Category: Google Store

Over the weekend, I posted about the great deal the Google Store is running on the Google Pixelbook.  Now it seems they have put together a great deal on the Google Pixel 2 XL phone too.  Right now at the store you can pick up the flagship Pixel device for regular price but you get $150 in store credit to use later plus a Google Home Mini.  All you have to do is add both the Google Pixel 2 XL and the Home Mini to your cart and the price will be discounted.

While we all know that the Google Pixel 3 lineup is going to be coming later this year, that is no reason not to give the Pixel 2 XL a serious look.  It will be updated to Android R when it is released and you still get free Google Photo storage for two years too.  Oh, and it is a seriously awesome phone.

If you have been waiting to pick up the Google Pixelbook for yourself, now is the time for action.  Right now at the Google Store, you can pick up the entry level Pixelbook powered by the Intel i5 processor for $749.  That is a savings of $150 and represents the lowest price ever for the premium Chromebook.  As you may recall, this entry level model comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

The discount only applies to the entry level Pixelbook and not the i5 with 256GB of storage or the i7 powered version at the Google Store.  To be fair though, having used that entry level model for almost all of 2018, it is more than powerful enough to do anything you would want or need from it.  If you haven’t read my review, you can read it here.

Google has quietly posted the new, official Google Pixelbook sleeve on the Google Store site.  The fabric sleeve, which holds your Pixelbook and Pixelbook Pen, is an eye watering, hellishly expensive $100.  If you feel so compelled, you can order one at the Store.

The microfiber exterior sleeve has a microfiber lining and a magnetic closure too keep your Pixelbook and Pen safely tucked inside.  It comes in one color, Stone.

The Google Home Mini has become one of Google’s most popular devices for a lot of reasons, price and size chiefly among them.  The donut sized device lends itself to be tucked away in any room to give you access to Google Assistant whenever you need it.  But for some rooms, having the Home Mini mounted on the wall makes more sense and frees up counter space in your bedroom or kitchen.

Incipio has been making a wall mount for the Google Home Mini almost since its release.  It’s been available directly from them on their site but it got a big boost this week with it now being available on the Google Store.  On either site, it is $14.99 and comes with everything you need to mount your Home Mini to a wall in your home.

Google is making it easier for you to fill your home with, erm, Google Home.  Right now at the Google Store you can pick up two of the smart speakers with Google Assistant built in for $229.  That’s a savings of $29 if you bought them separately.  Having multiple Home devices is something that has been supported since its release and allows you to get access to Assistant in which ever room it happens to be in with you.  There are also commands built into Home that allow you to play music across multiple Home devices too.

Google Home certainly doesn’t have the number of commands that its primary competitor, the Amazon Echo, has today.  But that gap is closing and closing fast.  Google nearly every week is announcing new services, bots and commands that can be used with the device.

For those of you who were really wanting one of the Really Blue Pixel phones, there is good news for you this morning.  Google has confirmed to Android Police that the limited color variant of both the Pixel and the Pixel XL will be restocked at some point in the future.  The question is when and how many will actually be available.  That part of the equation is not known but if you are really wanting to get your hands on a Really Blue Pixel, it is suggested that you use the Google Store’s waitlist function to get in line.

Google Pixel in Really Blue

Functionally, as readers likely know, there is no difference in performance between the various color variants.  The Really Blue color however was immediately sought after as it was unique in this world of mostly black, silver (aluminum) and gold phones on the market.

If you want to join the waitlist for the phone, go to the Google Store and sign up to be notified on when it is back in stock.  Obviously there is no guarantee they will be there if you delay once you are notified.  These will go very, very fast (translation:  within minutes if not sooner).  If you want one, be prepared to pay the day they hit the store.

Good Luck!