The annual Made by Google event is almost here, and we expect the company will unveil more devices than usual this time around. Following the launch of a new Nest Thermostat and Google TV Streamer, the company is expected to have several different phones, a new smartwatch, and possibly some new flagship earbuds at the upcoming event. Of course, there have been plenty of rumors, and Google itself has already revealed some of the devices that will appear at the launch.
Here’s what we know and what we think we know about the upcoming Made by Google event, which is expected to be a big one.
How to watch the Made by Google 2024 keynote
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Google is hosting its annual Made by Google event earlier this year. Normally slated for early October, the Pixel 9 Made by Google event keynote is set for August 13, 2024, at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. The event will be held at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California.
While invites were sent out to the media, the keynote will also be available to watch online. You can view the livestream on the Google Store website, but it will also be available on YouTube. You can click on the “Notify me” button on the video above to set a reminder to watch the keynote when it goes live.
Google Pixel 9 series
Google is making some interesting changes to the Pixel series this year. The Google Pixel 9 will not only feature a brand-new design, evolved from the current design, but it will apparently come in three variants, marking the return of the XL model. There have long been rumors that Google will give us a Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, and it seems the rumors are likely true.
Google itself has already begun teasing its devices, revealing the design of the Pixel 9 Pro. The device will have a very flat frame, a flat back panel, and a free-floating camera visor that protrudes from the back and is no longer attached to the frame. It also appears that the corners will be fairly rounded, and the phone will retain a triple camera setup with the temperature sensor on the rear.
In the teaser below, the phone also appears in what looks like a Porcelain colorway.
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Based on leaks and rumors, the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro will be roughly the same size, featuring 6.3-inch displays, with the main visual difference being the lack of a third camera lens on the Pixel 9. Meanwhile, the rumored Pixel 9 Pro XL will apparently feature a larger 6.8-inch display, giving you two sizes of Pro phone to choose from.
All phones are set to be powered by the Tensor G4, which is rumored to offer a mild performance boost over the Pixel 8 series. We also expect to see 50MP primary cameras across the board, with a 48MP ultrawide and a 48MP telephoto for the Pro phones.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
The Pixel Fold is going through a bit of identity crisis, as the successor is switching up its naming and instead going with something a bit longer: Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It’s a bit of a mouthful compared to “Pixel Fold 2” but it will seemingly bring the device closer to its Pixel 9 siblings in name, while the device also adopts a design closer to the other phones.
We’ve already seen plenty of leaks showing off the design of the phone, but Google has also teased the device, giving us a good look at the new rectangular camera housing. The phone has a flat frame and what appears to be a wider body with more expansive internal display. Official teasers haven’t yet shown the outer display, but rumors suggest it will be identical to the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro at 6.3-inches, while the internal display will measure eight inches.
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Like the other phones, it will likely be powered by the Tensor G4 chipset and come with 16GB of RAM, although it could feature a smaller battery than its predecessor.
The cameras may be downgraded compared to the rest of the Pixel 9 series. The primary camera is rumored to be a 48MP unit, with two 10.8MP sensors for the ultrawide and telephoto cameras. We’re also expecting 10MP sensors for the inner and external selfie cameras.
Google Pixel Watch 3
While Google has yet to officially tease its next Pixel Watch, we’ve seen plenty of leaks that tell us what we need to know. It seems that this year, the Pixel Watch 3 may finally be offered in two sizes, which should accommodate people with larger or smaller wrists. Not only are the sizes increasing, but so is the display, with the bezel shrinking as a result. The smaller watch may sport the same 1.2-inch panel, while the 45mm variant may come with a 1.4-inch display, both with up to 2,000 nits of brightness.
As for the chipset, it’s rumored Google is sticking to the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, which proved to be quite performant on the Pixel Watch 2. The downside, however, is that there won’t seem to be much in the way of battery gains, with leaks suggesting we’ll see 36 hours per charge when used in Battery Save mode.
Otherwise, the Pixel Watch 3 may gain some new fitness features, with an increased focus on running, as well as other capabilities such as a live view of Nest Doorbell feeds.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Google may finally grace us with a new flagship pair of Pixel Buds this year, which could come with a new design. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 were recently leaked, showing off the case, which looks more or less the same as before. However, the buds may be offered in some fun new colors, including Raspberry, Porcelain, Haze, and Mojito.
It’s also rumored that these may be the first earbuds to feature Gemini compatibility, which would let you talk to the new chat assistant straight without taking out your phone. This would be quite an interesting step as Google is seemingly working to replace Google Assistant, and it could be the first of many Gemini-compatible earbuds.
Gemini and Google AI
It goes without saying that AI will have a big presence at the Made by Google event, as it will be injected into just about everything that gets launched. According to a leak, the Pixel 9 series is set to gain some interesting Google AI features, including Add Me, Studio, and Pixel screenshots. The first appears to be able to capture a group of people in a single shot, which may include someone not in the photo, like whoever’s taking the picture.
Studio appears to be some type of image generator, while Pixel screenshots may be some new Recall-like feature that will be the new home for your screenshots, allowing the phone to analyze and remember information stored on the images to bring up later.
It’ll be interesting to see what new capabilities Google intends to surprise us with, as the rumored features sound quite interesting already. Of course, we’ll learn more about what these new Pixel devices can do at the event.
Android 15 and Wear OS 5
One thing that we may or may not get at the Pixel 9 Made by Google event is Android 15. The beta is already on its last legs, having reached platform stability in June. It seems like a matter of time until we get the stable version of the software, but it remains unclear if that’ll be the case, with rumors swirling that the Pixel 9 series may launch with Android 14.
Wear OS 5 is expected to arrive on the Pixel Watch 3, and Google has already teased new capabilities and battery-saving features for the update. Samsung smartwatches have had access to the beta for some time, with the company’s One UI Watch flavor sitting on top. Hopefully, Pixel Watch users won’t have to wait much longer to update their devices.
