What you need to know
- Google normally announces products in October, but the company sent out surprise invites this week to a Made by Google event in August.
- Additionally, Google broke a growing trend when it decided not to announce or showcase any new hardware at Google I/O 2024 last month.
- Google may be trying to streamline its product announcements, avoid leaks and get ahead of the competition with the early event.
Tech product launches are nothing if not consistent. Samsung hosts biannual Galaxy Unpacked events in the summer and winter, Apple makes iPhone announcements in September, and Google does Pixel events in October. At least, that was the launch cycle until Google surprised us all by announcing a Made by Google event in mid-August. Invites went out earlier this week, and it’s clearly the Pixel 9 series launch event.
Media invites explained that the Made by Google event would take place Tuesday, August 13, at Google headquarters in Mountain View. A keynote is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT, and attendees will get hands-on time with the products afterward. But the biggie has something to do with the date: Google didn’t hold a Made by Google event until October 4 of last year.
The Made by Google event could see a lot of announcements, including a whopping four smartphones. It’s possible that three regular Pixel 9 series devices will be unveiled, as well as a Pixel Fold successor. Additionally, Google could release multiple Pixel Watch variants for the first time. If that’s not enough, there’s always the chance that Google will surprise us with something else.
The Pixel Tablet may be due for an update, and Google hasn’t touched Nest hardware in a while. Plus, there are devices that rumors and leaks suggest are ready to go, like a new version of the Chromecast with Google TV 4K. The Pixel 9 and Pixel Watch 3 models feel like virtual locks for a Made by Google event debut, but there could be more.
Android 15 could also be further revealed during the event, as the Pixel 9 series will be the first smartphones to ship with the updated operating system. But why is the event happening almost two months earlier than usual? We don’t know for sure, but there are a few reasons why Google may have jumped ship with the Pixel 9 series launch.
Google didn’t announce any hardware at Google I/O
This year, Google I/O 2024 was all about software. It’s a developer conference, but this is the first time in a long time that no hardware products were shown or announced at I/O. If you recall, the Pixel Tablet was shown off at I/O 2022 and then released after I/O 2023. Google also announced the first Pixel Fold at I/O 2023.
It would make sense for Google to maintain a consistent release cycle, refreshing the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet at subsequent I/O conferences. That didn’t happen this year. Instead, it’s possible that Google wants to limit the major Pixel hardware releases to a single event. This could give us a reason why Google is rumored to be calling the Pixel Fold successor the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, as opposed to the Pixel Fold 2.
In a way, this strategy is healthy. Google’s hardware releases are staggered, with the A-series Pixel, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel Fold all typically coming out sometime in May. Then the flagship Pixels and Pixel Watch come out in October. This approach means that new Pixel devices are released roughly every 6 months.
August falls between May and October, so if Google wants to consolidate its product releases, August would be the month to do so. Therefore, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a variety of hardware releases during the Made by Google event. If this is indeed Google’s plan, buyers could get a look at the entire Pixel ecosystem every summer.
Google May Be Ahead of Apple Intelligence
By moving its Made by Google event to August, Google is jumping ahead of Apple’s annual September event. There’s no way to know whether this was intentional or merely a coincidence, but there are clear benefits to the move. Google was the first to make an “AI smartphone” with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro last year, and with Apple Intelligence on the horizon, it’s going to have a hard time staying at the top of the mobile AI race.
Google has bundled a host of artificial intelligence features with Android 15, including AI-powered spam call detection and automatic theft detection. There are many more that tie into Gemini, Circle to Search and other features. Android 15 will roll out publicly to the Pixel 9 series first, so Google could be getting ahead of Apple Intelligence by moving up the date of its Made by Google event.
Google could also introduce new AI features that are exclusive to the Pixel 9 series. It has the chance to raise the bar before Apple Intelligence and the iPhone 16 series are released publicly, and that’s a huge advantage if you’re hosting an August event.
Finally, the company could try to reduce the leaks by releasing the Pixel 9 series earlier. Recent Pixel releases have been plagued by leaks, with almost all details about the devices becoming available before they are announced. By shortening the release cycle, leakers have less time to gather information. However, this is probably the least likely of the possible reasons for the August event. Companies always try to limit leaks, but usually don’t change their plans as a result.
Of all the possible reasons why Google is moving its event to August, I think the release schedule makes the most sense. There are indications that Google was looking to consolidate its product releases, and the lack of launches at I/O was a telling sign that the company is shaking things up.