Google’s next big hardware event is set for August 13 at 10 a.m. PT. That’s roughly a two-month head start for the Made by Google event, which has traditionally occurred mid-fall. It also, notably, will find the company announcing its latest flagship, the Pixel 9, ahead of the iPhone 16. Apple’s latest is set for a September announcement.
Google hasn’t given justification for the shuffle. Perhaps things will be too noisy less than a month ahead of what has already become the most bizarre presidential election in modern U.S. history. The company also no doubt has a lot to discuss on the Gemini front. The new devices will almost certainly debut key new generative AI features ahead of the rest of the Android field.
One tradition Google’s stuck with this year is the pre-event device reveal. The move inevitably sucks some of the oxygen out of the room before the big event, but it’s proven an effective way to generate excitement during the summer consumer electronics doldrums. In July, Google showed off two new devices: the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Fold, the line’s most premium entries.
And on Tuesday, the company revealed a refresh to the device that gave Nest its name: The Nest Learning Thermostat 4, which comes 13 years after the release of the original and nearly a decade after the release of the Thermostat 3. The company also unveiled its latest set-top streaming box, called Google TV Streamer, and announced that Google Assistant is here to stay — at least for now.
Phones built for “the Gemini era”
Both carry the tagline “A (foldable) phone built for the Gemini era,” setting the stage for the latest in a long line of AI-themed tech events. Gemini took center stage at Google I/O back in May, though the developer-focused event saw much more news focused on laying the groundwork for the company’s AI ambitions.
In fact, Google made a conscious attempt to distance its consumer hardware offerings from the developer conference, announcing the budget-focused Pixel 8a days ahead of the event. Notably, the most intriguing consumer-facing Android AI feature this year didn’t debut on a Pixel device at all. Circle to Search arrived first on Samsung’s Galaxy S24 back in January.
Apple made its own AI splash at WWDC in June with the launch of Apple Intelligence. Cupertino doesn’t have the same generative AI firepower as Google or OpenAI, which is precisely why it’s opened itself up to partnerships with both.
Apple’s approach to the category is small scale, performing as much as possible on-device. Google has taken its own steps in that direction with Gemini Nano. The significantly smaller model arrived on Pixel 8 devices via a feature drop just last month.
In recent years, Google has been clear about its ambitions to grow the Pixel line beyond its long-standing second-fiddle position in the Android market. The company has been producing in-house mobile chips for several device generations now. Coupled with all of the R&D that’s been pumped into Gemini, could this be the moment Pixel finally breaks away?
Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold
The question of Google Assistant’s fate has loomed large over the last several Gemini updates. It’s clear that Google ultimately wants its in-house GenAI to take over Android’s most pressing tasks, but it remains to be seen whether that means replacing Assistant outright or reinforcing it the way Apple has with Siri.
Users can currently rely on Gemini as their primary assistant, if they choose, though Google ultimately did the right thing and held off replacing Assistant outright.
Assistant played a more central role in previous years’ Made by Google events, owing to the inclusion of Google Home/Nest announcements. As excitement around smart home devices has waned, however, the company has taken its foot off the gas. Perhaps Gemini’s arrival can breathe some much-needed life back into the space.
The Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2
The smart home category may have cooled, but Google has been plenty bullish on wearables since its 2020 Fitbit acquisition. The Pixel Watch 3 appears destined to get some stage time at the August 13 event. Ditto for Pixel Buds Pro 2.
Made by Google kicks off at 10 a.m. PT on August 13. Stay tuned for more info.
