Skip to main content

Google’s Pixel 5, Pixel 4a 5G, and Nest Home speaker arrive on September 30

Unlike the rest of the tech industry, which has largely been on time, if not a little late this year, it looks like Google is holding its annual hardware event a little early. The company announced a livestream hardware event for September 30 at 11 a.m. PT. Usually, Google holds its Pixel hardware events in mid-October.

Google isn’t leaving much up to the imagination either. Its invitation spells out that the event will be where we learn more about the “new Chromecast, our latest smart speaker and our new Pixel phones.” Of course, we pretty much knew what was coming anyway — most of the new hardware has leaked ahead of time, and Google even announced that the Pixel 5 was on the way, along with a few press images, when it launched the Pixel 4a.

As is the trend this year, the event will be a livestream rather than held in person, and Google is embracing the theme. The event is being marketed with the tagline “Launch Night In” and will likely be streamed from the Made by Google YouTube channel.

The Pixel 5 is likely to be the star of the show, as it usually is. This year, we’re expecting the Pixel 5 to somewhat correct the Pixel line’s course, considering the Pixel 4 received mixed reviews. While the phone offered the clean software that customers know and love, it did look a little dated in a world of edge-to-edge displays. The Pixel 5 will have an edge-to-edge display with a hole-punch cutout for the front-facing camera and is expected to offer 5G connectivity. Last but not least, the phone will likely offer a 90Hz refresh rate, like the Pixel 4.

Some rumors indicate that the phone will forego the flagship processor, instead offering a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765. Hopefully, that will mean that the phone is relatively inexpensive — which will be a breath of fresh air considering the rising prices of high-end smartphones.

The event will also include the new Nest Home smart speaker, which will offer a longer, flatter design, and will be taller than the original Google Home. Hopefully, the larger design will mean deeper, more full-bodied audio. Other features are yet to be seen, but the speaker is expected to cost around $120, at least according to leaker Roland Quandt.

Editors' Recommendations

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
The Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro barely charge any faster than the Pixel 5
App screen on the Google Pixel 6 Pro.

With the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, Google appeared to have outdone the battery longevity of the already long-lasting Pixel 5 by offering bigger batteries and faster charging speeds to compensate. But an analysis done this weekend by android-focused tech blog Android Authority has found Google's Pixel charging speeds to be much more in line with older Pixels than the company would have you believe.

A test carried out by the tech publication showed that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro could only reach 22 watts at peak changing speeds -- just a little bit over the 18W you'll find on older Pixels. This means that the Pixel 6's charging time is also slower than the older Pixel 5 due to a combination of its bigger battery and its similar charging speeds. It takes the Pixel 6 just under two hours to reach a full charge, whereas the Pixel 5 would charge in a little over an hour and a half. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra with a 25W charger outpaces both. You can read the reasoning in the Android Authority piece, but the short version is Google's Pixel 6 drops wired charging speeds after 50%, whereas Samsung keeps a fast charging pace up to around 85%.

Read more
Google’s rumored Pixel Fold could have same camera hardware as the Pixel 5
Google Pixel 5

Google has reportedly been working on a foldable Pixel for next year, and new hints from Google's Camera app, spotted by 9t05Google, could have just revealed some of the details of the camera hardware.

Going off of details hidden in the Google camera app, the Pixel Fold is now said to be code-named Pipit instead of Passport. This kind of change has happened before, including when Google swapped out the development platform of the Pixel Slate from Cannon Lake to Kaby Lake, so it is possible that a similar hardware change has happened here.

Read more
Google Pixel 6 vs. Pixel 5: Should you upgrade?
The back of the Pixel 6 in Seafoam color.

The Google Pixel 6 has been revealed at the Pixel Fall Launch, along with its larger sibling, the Pixel 6 Pro. These new phones debut an entirely new Google-made processor, the Google Tensor, which is claimed to supercharge the A.I. capabilities of the phone, as well as sport a unique design featuring the new "camera bar" visor-shaped module on the back of the phone. The Pixel 6 is the cheaper of the two, costing just $599, and despite losing the 120Hz display and third camera lens of the Pixel 6 Pro, it looks set to be a serious bargain.

Pixel-heads are likely salivating at the chance to grab the new Google phone, but what if you're already using a Pixel 5? Is it worth upgrading from last year's Pixel to this year's? The Pixel 5 is still a strong contender this year, so is the Pixel 6 good enough to justify the extra cost? We took a look to find out.
Specs

Read more