Google has finally launched its own smartphone, the Pixel, and aimed it directly at Apple. The search giant is keen on showing what a premium Android can do when the hardware is tailored to the software by those who actually make it. Following the Nexus line, Pixel is now 100 percent Google, and even though HTC is the firm that has actually built the device, Google has made all the decisions on what goes into it and how it operates. The smartphone joins the Pixel C Android tablet and Chromebook Pixel as Google’s first in-house devices. Pixel shows off an all-metal body with an all-glass display, fingerprint scanner on the back and headphone socket, but lacks the waterproof feature. It brings a slightly different look with its glass panel covering the top third of the back and the wedge-shape, thicker at the top where the camera is placed. Its curved edges and flat sides make it easy to grip and surprisingly at first, the wedge shape gives it good weight distribution. At the bottom lies the USB-C port flanked by two grilles—one is a speaker and the other is hiding the microphone. It comes in three colors—Quite Black, Very Silver and Really Blue; the last one is a limited-edition option and Google still has to reveal how one can get hold of it. The smartphone exposes its abilities through a 5-inch full HD AMOLED screen on the front that’s crisp and vibrant, with rich blacks and pretty good viewing angles. Moreover, the device is Daydream VR-ready, which means it supports Google’s new virtual reality platform. However, for some, the excitement over this feature is somewhat shadowed by the fact that the display isn’t optimal for VR. Pixel is one of the first handsets to...