.

Who is Prometheus, and how might he fit into the ongoing saga of Team Arrow? Let's take a closer look at this DC villain.

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IGN has teamed with EuropaCorp for the global launch of the Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets one sheet.

Timed to the arrival of director Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Lucy, The Professional) in New York City for Comic-Con, the poster for the upcoming space adventure -- which stars Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne and Clive Owen -- can be seen below:

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets teaser poster

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Reports have been circulating about Ridley Scott and Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner sequel for a long time now and today the official title of the follow-up was announced. Blade Runner 2049 is the sequel to the 1982 sci-fi film that will star Harris...

At its event today, Google unveiled the Pixel duo of smartphones. The phone's 12MP camera sensor was heavily praised and the company boasted about its DxOMark score of 89. For comparison, the Google Pixel has a higher score than the iPhone 7 and the Google Nexus 6P, which have 86 and 84, respectively. The HTC 10, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Xperia Sony X Performance achieved 88. DxOMark Mobile has a breakdown of the different components that affect the score - flash, exposure, and contrast, color, autofocus, texture, noise and artifacts. However, at the time of writing...

AGENT CARTER’s Hayley Atwell returns to ABC with a new series called CONVICTION. This time around she loses the British accent to play a lawyer and former First Daughter. “I defy anyone to watch the show who doesn’t know [Atwell's] previous work and wonder if she’s not American,” said executive producer Mark Gordon at the […]

The final piece of the Defenders puzzle will be slotting into place on March 17th, 2017. We've known about the Iron Fist TV show for some time, and was finally greeted with a teaser trailer at San Diego Comic-Con. The Marvel superhero is an expert in...

Panasonic showed off an early transparent TV before, but the company has now improved the image quality to the extent that the idea of a TV built into your furniture's glass panes is not only possible -- it's right here. The OLED screen is made of a...

At an event today in San Francisco, Google unveiled its latest vision for Android smartphones—the Google Pixel and Pixel XL. For this generation, Google nixes the familiar Nexus name, along with the cluttered and confused Nexus model numbering system, replacing it with the newer Pixel moniker and creating a unified hardware family that also includes the existing Chromebook Pixel notebook and Pixel C tablet.

Despite early rumors that Huawei would manufacture the new Pixel phones, that arrangement reportedly hit a snag and HTC eventually won the contract. Huawei partnered with Google for last year’s Nexus 6P (LG manufactured the Nexus 5X), and helped create a unique-looking, well-built phone with a few minor shortcomings. A follow-up device would be intriguing, but instead Google has come full-circle, enlisting the help of HTC who created the Nexus One, the very first Nexus phone.

Though make no mistake: Google may be contracting out the manufacturing, but all of the branding is explicitly Google. The name of the event "Made by Google" says it all. Google is presenting the Pixel as their phone, not an Android phone with stock firmware as how the Nexus was originally presented.

Google Pixel & Pixel XL

Overall Google is introducing two phones: the Pixel and the Pixel XL. The former is the successor to the Nexus 5X, while the XL replaces the Nexus 6P. Compared to past generations of the Nexus lineup and even competing phones, these two phones are much closer in construction and specifications. Other than their sizes, display resolution, price, and battery capacity, both phones have the same internals and configurations, including the same cameras with the same capabilities. As a result the Pixel XL is for all practical purposes a bigger Pixel, with a battery and display to match.

In terms of design and market positioning, one thing to note from the very start is that unlike the mid-range(ish) Nexus phones, the Pixel phones are meant to be flagship products. This means that Google is placing a greater focus on features and design, and that they’re also pricing the phones to match. So current Nexus users who are coming from $400 phones may be in for a bit of a shock at the $649+ Pixel. The Pixel may succeed the Nexus, but it is definitely not meant to be the Nexus.

The overall design for the Pixel then is another take on the rounded glass and aluminum designs we have seen in multiple phones over the years. The back of the phone uses both materials; the top-half (including the fingerprint sensor) is glass, while the bottom half is aluminum. Matt will have more on the feel in his hands-on, but at first glance it looks like it should be similar to other phones that have used this style. Meanwhile both phones will be available in a trio of colors. Taking a minor dig at Apple, Google has named these Quite Back, Very Silver, and Really Blue, with the latter being the pre-ordained “limited edition” color.

Meanwhile we’ll get to the hardware specifications in a moment, but it’s worth noting that Google is using the Pixel phones as a launch vehicle for a couple of their new technologies/initiatives. The Pixel is the first phone ready for Google’s Daydream VR platform, and pre-order customers will receive the associated Daydream View VR headset for free. The Daydream system wirelessly connects to the phone – so Google doesn’t need to worry about USB port alignments – and Google is ramping up the content side of the system with the usual mix of partnerships and leveraging YouTube’s growing capabilities.

The Pixel is also being used to launch Google’s enhanced Google Assistant functionality. The successor to the Ok Google functionality in previous generation phones, Google is further expanding what their voice-activated search and action software stack can do, with a focus on making that a core part of the Pixel phone experience. This also includes opening up the system to outside developers via a new SDK that will be launching next year, so that 3^rd party developers can add actions to the system.

Google Pixel Phones (2016)
	Google Pixel	Google Pixel XL	Google Nexus 5X	Google Nexus 6P
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 (MSM8996 Pro AB) 2x Kryo @ 2.15GHz 2x Kryo @ 1.6GHz Adreno 530 @ 624MHz		Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (MSM8992) 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.44GHz 2x Cortex-A57 @ 1.82GHz Adreno 418 @ 600MHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 (MSM8994) 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.56GHz 4x Cortex-A57 @ 1.95GHz Adreno 430 @ 600MHz
Display	5.0-inch 1920x1080 AMOLED	5.5-inch 2560x1440 AMOLED	5.2-inch 1920x1080 IPS LCD	5.7-inch 2560x1440 SAMOLED
Dimensions	143.8 x 69.5 x 7.3-8.5 mm	154.7 x 75.7 x 7.3-8.5 mm	147.0 x 72.6 x 7.9 mm 136 grams	159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3 mm 178 grams
RAM	4GB LPDDR4		2GB LPDDR3	3GB LPDDR4
NAND	32GB / 128GB		16GB / 32GB (eMMC 5.0)	32GB / 64GB / 128GB (eMMC 5.0)
Rear Camera	12.3MP Sony IMX378, 1.55µm pixels, f/2.0, PDAF + Laser AF, HDR+		12.3MP, 1/2.3” Sony IMX377 Exmor R, 1.55µm pixels, f/2.0, Laser AF, Auto HDR, dual-tone LED flash	12.3MP, 1/2.3” Sony IMX377 Exmor R, 1.55µm pixels, f/2.0, Laser AF, Auto HDR, dual-tone LED flash
Front Camera	8MP Sony IMX179, 1.4µm pixels, f/2.4		5MP, 1/4" OmniVision OV5693, 1.4μm pixels, f/2.0	8MP, 1/3.2" Sony IMX179 Exmor R, 1.4μm pixels, f/2.4
Modem	Qualcomm X12 LTE (Integrated) 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 11/9)		Qualcomm X10 LTE (Integrated) 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 6)	Qualcomm X10 LTE (Integrated) 2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 9)
SIM Size	NanoSIM		NanoSIM	NanoSIM
Battery	2770 mAh non-replaceable	3450 mAh non-replaceable	2700 mAh (10.3 Wh) non-replaceable	3450 mAh (13.18 Wh) non-replaceable
Connectivity	USB 3.0 Type-C, 3.5mm headset		USB 2.0 Type-C, 3.5mm headset	USB 2.0 Type-C, 3.5mm headset
Wireless	802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MU-MIMO, BT 4.2, NFC, GPS/GNSS		802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MU-MIMO, BT 4.2, NFC, GPS/GNSS	802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MU-MIMO, BT 4.2, NFC, GPS/GNSS
Launch OS	Android 7.1		Android 6.0	Android 6.0
Launch Price	$649 / 749 32GB / 128GB	$769 / $869 32GB / 128GB	$379 / $429 16GB / 32GB	$499 / $549 / $649 32GB / 64GB / 128 GB

Under the hood, the Pixel phones pack a Snapdragon 821 SoC, which includes four of Qualcomm's custom 64-bit Kryo CPU cores. The two cores in the performance cluster have a peak frequency of 2.15GHz, while the other two cores in the power cluster have a peak frequency of 1.6GHz. Relative to the Snapdragon 808 and 810 SoCs found on the Nexus phones, this is a shift in both frequency and architecture. As Snapdragon 821 is just a new iteration of Snapdragon 820 there won’t be any surprises here, but based on what we’ve seen in other phones that have made a similar transition to 820, we should see a good performance uplift in both CPU and GPU tasks.

The Pixel phones also include 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, twice as much as the Nexus 5X, or 33% more than the Nexus 6P. Again this is pretty standard for Snapdragon 820 devices, and should provide a kick to multitasking performance under Android.

The amount of internal storage has also been significantly increased. The base models come with 32GB of NAND, while the high capacity models come with 128GB. Google has not officially disclosed which flash storage technology the Pixel is using, but it’s almost certainly UFS given the SoC and the phone’s flagship status. Like the previous generation Nexus phones, there’s no micro SD card support for the Pixel phones, so high NAND capacity is important. Coming off of the Nexus 6P little has changed – that phone was already available at 128GB – while this is a 2-4x capacity improvement over the more constrained Nexus 5X. Even then, Google is being mindful that 128GB is still a finite amount, and they will be offering unlimited photo and video storage in their cloud service for free in order to alleviate any capacity anxiety.

Helping to fill that capacity will be the phones’ camera. Here Google is using a 12.3MP Sony IMX378 sensor, which can capture 1080p video at up to 120fps, or 4K video at up to 30fps. Focusing the camera is provided by the usual combination of phase detection and laser detection. Meanwhile the front camera uses a smaller Sony IMX179, an 8MP sensor with slightly smaller pixels.

Somewhat surprisingly, there isn’t any OIS available on either phone. OIS is admittedly not very common on 5” and below phones, as the mechanism takes up space and Google wanted to avoid a camera hump. So the lack of OIS on even the Pixel XL may be a consequence of the shared camera model between the two phones.

That said, despite the lack of OIS, one of the major marketing points for the phone is its EIS image stabilization. Here Google claims they’re sampling the gyroscope at 200Hz in order to apply what they’re promoting as some of the best image stabilization on the market. So it will be interesting to see how well that holds up in practice. EIS has made great strides over the years, but OIS sets a very high bar in the flagship market.

Overall, Google spent a significant amount of time touting the image quality of the Pixel’s camera as a key product differentiator from both their earlier phones and the competition. Google’s partners used a very similar sensor on the last-generation Nexus phones, so it’ll be interesting to see just how things compare. Meanwhile on the software/implementation side, Google is also claiming that their capture time is faster than any other phone, including zero shutter lag in HDR+ mode.

Meanwhile, on the display side, the Pixel and Pixel XL use 5” and 5.5” AMOLED displays respectively. The smaller phone is a 1920x1080 display, while the larger phone bumps that up to 2560x1440. We’ll have a bit more here in our hands-on look at the phone, but in the meantime Google has somewhat frustratingly opted to define the color space in terms of NTSC. So from the specifications alone it’s not clear what these phones can do beyond the usual sRGB color space, though clearly Google is looking to offer some form of wide color gamut support. That said, as Google/HTC are sourcing panels from the usual vendors, it’s unlikely there’s anything here we haven’t seen before.

In terms of battery capacity, the smaller Pixel packs a 2770mAh battery – virtually identical to the Nexus 5X – while the Pixel XL bumps that up to 3450mAh, which is even more identical to the Nexus 6P. Google’s touting 26 hours of battery life for voice calls and 13 hours for internet browsing for the Pixel, and 32 hours/14 hours respectively for the Pixel XL. Both phones also implement quick charging via the USB Type-C Power Delivery standard, and Google says that the included 18W power adapter can fast charge the phone to “7 hours of use” in 15 minutes.

Moving on to the modem, both Pixels are relying on the Snapdragon 821’s integrated Qualcomm X12 LTE modem, which offers up to Cat 11 performance depending on the carrier. Interestingly, in their tech specs Google notes that there will be two configurations of the phone: a North American version, and a Rest of World version. The band support for the two phones is slightly different, and this likely has something to do with Google working with Verizon as their carrier partner for the US launch.

Wrapping up the specs, you’ll find the usual collection of wireless standards and interface ports. This includes 2x2 802.11ac WiFi, a USB Type-C port that supports 3.0 speeds, and a 3.5mm headset jack.

Pre-orders are starting today, with units available in stores (and pre-orders presumably arriving) on October 20^th. Unlike the Nexus phones, Google is going head-first into the flagship market here, so the Pixels are priced accordingly. The 32GB Pixel is $649, and the 32GB Pixel XL is $769. Bumping the capacity up to 128GB will in turn add another $100 to those prices.