By Jonathan Chadwick for Mailonline
11:42 June 26, 2024, updated 15:33 June 26, 2024
- Google’s new Pixel 9 smartphone is coming sooner than we expected
- READ MORE: Apple’s upcoming iPhone 16 WILL have a new button, leak suggests
Google normally unveils a new Pixel smartphone in the fall, but this year it seems to be wasting no time in getting ahead of the curve.
The tech giant has confirmed that its annual ‘Made by Google’ unveiling event will take place on August 13, where it will showcase new devices and software.
It is expected to announce the latest smartphone in its Pixel line, the Pixel 9, which could come equipped with a range of new AI features to rival Apple’s.
The event may even launch a successor to its first foldable phone, the Pixel Fold which was released last year for an eye-watering £1,749.
A short teaser video features the Google Pixel branding and the number nine in Roman numerals – referring to the ninth phone in the series.
Click here to change the format of this module
The video, titled ‘AI… meet IX at Made by Google’, confirms the date of the event in Roman numerals: VIII-XIII-MMXXIV, or August 13, 2024.
Fans who have signed up for Google updates will also receive emails from the tech giant asking them to put the date in their calendars.
“You’re invited to an in-person Made by Google event where we’ll showcase the best of Google AI, Android software, and the Pixel portfolio of devices,” it says.
Google has been equipping its phones with AI features for years, but this could increase even further after the success of ChatGPT and Apple’s big AI announcement this month.
Rumors suggest that the Pixel 9 phone will get a new AI-powered assistant called Pixie. This assistant would be similar to the new ChatGPT version of Siri coming to iPhones.
It is also preparing a tool that uses AI to generate stickers or even emojis, according to a report from Android Authority – similar to Apple’s new ‘Genmoji’.
There may even be more AI editing tools that Google has become known for, along the lines of Photo Unblur and Magic Eraser – dubbed “Orwellian” by critics.
On the hardware front, the Pixel 9 may feature a flatter design with a chunky rear camera, according to leaked renders provided to 91Mobiles.
A redesigned camera bar appears to be a smaller, pill-shaped “island” rather than stretching across the entire phone like on last year’s Pixel 8.
Google typically releases a standard Pixel and a more expensive ‘Pro’ model, but there’s also the possibility of a third ‘Pro XL’ version with a larger screen and battery.
As for pricing, Pixel 8 started at £699/$699 and Pixel 8 Pro at £999/$999, but unfortunately for Pixel fans, the new line could see a price hike.
Considering there was a price increase of around £100 between the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8, experts at Digital Trends think the same will happen this year.
Meanwhile, the Pixel XL Pro could cost £1,099/$1,099, according to Phone Arena.
Typically, Made by Google takes place in early October, and the new Pixel phone unveiled at the event goes on sale about a week later.
But Google is holding this year’s Made by Google event almost two months earlier than usual, on August 13 – with a release date possibly later in the month.
It’s not clear why this change has been made, although the company may want to get a head start on Apple on the calendar, which is holding its iPhone event in September.
Leaks suggest Apple’s next iPhone, the iPhone 16, will feature a new button, rearranged camera lenses, and thinner bezels.