5 things you need to know about Google’s Pixel 9 event
Watches, phones, foldables, earphones and AI features spewed out of Made by Google
The next era of Google gadgets is here. At August’s Made by Google event we got to meet not just a bunch of phones, wearables, and a pair of earphones, but future AI features too.
Want to know the skinny?
Here are all the key updates and upgrades, minus all the tech marketing nonsense and hype.
1. Pixel 9 series gets bigger screens
The Pixel 9 family is out in the open. That’s the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL.
All three have a new camera housing design. And there’s a small but significant re-think on screen sizes this year. The standard Pixel 9 gets a bump to 6.3in from 6.2in. And the Pixel 9 Pro XL jumps from 6.7in to 6.8in, all without any major increase in the larger phone's size.
Even bigger news, the Pixel 9 has pulled an Apple iPhone, by offering both small (6.3in) and large (6.8in) versions of the Pro line. The key difference when you go Pro? A 5x zoom camera and higher-resolution screen. Worth £200? That’s up to you.
2. A stack of new AI features are on the way
We already knew Google was going big on AI. Now we have a closer look into what that actually means.
Google has written a blog about the 14 new AI additions. Highlghts include being able to add people to photos by taking a second pic and letting AI merge 'em.
Call Notes will give you a summary of your phone calls. But is there much of an overlap between those who still have personal phone calls and folks who are into AI? We have doubts. Still, it'll let you grab addresses and appointment info, which could be pure gold for some.
A new Pixel Screenshot app will also use AI to recall important nuggets of info from screenshots you've taken. This one could be useful, as while we don't have phone calls all that often these days, we're constantly screen-grabbing stuff.
3. Pixel Watch 3 now comes in a larger size
Google has, of course, jammed a load of AI stuff into the new Pixel Watch 3 too. But the clearest change is this generation now comes in 45mm and 41mm sizes, not just the 41mm of the older versions.
You do have to pay a bit more for the larger model, bit it otherwise looks pretty similar.
What’s new inside? Google says the heart rate tracking is better, it will automatically work out when you've gone to bed to silence notifications. And can tell if your heart stops, calling emergency services to try to save your life. Yikes. That feature is for EU countries only at launch.
Fitness features get a bump too, in order to better compete with Garmin and Apple.
4. New Pixel Buds Pro 2 are out in September
Two years after the original, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are coming out. They will be available from September 26 (pre-orders are open today) for $229/£219.
The big claim is you get "twice as much noise cancellation" compared to the older model. One issue with these claims is it can refer to a specific frequency range — it doesn't mean the ANC will necessarily feel twice as strong. Google says the mid-range gets the big improvement.
However, if Google can get the Pixel Buds Pro 2 up to the level of Bose and Sony, we’ll be more than happy.
The new design also has a new wing tip for better stability, and will let you yammer on to the Gemini assistant regardless of whether your phone is unlocked or not. Battery life with ANC gets a bump from seven hours to eight too.
5. Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold gets thinner
The first Pixel Fold was a good phone. But it wasn’t all that refined a design compared with those of Huawei, Honor and Samsung, who have been at this game for longer.
Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold is here to address that. It's thinner, just 10.5mm when folded, is narrower for a smaller in-hand feel, but also has larger screens. We get a 6.3-inch screen on the outside, an 8-inch one on the inside, up from 5.8in and 7.6in.
How? Well, it’s no magic spell. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a taller screen. And, sure, the inner bezels are a bit smaller too. Thanks to the big gap in releases, the new foldable’s processor is also two generations on from the last one's.
As you might guess, though, it doesn't come cheap at £1749/$1799.
