Google surprises everyone with August Pixel 9 launch announcement

Google has taken everyone by surprise by sending out invitations for a Pixel 9 launch event in August.

Ever since Google debuted its Pixel phone range in 2016, the company has announced its new flagship range in October – with the exception of the Pixel 5 in 2020, which was squeezed in on the last day of September.

The company has just thrown us all for a loop, then, by sending out invites for its next Made by Google showcase on August 13. The even will commence from 10AM PT, which works out to 5PM GMT.

This year the event will take place from Google HQ in Mountain View, California.

Google is promising “the best of Google AI, Android software and the Pixel portfolio of devices,” followed by a “hands-on experience” for attendees. Naturally there’ll be a heavy focus on Google’s Gemini AI with this new range.

If there was any doubt what Google would be launching (there really isn’t), Google has also launched a little Pixel 9 teaser video over on its store page and on YouTube. It’s only a brief snippet, featuring the words ‘Google Pixel’, followed by a light trace of the iconic (yet soon to be reconfigured) camera module and part of the outline.

We also see the ‘IX’ part of Pixel highlighted, which of course is the number nine in Roman numerals, followed by the aforementioned launch date, again in Roman numerals.

This seems to be the Pixel 9 Pro – or one of them at least – due to the presence of three distinct cameras. Besides a plain Pixel 9, Google is widely expected to be splitting its Pro series in two this year. The Pixel 9 Pro now taking the form of a smaller premium device and the larger slot now being occupied by a Pixel 9 Pro XL.

There have also been rumours that Google will relaunch its Pixel Fold series after just one generation as the Pixel 9 Fold. Such rumours were only strengthened when Google skipped an announcement at WWDC back in May. The original phone launched around in late June 2023, yet we haven’t heard a peep from Google on new hardware – until now.