Google Nexus is no more meet Google Pixel. Google has revealed two new phones that will offer an alternative to Apple's popular iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

The search giant has been producing its own Android-based phones for the last few years under the "Nexus" brand - but no more. It comes in two sizes: a 5-inch model with an HD display and a 5.5-inch model with a QHD display. Prices start at $649 for a 32GB model, which is more expensive than we’re used to from Nexus devices. But this isn’t a Nexus, it’s a Pixel, and so it’s priced at the high end. You can see the result of that pricing in the speedy components inside the phone and also in the fit and finish of the outside. The Gorilla Glass on the front curves subtly into the sides and the OLED screen is bright and responsive. And yes, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack reports the verge.

HTC may have manufactured it, but it didn’t design it. Unlike Nexus phones, the Pixel was designed by Google from start to finish and isn’t based on a previous HTC device. That control shows when you turn the phone on and start interacting with it. The software seems faster and smoother than any Android phone I’ve used before — though of course I’ll need to spend more time with it to say that is definitively true. The powerful Snapdragon 821 processor and 4GB of RAM certainly help, but we’ve seen powerful specs on phones before. This time around, Google tells me that it’s optimized all sorts of things to optimize touch response.

The 12-megapixel camera on the back is fast — the fastest I’ve seen on an Android device. The photos also look pretty good, at least on the Pixel’s screen. Obviously we’ll need to test it in something other than ideal conditions to say more, but Google is pushing this camera a lot: it got the highest DxOMark score ever given to a phone, and the company is not shy at all about reminding you of that. One caveat to that speed thing: if you manually turn on HDR+ mode instead of leaving HDR on auto, the camera slows down just a little to fully process each HDR shot. If you leave it on auto, HDR still happens quickly.

There’s no optical image stabilization, but Google has tied the gyroscope into the camera system. In a demo, I saw the Pixel get rapidly shaken up and down an inch or so while recording with no visual jitter or jelly at all.

Google has ditched the name Nexus in favour of the Pixel moniker. In the past, the company has used the Pixel name on its premium tablet and laptop products. Just like Apple, Google controlled both the hardware and the software - in this case, Android version 7 (nicknamed Nougat).

oogle has said that pre-orders for the phone will begin today (October 4) in the US, UK, Australia, Germany and Canada. The phone will ship to customers and be available in shops on October 20.

Google Nougat Powered Pixel and Pixel XL