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Reporters from WIRED will be attending the event in person, and we’ll be running a liveblog on Tuesday to provide insight around Google’s announcements has they happen.
What to Expect
We’re going to see a lot of hardware from Google this year. We can expect to see the entire line of flagship Pixel phones refreshed on Tuesday. The Pixel 9 will be the star of the show, and it will be joined by the Pixel 9 Pro, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the Pixel 9 Fold.
Unlike previous Pixel phone releases, where the Pro was larger than the standard Pixel, this year’s 9 and the 9 Pro will reportedly be the same size. The rumors suggest that the only bigger phone this time will be the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which will have a larger screen measuring 6.7 or 6.8 inches, as well as a bigger battery. All of the Pro Pixels will have the more powerful triple-camera array and beefier internal specs. All of the phones—Pro and standard—will have next-generation Tensor chips inside to power Android’s newest AI features within Gemini, Google Assistant, and base Android, as well as providing an extra layer of device security.
The newest version of the Pixel Fold should also be unveiled on Tuesday. We’re excited for the Pixel 9 Fold (that’s the rumored name) because the current Pixel Fold is already our top pick for folding devices. Among book-style foldables, it’s leading the pack when it comes to price, performance, durability, and functionality.
The only Pixel phone that’s not expected to get an update this week is the budget model, the A-series handset. We just saw the Pixel 8A in May, and it’s our top pick for cheap Android phones. These inexpensive A-series phones typically come out in the spring; they’re offset from the flagship Pixel releases by six or seven months. So look for the Pixel 9A in the first half of 2025.
Other things we won’t see this week are new Nest Thermostats and Google-powered TV streaming devices. That’s because both of those things were announced last week, ahead of the Pixel event—probably so the company can concentrate on just the Pixel-branded devices during the Made by Google show.
The Pixel Watch should get an update Tuesday, and we hope to see better battery life, improved sensing, and snappier performance in the new wearable. Since the smartwatch is Google’s proving ground for its Wear OS software, we can expect the Pixel Watch 3 to take advantage of all the newest Wear OS capabilities, including tighter integration with Pixel phones, Pixel buds, and smart home devices.
With the AI arms race in full swing, and with Google investing so much energy into its Gemini generative AI chatbot, we can expect Tuesday’s keynote to include demonstrations showing how these new devices facilitate Gemini interactions. Google, Apple, and all the other big players in AI are eager to get us talking to our devices in ways that feel more natural, so we can expect to hear about how Google is trying to deliver a frictionless Gemini experience.
On that same tip, the new Pixel Buds and Pixel Buds Pro are expected to arrive alongside the new phones and watches. These buds should have improved audio quality, of course, but we can expect them to have additional features that improve the voice control experience. In Google’s vision of the Pixelverse, when you’re interacting with Gemini using your voice, you’re doing it with a pair of Pixel Buds in your ears. So, the new headphones will have to deliver on that.
Tune in tomorrow to see all of these products make their debut. Plus, maybe a surprise or two. We’ll see you at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern, and 6 pm in the UK.
