For many of us, Google runs our email, maps, internet browsers and calendars. Now the tech giant wants to control our mobile phones.

Google has launched its first entirely Google-designed smartphone, the Pixel in a bid to knock Apple and Samsung from the top of the $525 billion global smartphone market.

Google has sold its Nexus phone since 2010, but unlike the Nexus, the Pixel wasn’t developed with the assistance of other smartphone makers like LG, Huawei or HTC. Nexus never took off.

The tech giant unveiled the Pixel on Wednesday (AEST) in San Francisco, about a month after Apple launched its new iPhone 7.

And while the iPhone 7 rubbed some tech lover the wrong way (because it dumped the 3.5mm headphone jack, it wasn’t very different to the iPhone 6 and its weird “buzzing sound“), the Pixel has been met with almost universal praise.

It’s also come at a good time to get the jump on Samsung, which is battling to control the public relations fallout from the Galaxy Note 7 exploding battery recall.

In short, the Pixel has all the features you’d expect from a new smartphone, with its camera and Google Assistant (aka Siri competitor) being two features the tech giant is most proud of.

Here’s how the Google Pixel, the iPhone 7 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 compare:

AESTHETICS:

Google Pixel:

iPhone 7:

Samsung Galaxy S7:

BATTERY

Google Pixel: 2,770 mAh

iPhone 7: 1,960 mAh

Samsung Galaxy S7: 3,000 mAh

SIZE (inches)

Google Pixel: L= 5.66 W= 2.74 Thickness = 0.34

iPhone 7: L= 5.44 W = 2.64 Thickness = 0.28

Samsung Galaxy S7: L= 5.61 W 2.74 Thickness = 0.31

CAMERA

Google Pixel: 12.3 megapixel and 8 megapixel (selfie)

iPhone 7: 12 megapixel and 7 megapixel (selfie)

Samsung Galaxy S7: 12 megapixel and 5 megapixel

MEMORY

Google Pixel: 32 or 128GB

iPhone 7: 32 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB

Samsung Galaxy S7: 32 GB or 64 GB plus microSD slot

AUDIO

Google Pixel: 3.5mm headphone jack

iPhone 7: Lightning ear pods connector. Lightning to 3.5mm connector supplied

Samsung Galaxy S7: 3.5mm headphone jack

SCREEN

Google Pixel: 5 inch, 1920×1080 pixel resolution

iPhone 7: 4.7 inch, 1344×750 pixel resolution

Samsung Galaxy S7: 1440×2560 pixel resolution

VIDEO CAPTURE

Google Pixel: 4K

iPhone 7: 4K

Samsung Galaxy S7: 4K

ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE

Google Pixel: Google Assistant

iPhone 7: Siri

Samsung Galaxy S7: “OK Google”

OPERATING SYSTEM (standard)

Google Pixel: Android 7.1 Nougat

iPhone 7: iOS 10

Samsung Galaxy S7: Android OS 6 Marshmallow

FINGERPRINT SECURITY

Google Pixel: Yes, on the phone’s rear

iPhone 7: Yes, on home button

Samsung Galaxy S7: Yes, on the home button

PRICE

Google Pixel: starts at $1,079

iPhone 7: starts at $1,079

Samsung Galaxy S7: starts at $1,179

VIRTUAL REALITY

Google Pixel: Yes (Daydream)

iPhone 7: n/a

Samsung Galaxy S7: Yes (Samsung Gear)

COLOURS

Google Pixel: Black, Blue, Silver

iPhone 7: Rose Gold, Gold, Silver, Black, Jet Black

Samsung Galaxy S7: Black Onyx, White Pearl, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium, Pink Gold

CONNECTOR

Google Pixel: USB-C

iPhone 7: Lightning

Samsung Galaxy S7: Micro USB

*** Google Pixel information is for regular Google Pixel handset, not Google Pixel XL