Google’s Pixel 9 Launch Event

Emma Roth, writing for The Verge:

Google has finally taken the wraps off its Pixel 9 lineup, which includes three slab phones and a folding phone. The regular lineup consists of a base Pixel 9 with a 6.3-inch display, a Pixel 9 Pro XL with a 6.8-inch screen, and a new, smaller Pixel 9 Pro option measuring 6.3 inches. The trio of devices comes with a redesigned oval-shaped camera housing, Google’s updated G4 Tensor chip, better battery life, and a new satellite SOS feature.

While the Pixel 9’s $799 starting price is $100 more than last year’s model, the Pixel 9 Pro starts at $999, and the Pro XL will cost $1,099 and up. The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro XL start shipping on August 22nd, with availability for the smaller Pixel 9 Pro starting in September.

Almost certainly the best Android phones on the market, all things considered, yet it seems pretty predictable that, just like with all previous generations of Pixel phones, few people will buy them. IDC claims Pixels have 5 percent market share in the U.S. but it sure doesn’t seem to me like one out of every 20 phones I see is a Pixel.

In addition to three new standard Pixel devices, Google showed off the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The refreshed Fold is taller and thinner than its predecessor, offering larger displays measuring 6.3 inches on the outside and eight inches on the inside.

The Pixel Pro Fold costs $1,800. I’ve seen a handful of folding phones in real-world use over the years, but only a handful. These things get a ton of attention in the tech media but seemingly nearly zero traction in the market. I continue to think this will remain true until and if Apple releases one, which I expect will look nothing like the existing ones, and then the Android handset makers will make ones that look like Apple’s, and the Android zealots will attempt to shoot down accusations of copycatting by arguing that the design is obvious.

Google’s Made By event was held live, including the AI demos, which didn’t go well. But I have no snark for that. I like live demos and miss them at Apple events. And part of what I like is the high-wire drama of potential demo failure. Watching a live demo gets your attention in a way that a pre-recorded demo cannot. It’s like watching a live stunt.

See also: Marques Brownlee’s first impressions of the new phones (and the new Pixel Watches and wireless earbuds).

★ Tuesday, 13 August 2024