Google takes on the world and your home

This week Google has announced a raft of new hardware and a next generation of software designed to take on everyone from Apple and Amazon to Oculus and Samsung.

The Pixel phone is being touted as an iPhone 7 competitor, the new Daydream VR headset takes aim at the Oculus Rift and the Samsung VR, and Google Home follows hot on the heels of Amazon’s latest generation of Echo.

But, as ever with Google, the really exciting developments are in the software that powers the company’s growing range of devices rather than the devices themselves – different versions of which we’ve already seen from other manufacturers.

Building on the progress made with Google Now and the Allo app, Google claims its new Assistant service is a major step forward in creating a version of Google that is unique for every user. And, in true Google style, while it has made its own hardware, it has also partnered with third parties to help extend the reach of its platform.

Google’s announcements have been greeted with a mix of genuine and feigned surprise by industry and consumers alike. Expect to see a lot of reviews and articles over the coming days questioning whether or not Google has changed the game or if it’s just late to it.