Google has disclosed that the Pixel 9 launch event is scheduled to begin on August 13 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Google’s next foldable device, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, will be part of the Pixel 9 series, though it’s unclear how much more “pro” it will be than the first Pixel Fold. The launch is scheduled to occur roughly one month before the anticipated release date of Apple’s iPhone 16.
The Pixel 9 launch date was disclosed by Google in a post on X (formerly Twitter), along with a word search full of “reasons you should break up with your phone.”
The Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold were the only devices mentioned on the event invite, which also included a link to a page mentioning the phone. This validates reports that Google was developing a different foldable model, the Google Pixel Fold, which debuted in June 2023. Given the Pro in the name, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold should have more features than its predecessor.
Although the regular Pixel 9 isn’t mentioned in the text, it would be interesting if Google didn’t also announce it on that day. It’s possible that Google is just trying to build buzz for their flagship phone before it launches.
In any case, the X article also included a link to Google’s website, which had leaked images of the Pixel 9 family that hinted at a new design. A broad pill-shaped camera block with three cameras that protrudes from the rear of the phone has replaced the back-spanning “visor” design seen on the Pixel 6. Although the camera block on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is likewise circular, the device features four cameras in total spread across two rows.
Finally, the sides of the Pixel 9 Pro are flat, continuing the trend started by the iPhones of the last few years, as opposed to the rounded edges of the Pixel phones that came before it. Although the sides of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold are hidden, its appearance is similar to that of the Pixel 9 Pro, with the exception that the cover screen’s rounded edges are more noticeable and give the impression that it is nestled into the metal frame in a way that the Pixel Fold did not, thanks to the black layer that sits between the screen and the hinge.
It’s hardly shocking to see Google’s new phones before their August 13 launch date, since the corporation frequently teases its own goods before they officially launch. Whether any more gadgets will be unveiled the following month will have to wait and be seen.