It’s official: The Pixel 9 series is arriving in August. That’s a whole two months earlier than the Pixel’s typical October launch window, marking a major departure from the usual timetable. While only Google knows the reasons for speeding up the release, I’m convinced it has a lot to do with finally taking a proper fight to Apple, which is due to launch its iPhone 16 range in September.
As is the buzzword this year, AI will undoubtedly be the key battleground and Google no doubt thinks it can steal Apple’s thunder. The iPhone 16 series will debut Apple Intelligence baked into iOS 18, which includes notification summaries, AI image generation, and leverages a partnership with ChatGPT to extend Siri’s capabilities. That’s good stuff for iPhone owners, but hardly new features for Pixel fans, who already enjoy similar AI features and a range of photography tools Apple won’t match.