It’s summertime, and all the big brands are rolling out their latest. We saw Motorola announce the new Moto Razr and Razr+, while Samsung confirmed its Galaxy Unpacked event for July 10, where new foldables and smartwatches are expected. However, the company that caught all of us by surprise is Google, which announced a Pixel hardware event for August 13, 2024.
This in-person event will take place in Mountain View, California, starting at 10:00 AM PT on August 13. Although the date seems far off, numerous leaks and rumors over the past few months have given us a pretty clear idea of what to expect from Google’s upcoming Pixel event. Here’s everything we’re expecting to see at the Made by Google event: new Pixel devices, the latest version of Android, upgrades to Google Gemini, and more.
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The star of the show is expected to be the Pixel 9 series. Google has almost confirmed that the Pixel 9 series will debut at the August event — a teaser by Google Poland highlights “IX” in the video — the Roman numeral for the number nine. If that isn’t convincing, the URL of Google’s official launch page ends with “pixel_9_pro,” seemingly confirming the Pixel 9 series debut.
The Google Pixel 9 is expected to bring numerous upgrades over the previous generation, including a new flat-edge design. The Pixel 9 series will also see the departure from the camera visor design seen since the Pixel 6, featuring a unique oval-shaped camera module. While we’re not a fan of the Pixel 9 renders that have leaked, the phone might end up looking good in person. You can also expect improvements like a new Tensor G4 chipset and a modem supporting satellite connectivity.
Interestingly, leaks indicate Google is releasing two Pro phones this year: the base Pixel 9 Pro with a 6.3-inch screen, catering to those who want a smaller Pro flagship, and a larger Pixel 9 Pro XL model for those who still want a Pro flagship with a large display. Other than that, you can expect camera upgrades and plenty of new AI and Gemini features. Who knows, Google might also end up becoming the first Android smartphone maker to incorporate Qi2 wireless charging.
Source: Google
Google released its first-generation Pixel Fold back in June 2023. However, reviews were not as positive as expected, with the Pixel Fold lagging behind the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and OnePlus Open in terms of multitasking capabilities, performance, and even design. Nonetheless, it seems the Pixel Fold 2 is on the way, and the foldable could debut alongside the Pixel 9 series at the August event.
The Pixel Fold 2 is expected to feature a new design with flat edges inspired by the Pixel 9 series. Similar to the Pixel 9 series, the Pixel Fold 2 will also abandon the camera visor design for a new square-shaped camera module. The device is also expected to be slimmer than the first-generation foldable and feature larger displays on both the inner and outer screens. In terms of specs, the foldable should have the same specs as the Pixel 9.
The Google Pixel Watch 2 is one of the best Wear OS smartwatches available today. However, we’ve always felt it’s slightly small for many users, but it looks like Google might finally address this. According to rumors, Google plans to release two models of the Pixel Watch 3: a standard model and an XL model with a bigger display (and a larger battery).
The rest of the Pixel Watch 3 may look similar to previous models — a round dome-shaped glass smartwatch with sizeable bezels and a digital crown on the right. While we would love to see smaller bezels and an improved strap mechanism, it seems that’s not planned for the Pixel Watch 3. But, from what we know, the Pixel Watch 3 could gain a faster processor and support for ultra-wideband (UWB) for Google’s Find My Device.
Pixel Buds Pro may not be recognized as the best wireless earbuds, but they’re still a solid choice for Android users. In fact, Google continues to update their flagship earbuds with new features every now and then. However, they are two years old at this point and are due for an upgrade. While it’s uncertain if Google will launch the second-generation earbuds at the Pixel event, a recent leak suggests they are on the way.
Expect the next-generation Pixel earbuds to have a bigger battery, improved sound quality, better noise cancelation (ANC), and possibly some integrated AI features. We love the new nod feature on AirPods and hope to see a similar one on the Pixel earbuds. Some reports also claim Google might add UWB to the Pixel Buds Pro 2 for better tracking with Find My Device, but take that with a pinch of salt.
Ever since Google switched to the new design with the Pixel 6, the series has focused more on software features and AI rather than flashy hardware or other gimmicks. The Pixel 6 introduced real-time translation, the Pixel 7 brought the Magic Eraser for photos, and the Pixel 8 brought a plethora of AI features. With the Pixel 9 series, expect Google to launch even more AI features, possibly powered by an even more powerful on-device AI model. And who knows, we might even see some Project Astra features in the next Google smartphone.
While Android 15 may not have received the spotlight it used to get at Google I/O — it was moved to Day 2 of the event — it still packs many new features. Features like partial screen sharing, satellite connectivity, theft protection, private space, and many more are coming with Android 15. The latest Pixel devices always launch with the newest version of Android, and you can expect Google to start rolling out — or at least announce a rollout date — shortly after the Pixel event.
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Google has moved the Pixel hardware launch event two months earlier than expected — it was in October last year — but this seems like a perfect time to introduce the new devices. We’ll see Samsung’s new foldables next month, the Pixel 9 series a month later, and Apple’s iPhone 16 series in September, giving us the perfect timeframe to compare and decide which device to buy this fall.
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