Google Pixel 9 launch – what to expect at the Made by Google event
Google will unveil the highly anticipated Pixel 9 series at its latest Made by Google event next week, but new phones will be far from the only big reveals on the way, judging by the rumors.
Google has already confirmed that the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold will definitely be in attendance at the event on Tuesday (August 13), but we strongly suspect that a couple of other phones will make their debut too, as will wearables and headphones. And, in keeping with the theme of 2024, we also predict there’ll be some Gemini AI developments on the cards.
The event kicks off at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (3am AEST on August 14), and if you’d like to tune in, here’s how to watch the Google Pixel 9 launch event live. Though of course we’ll also be reporting live from the launch, so you can stick with TechRadar for all the announcements too.
Until then, here’s our guide to what to expect from the Pixel 9 Made by Google event.
Google Pixel 9
The Google Pixel 9 will almost certainly land on August 13. Google hasn’t specifically confirmed this phone yet, but it has said we’ll see the Pixel 9 Pro, so it would be very strange if we didn’t also get the base Pixel 9.
In fact, it would be bordering on ridiculous if it didn’t show up, given how many leaks we’ve had for it in recent weeks. Based on those rumors, we expect the Pixel 9 to have a 6.24-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Tensor G4 chipset, 12GB of RAM, a dual-lens camera, and a 4,558mAh battery.
These are iterative, rather than transformative changes, but the biggest upgrade could be to the design; the new phone is expected to be less curvy than the Pixel 8, and with an entirely different form for the camera block. You can see how this might look in the leaked image above.
And then there’s the software. AI has long been a mainstay of the Pixel range – indeed, it was going big on this front well before most phones were toting AI features – so we’d expect various new Pixel AI tools to debut with the Pixel 9 too.
Google Pixel 9 Pro
The Google Pixel 9 Pro has been confirmed by Google as being in attendance on August 13, and the company has even shared a partial image of it, which you can see above. We can see from this that it has a redesigned camera block, as had widely been rumored.
Google hasn’t said much about the Pixel 9 Pro, but leaks point to it having a roughly 6.3-inch screen, which would make it quite a lot smaller than its 6.7in predecessor.
It will also apparently have a triple-lens camera (including wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto cameras), and will almost certainly be powered by a new Tensor G4 chipset.
Leaks suggest it will additionally have 16GB of RAM – up from 12GB in the Pixel 8 Pro – and a minimum battery capacity of 4,558mAh.
As with the standard Pixel 9, you can expect the Pixel 9 Pro to also be packed full of AI features.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
If you’re after a true successor to the Pixel 8 Pro, then it’s probably the rumored Pixel 9 Pro XL that you want.
This model hasn’t yet been confirmed by Google, and it would be a new addition to the line, as there hasn’t been an XL model in previous years. But leaks suggest this will be a similar size to the Pixel 8 Pro at roughly 6.7 or 6.8 inches.
The remaining specs of the Pixel 9 Pro XL could be similar to those of the Pixel 9 Pro, with leaks pointing to a Tensor G4 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and a triple-lens camera, including a 50MP main sensor, a 48MP ultra-wide, and a 48MP telephoto (offering 5x optical zoom). It’s possible that we could also get a 42MP camera on the front.
This too will probably be supported by various AI tools and features, and it’s likely to be the top model in the core Pixel 9 series – excluding the foldable Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Speaking of which…
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is another phone that Google has confirmed exists and that will be launching on August 13. Again, the company has already shown a partial image of it, which you can see at the top of this article.
This is the successor to the original Google Pixel Fold, and leaks suggest it will have a roughly 8-inch foldable screen and a 6.3-inch cover screen, making it bigger than the original model. Despite this, it’s also said to be slimmer – which would be good news if true.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is also reported to feature a triple-lens camera, a Tensor G4 chipset, and 16GB of RAM.
This is sure to be the most expensive phone in the Pixel 9 line, though leaks suggest it won’t cost any more than its predecessor, with a starting price of $1,799 (which based on the previous model likely translates to £1,749 or around AU$2,630).
Google Pixel Watch 3 and Watch 3 XL
As well as the Pixel 9 line, Google will likely also unveil two new smartwatches on August 13 – the Pixel Watch 3, and the Pixel Watch 3 XL.
The Pixel Watch 3 will reportedly use the same Snapdragon Wear 5100 chipset as the Pixel Watch 2, and also once again have 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
However, it could have a much brighter 2,000-nit screen, smaller bezels, and the addition of ultra-wideband (UWB), which would allow for better accuracy for location tracking, as well as improved close-range communication.
We don’t know as much about the Pixel Watch 3 XL, but it’s likely to be similar, albeit with a larger, apparently 1.45-inch screen, rather than the rumored 1.2-inch Pixel Watch 3 display.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Finally on the hardware front we’re likely to see the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 at this event.
We don’t know much about these yet, but leaked images show a slightly tweaked design relative to the original Pixel Buds Pro, with, for example, a new bulge near the ear tip.
Beyond that, we’d expect they might sport additional fitness features compared to the original Pixel Buds Pro, and maybe some AI tools as well.
Android 15
Android 15 has already been announced and is in beta, but we’re expecting the finished version to launch soon, and it may well do so at this event.
That said, some leaks have suggested that the Pixel 9 line will ship with Android 14 instead, which suggests that Android 15 might not land until later in the year. Even if it doesn’t roll out on August 13 though, it’s likely to get a mention.
Gemini AI
It wouldn’t be a 2024 tech launch without AI, of course, so we also expect to hear plenty about Google Gemini at the event. Some of these announcements will presumably be linked to the new Pixel phones and to Android 15, but it’s possible there will be updates on Gemini as a whole.
One recent rumor about Gemini and the Pixel 9 series suggested the new phones could get a clever camera trick to add the photographer seamlessly into group shots, for instance, plus another one that could scan the contents of your fridge to suggest recipes.
We’ve also heard recently that Gemini could soon let you make fine edits to AI-generated images created on the platform, so don’t be surprised if there are some non-Android updates to the LLM.
Anything else?
It’s quite possible Google may reveal even more at the Pixel 9 event, but it seems unlikely. For starters, it dropped a couple of new releases just this week, in the form of the new Google TV Streamer and 4th-gen Google Nest Learning Thermostat.
It’s possible that both will get their moment in the limelight next week, or that we could hear about a new Pixel Tablet, or something entirely different – but we’ll have to wait until Tuesday to find out.
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Source: www.techradar.com
