Google has unveiled its new smartphone – the Pixel.

It said it designed every aspect of the Pixel, from the industrial design to the user experience.

Pixel will also be the first phone with Google Assistant built in.

Google also promised the phone will offer an amazing photography experience, and was made for virtual reality.

The device sports the “world’s best smartphone camera”, a 12.3MP unit which earned a record score of 89 on DxOMark.

The Verge reported device details ahead of the launch – such as the phone being made by HTC.

A normal and an XL version will be available. Both devices will run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and feature the same specifications, with 5-inch and 5.5-inch displays respectively.

They also feature a custom version of Android (7.1) with the Google Assistant and Daydream mobile virtual reality built in.

Specifications and pricing

The devices will be available in three colours: Quite Black, Really Blue, and Very Silver.

Pixel pricing starts at $649, or $27 per month from the Google Store. Pre-orders launched in the US, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK today.

Google Pixel

Introducing Pixel, Phone by Google

More on Google

Google Pixel smartphone details leaked

South African teen wins R680,000 Google Science Fair prize

Google search results now show fast-loading mobile pages

Google’s WhatsApp competitor launched in South Africa