Google Pixel 9 launch event: What was announced and major takeaways

The company unveils new phones, smartwatch, earbuds and generative AI upgrades

The new Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL phones at the Made By Google event at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California. Getty Images

Alphabet-owned Google announced a host of new products at its Made by Google 2024 hardware event on Tuesday, as the company wrestles with technology giants such as Apple and Samsung for a share of the consumer technology market.

The company launched its latest Pixel 9 smartphones line-up, which includes a new foldable phone with one of the largest screens on a foldable device, a smartwatch, earbuds and upgrades to its generative AI tool, Gemini.

Shares dropped slightly after the closing bell on Tuesday, giving the company a market value of $2.03 trillion.

Overall, Alphabet's stock has remained strong in 2024, having risen nearly 19 per cent in the year so far.

The National explores the new launches and delves into their latest features.

Pixel 9 series gets smarter and more user-friendly

Based in Mountain View, California, Google has launched its new smartphone series – Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL. They are powered by the company's latest Tensor G4 chip and offer improved AI capabilities and superior performance.

Google's latest Pixel 9 Pro Fold smartphone. Bloomberg

The new 9 series has a sleek design with a refined camera bar and premium materials, providing a luxurious feel, Google said.

The Pro models come in two sizes (6.3-inch and 6.8-inch) and feature a 42-megapixel front camera and super actua displays (a high-performance screen technology) for brighter, clearer visuals. Pixel 9’s 6.3-inch display is 35 per cent brighter than its predecessor Pixel 8.

The cameras across the series have been upgraded, with features such as magic editor and video boost for better photo and video quality.

The new devices also introduce the Satellite SOS feature for communication with emergency responders without mobile service. This feature will be available first in the US on Pixel 9 devices, regardless of carrier plans. For the first two years on Pixel, it will be available at no extra cost, the company said.

The new call notes feature sends users a private summary and full transcript of their phone call shortly after they hang up. To protect privacy, the new feature runs fully on-device and everyone on the call will be notified if users have activated the feature.

All devices offer seven years of operating system and security updates.

Pixel Watch 3 goes big on health and fitness

Google unveiled its latest smartwatch, Pixel Watch 3, that comes with advanced health tools to boost users’ well-being. It introduces loss of pulse detection, a potentially life-saving feature that can sense when the heart stops beating and automatically contacts emergency services, and shares an automated message with critical context, along with the location.

It also offers fitness tracking with new tools such as daily readiness, cardio load, and target load that provide personalised insights into users’ fitness and recovery.

Coming with all-day battery life, the new watch is just like a running companion on the wrist, providing real-time feedback and audio guidance to users when their warm-up is done, when they are off pace, when they are over their heart rate target, or when it is the time to take a break.

Google’s bigger attempt to take a bite of foldables market

Google also announced its latest foldable phone, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which combines a sleek, durable design with AI technology.

Coming up with the largest display ever on a Pixel device, the new foldable device features a super actua flex display that is 80 per cent brighter than its predecessor.

Powered by Google’s Tensor G4 chip, the new phone comes with enhanced AI-driven functionalities, including multi-tasking with split screens, advanced photography features like magic editor and Macro Focus, and an ultra-thin triple back camera system.

Google project manager Sandeep Waraich speaks during the Made By Google event at Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. AFP

“It’s the thinnest foldable phone and has the biggest inner display ever seen on any mobile device,” said George Hwang, Google’s product manager for Pixel, adding that the camera system is the “best on any foldable phone.”

Google’s latest chip to boost AI performance

Google Pixel 9 phones are powered by the company’s latest in-house chip, Tensor G4.

“It is our most efficient chip yet and was designed to improve everyday use cases, like opening apps more quickly or browsing the web,” said Brian Rakowski, vice president for product management at Google.

Tensor G4 was designed with Google DeepMind, an AI research lab that Alphabet acquired in 2014, and is optimised to run the company’s most advanced AI models. It will be the first processor to run Google’s generative AI tool Gemini Nano that helps the phone to understand text, images and audio.

Improved earbuds

Google’s latest earbuds, Pixel Buds Pro 2, also use the Tensor A1 chip for improved audio performance, better noise cancellation, and increased battery life. They are 24 per cent lighter and 27 per cent smaller than the previous model and come with a twist-to-adjust stabiliser and four different eartip sizes.

They integrate Google’s generative AI for hands-free assistance and support spatial audio with head tracking for realistic sound during movies and shows.

Google Pixel Watch 3. Bloomberg

Android 15 coming to Pixel phones

Google will ship its latest Pixel 9 series phones with the Android 14 operating system installed. However, it is expected to offer over-the-air update of Android 15 to its users in September or October.

The company has not announced any fixed date for that yet. Pixel 6 and later models will be eligible for the update.

Typically, Google launches its latest mobile operating system alongside its devices, but this year, it has moved its hardware launch event up by nearly two months, potentially causing a delay in the software update.

Gemini Live to humanise AI interactions

Google also announced Gemini Live, a feature that allows users to interact with its generative AI tool, Gemini, in a conversational way, just like speaking to somebody over the phone. This hands-free tool is designed to transform AI from a static assistant into a more responsive and integrated experience.

Initially available on Android smartphones in English language, Gemini Live will expand to Apple’s iOS and other languages in the coming weeks, Google said.

To gain access, users need to subscribe to the Google One AI premium plan that costs $19.99 a month.

The move bolsters Google's stance in the competitive generative AI market, strongly positioning itself against rivals like OpenAI's ChatGPT, industry experts said.

Prices and availability

Customers can place orders for all devices, including smartphones, smartwatch and earbuds, from Tuesday

Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL will be on shelves at the Google Store and its retail partners on August 22, while Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be on shelves on September 4.

Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Watch 3 will be available from September 26 and September 10, respectively.

Pixel 9 – $799

Pixel 9 Pro – $999

Pixel 9 Pro XL – $1,099

Pixel 9 Pro Fold – $1,799

Pixel Buds Pro 2 – $229

Pixel Watch 3 – starting from $349.99