A little earlier than usual, Google has held its annual Made by Google event, where it unveils its flagship smartphones, watches and ear buds.
Usually in October, this year Google moved the showcase to August with the emphasis widely expected to be on its new AI features.
So what did it announce?
The Pixel has a new design
The company took the wraps off its new Pixel devices, which includes the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and the new Pixel 9 Pro XL, which has a 6.8 inch display.
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But people may have been surprised by the new look. Google has changed a number of things, making the Pixel 9 flatter and slimmer, so – in theory at least – it is easier to hold. From the front, it looks quite similar to the iPhone 15.
The camera bar on the back has been changed too, to a pill shape that does not extend the full width of the phone.
The Pro gets a Matt glass finish on the back, while the Pixel 9 is more glossy
The display itself is also brighter, which should make it easier to see in bright sunlight.
Google has beefed up the Pixel’s power
With such a focus on AI lately, Google has made a few changes. The Pixel 9′s chip has been upgraded to the new Tensor G4, and RAM has also been increased, with the 9 Pro getting 16GB and the 9 coming with 12GB.
AI is getting useful
Speaking of AI, Google had a lot to say on the topic. Google has been doing AI for a long time, but the new tools that it announced this week for Android make it more useful.
One Pixel-exclusive feature is Screenshots. Imagine you are scrolling through a website and see an event you want to remember later. You screenshot it, which automatically sends it to the Screenshots app. The software then analyses the image and makes it searchable, so when you want to find that information again, all you have to do is ask Gemini.
Gemini is a key part of the Pixel 9 series too. Press and hold the power button to activate the digital assistant, and from there you can ask it to create documents, draft an email or translate languages. It will pull information from your email, look things up for you based on a photo or help you plan your journey.
Google has more additions planned to the system, including Gemini Live, which allows you to interact with Gemini with a more conversational flow – interrupting it, changing your mind and asking follow up questions.
Pixel Studio is another new addition, giving you the ability to create images from text prompts. You can create stylised images simply by typing what you want – a cute cartoon dog playing with a ball, or a corgi racing a car underwater – and you can keep adding as you go to generate new and more detailed images. It doesn’t support generating images or real people though, so any concerns about deep fakes are allayed for now.
An Android-wide feature, meanwhile, is Magic Editor. Google has added a couple of new things here – the ability to reframe photos automatically, suggest the best crop and even change some of the background with the reimagine feature that can add flowers or grass where there previously was none.
Cameras remain the focus
The Pixel 9 Pro gets the best camera system – a triple rear camera on the back with a 50 megapixel main lens and a 48 megapixel ultra wide lens for macro focus shots, and a 42 megapixel lens on the front for selfies. It also gets new features like Video Boost to enhance your footage to 8K resolution, and Super Res Zoom is also coming to video.
One of the more interesting features though is Add Me, which is a handy solution to the problem of taking photographs with everyone in them. You take one photograph, then hand off the photo to someone else in the group to take a second shot with you in it instead. The two photos are seamlessly combined into a single shot.
Folding phones are still in
And Google is planning to corner a bit of the market. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold looks like s standard Pixel 9 on the outside with a 6.3 inch, but opens up to an 8 inch display.
It has all the AI features on the Pixel, but in a more flexible format, supporting split screen and multitasking.
One of the more interesting camera features is Made You Look, which gets the attention of children with fun animations on the outer screen while you line up the photograph.
Pixel Watch is growing
The Pixel Watch 3 now comes in a 45mm display option, which gives you more options for your wrist. The standard Actua display is als.
That will come in handy for the new features, which include a comprehensive running feature that will help you plan running routines and monitor your progression. It tracks cardio load and readiness too, so you can avoid overtraining, and as you run, it uses motion sensing to track your stride length, cadence and so on.
The new watch will also integrate more with Google devices, so you can see your doorbell footage on your wrist, or use your watch as a remote for Google TV.
Pixel Buds get smarter
Google has made a Tensor chip, the A1, that fits inside the Pixel Buds. That brings new intelligence to the bluetooth earbuds, so you get better noise cancelling performance and sound quality.
Some of that is helped by the Silent Seal technology, which cancels out higher frequencies and reduces background noise.
If you are worried you might miss something important, the buds now have conversation detection, switching you to transparency mode and pausing your audio.
But one of the best features of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is the adaptive fit. When you want to exercise, you can twist the buds to lock them into your ear more securely, preventing them from plopping out on the road as you run. When you are done and want something more for comfort, you twist it back.
Though if you do manage to lose the buds, they are now part of Google’s Find My network, so you can pinpoint their location.
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