What you need to know
- Google usually announces products in October, but the company sent out surprise invites for a Made by Google event in August this week.
- Additionally, Google bucked a growing trend when it decided not to announce or showcase new hardware at Google I/O 2024 last month.
- Google could be trying to streamline its product announcements, thwart leaks, and beat competitors to the punch with the early event.
Tech product launches are nothing if not consistent. Samsung does 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 the middle of August. Invites were sent out earlier this week, and it’s clearly the Pixel 9 series launch event.
Media invites explained that the Made by Google event was happening Tuesday, August 13 at Google’s Mountain View headquarters. There’s a keynote scheduled for 10 AM PT, and attendees will get hands-on time with the products afterward. But the stunner has something to do with the date: Google didn’t host a Made by Google event until October 4 of last year.
Many could be announced at the Made by Google event, including as many as four smartphones. There might be three regular Pixel 9 series devices revealed, as well as a Pixel Fold successor. Additionally, Google could release multiple Pixel Watch variants for the first time ever. If that wasn’t enough, there’s always the possibility that Google surprises us with something else.
The Pixel Tablet might be due for an update, and Google hasn’t touched Nest hardware in a while. On top of that, there are devices that rumors and leaks have suggested 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 debut at the Made by Google event, but there could be more.
Android 15 might also be revealed further at the event since the Pixel 9 series will be the first smartphone to ship running the updated operating system. But why is the event coming nearly two months earlier than usual? We don’t know for sure, but there are a few reasons Google might have jumped the gun on the Pixel 9 series launch.
Google didn’t announce 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 while that no hardware products were previewed or announced at I/O. If you recall, the Pixel Tablet was showcased at I/O 2022 and subsequently released after I/O 2023. Google also announced the first Pixel Fold at I/O 2023.
It would make sense for Google to keep a consistent release cycle by 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 confine the main Pixel hardware releases to a single event. This might give us a reason why Google is rumored to call the Pixel Fold successor the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, as opposed to the Pixel Fold 2.
In a way, this strategy is sound. Google’s hardware releases are spread out, with the A-series Pixel, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel Fold all usually releasing sometime in May. Then, the flagship Pixels and Pixel Watch release in October. This approach means that there are new Pixel devices released roughly every 6 months.
August is right in the middle of May and October, so if Google wants to consolidate its product releases, August would be the month to do it. As such, I wouldn‘t be surprised if we saw a variety of hardware releases at the Made by Google event. If this is indeed Google’s plan, buyers would be able to get a look at the complete Pixel ecosystem every summer.
Google might be getting ahead of Apple Intelligence
By moving the Made by Google event to August, Google is getting ahead of Apple’s annual September event. There’s no way to know whether this was intentional or just a coincidence, but there are clear advantages 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 will need to work hard to stay at the top of the mobile AI race.
Google has a numerous artificial intelligence features bundled with Android 15, including AI-based spam call detection and automatic theft detection. There are plenty more that tie in with Gemini, Circle to Search, and other features. Android 15 will publicly release first on the Pixel 9 series, so Google could get ahead of Apple Intelligence by moving up the Made by Google event date.
Google might also debut new AI features that are exclusive to the Pixel 9 series. It has a chance to set the bar before Apple Intelligence and the iPhone 16 series are publicly released, and that’s a huge benefit to having an event in August.
Finally, the company could by trying to cut down on leaks by releasing the Pixel 9 series earlier. Recent Pixel releases have been ravaged by leaks, with nearly all details about the devices becoming available before they’re announced. Shortening the release cycle gives leakers less time to gather information. However, this is probably the least likely of the possible reasons for the August event. Companies are always trying to limit leaks, but they don’t usually alter their plans because of them.
Of all the potential reasons for Google moving its event up to August, I think the release schedule makes the most sense. There have been inklings that Google has wanted to consolidate its product releases, and there being no launches at I/O was a telltale sign that the company is shaking things up.
