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Google is hosting its annual hardware announcement event, “Made By Google,” on August 13 at its headquarters in Mountain View, California. This is the annual launch event where Google unveils its new Pixel lineup ahead of the holiday season. Interestingly, Google is holding the event earlier than expected to gain an edge over Apple, which may launch new iPhones in the second week of September.
Compared to Apple’s iPhone or Samsung’s Galaxy flagships, Google has always kept its smartphone lineup simple by offering two different choices. However, this is changing with the Pixel 9 series, which will feature four different models, each catering to different audiences and demographics.
The Google Pixel 9 will be the most compact and affordable device, with a 6.3-inch screen and a dual-camera setup at the back. Similarly, the Pixel 9 Pro will also feature a 6.3-inch screen, but with a triple-camera setup and possibly more RAM and storage.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL will be a large 6.8-inch smartphone, the biggest non-folding smartphone from Google, with a massive battery. The rest of the specifications will be similar to the Pixel 9 Pro. Lastly, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be the company’s latest and most advanced foldable, featuring Pixel 9 Pro XL-like hardware with a massive 8-inch primary screen and a 6.3-inch cover display.
Unlike Apple’s iPhone lineup, both the Pro and non-Pro variants of the Pixel 9 series will offer a 120Hz refresh rate. However, the Pixel 9 is likely to feature an FHD+ resolution “Actua” screen, while the Pixel 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold will come with a QHD+ resolution “Super Actua” screen, possibly with a higher brightness level.
As for the cameras, the Pixel 9 will have two cameras at the back: a 50 MP wide-angle and a 48 MP ultra-wide-angle lens. Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL will have an additional 48 MP telephoto lens, placed inside a unique capsule-shaped camera island.
The camera setup on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will differ from the other models, offering a 48 MP wide-angle, 10.8 MP ultra-wide-angle, and a 10.8 MP telephoto lens.
All four variants of the Pixel 9 series will be powered by the in-house Tensor G4 processor, reportedly based on the Exynos 2400 that powers the Galaxy S24 in India. However, in terms of memory, the Pixel 9 is expected to offer just 8 GB of RAM, while the rest of the lineup may include up to 16 GB of RAM to support new on-device generative AI experiences. All four models will run Android 15 OS out-of-the-box.
It’s been a while since Google refreshed its flagship TWS, and the upcoming Pixel Buds Pro 2 is reportedly packing some interesting upgrades. Design-wise, the Buds Pro 2 might not look much different from their predecessor, but they are expected to offer improved audio quality, noise cancellation, and battery life, possibly with new color options, according to a report by Android Headlines.
The Pixel Watch 3 is also said to receive a very minor upgrade in terms of design. However, a new chip and battery processing should enable improved battery life, possibly along with new fitness and health-related features. With the Watch 3, Google is finally offering the flexibility of choosing between two different sizes—41mm and 45mm—in response to complaints about the Watch 2’s smaller form factor, suggests a report by Android Headlines.
Pixel smartphones have always emphasised software, showcasing the best of Android’s capabilities, and this is likely to continue this year. Google is expected to introduce new AI experiences, which will be available exclusively on the Pixel 9 series, at least for the first few months.
Android Authority reports that the Pixel 9 series will introduce features like “Add Me,” allowing users to add themselves to a photo after it’s been taken. Google is also expected to introduce “Pixel Studio,” an AI image generation tool, and “Screenshots,” a feature similar to Microsoft’s upcoming Recall on Copilot+ PCs.
These are some of the most prominent announcements expected from the Made By Google launch event, happening just a month ahead of Apple’s iPhone 16 launch event, which is also anticipated to feature a lot of hardware and AI-related announcements.
