In theme with the weirdness that 2020 has brought upon us, this year Google is launching Pixel phones in September and Apple its iPhones in October. Or so the rumors go. These days rumors are pretty accurate most of the time, which, for better or worse, means there are few surprises left for the actual launch events.Still, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth tuning in to watch the events. After all, phones are much more than their specs sheet and design. And although Google might be far from the top when it comes to smartphone sales numbers, its influence on Android is enough to make everyone pay attention.
That being said, here’s when you should devote your time and attention to watch Google’s Fall event.
Where to watch Google’s September 30 event
Google is calling its event “Launch Night In”, which, as usual, contains some hints for what we might see announced during it. But we’ll get to that part later. The official live stream of the Google Pixel 5 launch will be over at Launch Night In With Google. The stream will start at 11 AM Pacific Time/ 2 PM Eastern Time on September 30. Until then, if you open the website and press a key on your keyboard, music will start playing and your keyboard will turn into a piano, allowing you to play notes fitting the music to the best of your ability. Go give it a try!
Okay, bored trying to play the piano with a keyboard? Good, let’s move on.
If you’re not a fan of spoilers of any kind, you might want to stop reading here, because we’ll pretty much tell you what will be announced during this event in the next few paragraphs.
Still here? Well, we warned you!
What to expect from Google’s September 30 event
Let’s start with the obvious. We’re calling this the Pixel 5 launch event for a reason, which is that Google will announce its next flagship phone, the Pixel 5. Unless Google is hiding an ace up its sleeve and has something else even cooler to announce, the Pixel 5 will be the star of the event.
Google Pixel 5
Google’s phones were never really shining for their hardware capabilities and this year things will be even tamer when it comes to that. While last year the Pixels came with fancy radar technology that allowed for gesture navigation and advanced face recognition, this year we don’t expect anything unusual specs-wise.
If the leaks are to be believed, with the Pixel 5, the Soli is gone (the radar thing) and the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor is back, providing a secure way to unlock your phone. With the need for extra tech at the front of the phone gone, so is the thick top bezel, replaced by just a tiny hole for the front-facing camera.
Another big change is that Google is apparently dropping the 800-series Qualcomm chip in favor of the cheaper and more efficient Snapdragon 765G. The good news is that this drop in chip tier should result in a drop in price tier as well.
You might have noticed that we’re not mentioning Pixel 5 XL. Well, that’s because just like the Pixel 4a, Google has decided to only release one Pixel 5 device. An interesting juxtaposition to Apple’s expected four new iPhones.
For more details about the new Pixel, check out our Pixel 5 hub.
Google Pixel 4a 5G
Google Pixel 4a 5G render
Another Google phone we expect to finally become official on September 30. Google itself teased the device months ago but details about it have been coming from third parties ever since.
The Pixel 4a 5G is expected to be larger than the 4a and have a more powerful Snapdragon 765G chip, yes, the same one as that on the Pixel 5. There will be a few differences between the two, however, for example, the Pixel 4a 5G will lack the high-refresh-rate display of the Pixel 5.
Overall, the phone is shaping up to be a great bread-and-butter phone but with the addition of 5G, the extra performance, and a second rear camera, it will check even more boxes than the original Pixel 4a.
The Pixel 4a 5G should slot right between the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a price-wise, which makes a lot of people more excited for it rather than the flagship of the line. We’ll have to wait until everything’s laid out on the table before we pass judgment.
New Chromecast with Android TV
Render of the new Chromecast TV
Perhaps not as interesting as a new phone but still worth mentioning is the expected new Chromecast. What’s new about it is not just the design, but also the fact that this one will incorporate Android TV functionality within it and come with a remote control. Basically, the new Chromecast will be able to turn any display with HDMI input into a smart TV, no need for a phone to initiate the streaming from. The price is expected to be around $60.
New smart home devices
Google is starting to move all of its smart home gadgets under the Nest branding and at the September 30 event we expect the announcement of at least a couple new additions to the Nest family.
New Google smart speaker
Render of the Google Nest Audio smart speaker
Google is expected to launch the replacement of its Google Home smart speaker during the September 30 event. As per the new direction of the smart home ecosystem, the new device is going to be called Google Nest Audio.
With the emphasis on “audio” right in the name, the new speaker is expected to have excellent audio qualities. Will it be enough to please the ears of audiophiles? Probably not, but for the average user it should be more than enough.
New Wi-Fi router
The existing Nest WiFi router and range extender
What better way to keep all your smart Google gadgets connected than with a Google Wi-Fi router? The new one is expected to have support for Wi-Fi 6, something the previous model lacked, which means higher transfer speeds and better coverage.
The router will likely have support for mesh networking with range extenders as well. The Nest WiFi already offers that with the Nest WiFi point, so both the router and the point might be getting an upgrade in a couple of days. We say might, because unlike the Pixel phones, the router hasn’t been leaked as much so it’s possible that it will be announced at a later date.
Considering the apparent movie night theme of the event, there might be some other product that Google is planning to announce but with its horrendous record of secret-keeping, we’re more likely to believe that the new Chromecast and smart speaker are enough to fit the bill. Still, we’d love to be surprised, which is why we always watch these events. And you should, too, here’s the link once again:
