Google has made a push for Apple's significant share of the smartphone market with the launch of its self-branded Pixel and Pixel XL (+ movie).
The first phone to be Google branded on its rear, the Pixel addresses unpopular aspects of the iPhone, with features including "unlimited" storage and a new voice-activated Google Assistant.
The technology giant describes the Android-running Pixel phone, a successor to Nexus, as "the first phone made by Google inside and out".

"We've now decided to take the next step and provide our take on the best Google experience, by bringing hardware and software design together under one roof," said Brian Rakowski, Google's vice-president of product management.
"With Pixel, we obsessed over every detail, from the industrial design to the user experience."
Related story: This week, Apple revealed its latest iPhone and attracted widespread criticism

The company has previously manufactured the Nexus through partnerships with Huawei and LG. The Pixel and Pixel XL will be manufactured by HTC but designed in-house at Google.
Google launched the phone alongside other new products, including a connected Google Home device and the smartphone-compatible Daydream VR Headset.

The new products suggest an attempt to turn around Google's pitted history with hardware. The company recently shelved its ambitious modular smartphone Project Ara and Google Glass headset after years of development and public...