Check it out: Google pulls the wraps off its new smartphone



Google is unveiling new smartphones, an internet-connected speaker that channels a digital assistant, and other gadgets the company hopes to make indispensable.

The devices were announced Tuesdayday as part of Google's bold move to design and sell its own hardware.

The new Pixel phones, starting at $650, are aimed squarely at Apple's iPhone and could also siphon sales from the biggest manufacturer of Android-powered phones, Samsung.

Google's new Home speaker represents a counterpunch to Amazon's Echo, a similar device that has become a big hit since its release about 15 months ago. Google Home will cost $129, undercutting Echo by $50.