Google who only has 2.9% of the Australian smartphone market according to IDC, despite throwing tens of millions into marketing their Google Pixel mobile phones in the past, Now Google is having another crack at trying to get traction in a market dominated by Samsung and Apple.

During the past month Google has been playing the leaks game in an attempt to build interest in their new Pixel 8 which has its own house brand processor and a new camera rig.

Launched lsast night, the device looks flash and even allows users to make payments with face identification.

However, Google’s new smartphones are not cheap retailing for up to $1,999 for a 512GB model Pixel 8 Pro. At the cheap end of the range, you can buy a $128GB model for $1,199 with 128GB of memory.

Google’s top end the Pixel 8 Pro, is a $400 jump on last years Pixel 7 Pro model, while the bottom end model is up $200.

Resale or trade in value on previous Google Pixel smartphones are poor, with consumers gravitating to Apple and Samsung devices over a Google Pixel which in the past have been plagued with problems when launched.

The Pixel rollout is Google’s latest attempt to get traction with Samsung yesterday trumping Google with the release of a new Samsung S23 SE model which has similar specs and is selling for $200 cheaper than the new Pixel 8.

The Samsung S23 FE with $256GB of memory is selling for $1,099 while the new Google Pixel 8 with 256GB of memory is retailing for $1,299.

Google is desperate to make a dent in the market and despite the search Company investing millions with retailers around the world and despite their dominance of the search market, management have only managed to carve out a small percentage of the market.

The first Pixel was introduced in 2016, it failed to gain traction with consumers buying Oppo, Nokia and Motorola devices over a Google device.

Google has even tried introducing cheaper models to improve its market which worked for a while.

The new Pixel phones have updated cameras, flat edges and come with the promise of seven years of updates for the operating system and security.

Despite their being nothing wrong with a Google Pixel smartphone as we have said in the past the brand is struggling to cut through with Motorola and HMD Global the manufacturer of the Nokia mobile growing share in Australia faster than Google.

Unlike other smartphones Google uses its own Tensor processor, which includes dedicated hardware for image processing with the camera being a key feature of the new device.

The Pro model has a 6.7-inch screen, while the bottom end Pixel 8 has a 6.2-inch screen which is smaller than the 6.3-inch screen on last year’s model.

Google is also rolling out on-device generative AI — which can create text and video based on simple prompts.

“We worked closely with our research teams across Google to take advantage of their most advanced foundation models and distil them into a version efficient enough to run on our flagship Pixel,” devices chief Rick Osterloh said at last night’s launch.

Similar to the new iPhone 15 models the Pixel 8 Pro has a matte back finish.

Google has also introduced a new Pixel Watch 2 that incorporates a faster Qualcomm processor, and a new aluminium frame that makes the device about 10% lighter.

Similar to the new Samsung buds Google has introduced new Pixel Pro wireless earbuds.

The new buds deliver clearer calls and noise reduction for the person on the other end of the line.

There’s also an automatic pause on music playback when a wearer begins speaking and improved latency in games.