All announced at the 2024 Made by Google event

Google’s big Pixel launch event has been consistently held in October for a while now, but the company has switched things up for 2024.

Moving to August means Google’s new flagship phones will arrive before Apple’s iPhone 16 series, which may have been a crucial factor. And with new foldable devices and wearables on the agenda, plus major software news, there’s a lot of news to talk about.

In this article, we discuss everything Google announced at its Made by Google hardware launch event on August 13.

Pixel 9

Like all Pixel 9 phones, the new regular model gets a subtle new design. The Pixel 8’s rear camera visor is gone, replaced by a more traditional module with rounded corners.

Replacing the glossy back glass with matte should reduce fingerprint smudges, while Google claims durability is now twice as good.

Other major upgrades include a move to Google’s Tensor G4 chipset, which promises significant performance improvements, plus an improved ultrawide camera, going from 12MP to 48MP. However, there is still no telephoto lens.

Google claims the slightly larger 4700mAh battery (up from 4575mAh) delivers more than 24 hours of battery life, while wired charging speeds have increased from 27W to 45W (charger still sold separately).

The screen is slightly larger at 6.3 inches, although it is still an OLED and retains the maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz.

All Pixel 9 phones will run Android 14 out of the box, but they’ll be first in line for Android 15 when it arrives next year, plus OS and security updates for seven years.

New Pixel-exclusive AI features include an ‘Add Me’ tool for group photos and ‘Pixel Studio’ for image generation, plus a new Pixel Screenshots app for understanding (you guessed it) screenshots. There’s a lot more functionality available with a Gemini Advanced subscription, which all Pixel 9 users get for a year free (usually £18.99/$19.99 per month).

The regular Pixel 9 starts at £799/$799. You can pre-order the game now, ahead of its August 22 release.

Learn more about the Pixel 9.

Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL

For the first time, Google will have two versions of its Pro phone in 2024. In addition to a direct successor to the Pixel 8 Pro, we also have a brand new XL model.

In terms of size, the 9 Pro XL has more in common with the 8 Pro, with a large 6.8-inch screen compared to 6.3 inches on the 9 Pro. Both are high-resolution OLEDs, with LTPO technology allowing them to automatically adjust between 1-120Hz refresh rates.

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The only other difference between the two is battery capacity: the Pro XL has a 5060 mAh cell, as opposed to the regular Pro’s 4700 mAh cell. Interestingly, Google says the XL will charge slightly faster (up to 70% in 30 minutes instead of 55%), despite both phones supporting 45W speeds.

Other things you don’t get on the regular Pixel 9 are the upgraded 42MP selfie camera, 48MP 5x telephoto lens (already available on Pixel 8 Pro), and 16GB of RAM instead of 12GB.

The colors also vary slightly between the models, but everything else is identical across all three. That includes the new design, the Tensor G4 chipset, the 50Mp main camera and 48Mp ultrawide.

You also get Android 14 with seven years of updates, plus the full range of AI features and one year of Gemini Advanced.

The Pixel 9 Pro starts at £999 / $999, while the 9 Pro XL will set you back at least £1,099 / $1,099. They can also be pre-ordered now, ahead of the August 22nd release.

Learn more about the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL.

Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Google’s second generation of foldables has been rebranded as part of the Pixel 9 family, but it’s essentially a successor to the original Pixel Fold.

The larger and thinner design is more in line with other book-style devices, while the 8-inch internal screen is larger than any rivals. It will be interesting to see how many apps are optimized for that panel, although Google has already revealed a few games.

Meanwhile, the 6.3-inch cover display matches the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. The larger screens mean higher resolution, although both panels are still 120Hz OLEDs.

Elsewhere, the 9 Pro Fold joins the other Pixel 9 devices with Google’s Tensor G4 chipset, which is joined here by 16GB of RAM. But strangely, the 4650mAh battery is smaller than the 4821mAh on the original Pixel Fold. You do get the improved 45W charging though.

In terms of cameras, you get the same 48MP main camera, 10.5MP ultrawide and 10.8MP 5x telephoto as the original Fold, although the two front-facing lenses have both been upgraded to 10MP.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold gets almost the exact same Android 14 software, albeit with a few specific folding tweaks. They include a feature called ‘Made You Look’, which helps kids stay focused on the camera when you try to take a photo of them.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold starts at £1,749. Pre-orders are also live now, but won’t be available until September 4th.

Learn more about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Pixel watch 3

As expected, the Pixel Watch 3 has arrived alongside the Pixel 9 smartphones, although it won’t go on sale until September 10. It starts at £349/$349.99.

The big news this year is that Google has finally listened to fans and media and made the smartwatch in two different sizes. You still get the usual 41mm, but there’s also a larger 45mm option.

With more space for a display and 16% smaller bezels, you get a 40% larger screen compared to the Pixel Watch 2, which Google says results in “richer and better organized information.”

As you can see below, the larger model with the same dial allows additional information to be placed along the edge.

This new Actua display on both models has twice the brightness of its predecessor at 2000 nits and also has a dynamic refresh rate, which can be scaled from 60 to 1 Hz.

Each size has an exclusive color scheme, so the 45mm is the only one to come in polished Hazel Aluminum, and the 41mm model comes in Champagne Gold Aluminum.

Other specs include Wear OS 5, a Qualcomm SW5100 chipset, and IP68/10ATM waterproofing.

Google also announced that the Pixel Watch 3 is the first smartwatch with a potentially life-saving feature called Loss of Pulse Detection.

Learn more about the Pixel Watch 3.

Pixel Buds Pro 2

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 is here and, with tweaks and refinements in several areas, aims to be your next pair of wireless earbuds.

The design (now including Peony colorway) is 27% smaller, making the earbuds lighter and more comfortable. A twist-to-adjust stabilizer lets you choose between a more secure position during exercise and the like, or a more comfortable position for all-day use.

Google says the Tensor A1 (the first Tensor chip in a pair of earbuds) is built for audio processing. For example, the new Active Noise Cancellation with Silent Seal 2.0 can suppress up to twice as much noise as the Pixel Buds Pro by adapting to your environment up to 3 million times per second.

Other specs and features include 11mm drivers, an improved acoustic architecture, Clear Calling, Conversation Detection, Find My Device network and Google Gemini. You can get up to eight hours of battery life with ANC enabled.

Google says with Gemini Live, “It’s like having a sidekick in your pocket, one who can chat with you about new ideas or practice for an important conversation.”

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are available to pre-order from today for £219/$229 and go on sale from September 26.

Note that Google hasn’t launched the Pixel Tablet 2, so the road for a second-generation Android tablet continues.