It's now Google's turn in the fall product launch spotlight. The Made by Google hardware event gets underway tomorrow (October 4), and the company's not exactly being coy about what it plans to show off at the event.
Heading into its October 4 showcase, Google posted teasers for the Made by Google event that confirm we'll not only see the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones, but the Pixel Watch 2 as well. And knowing what's behind the curtain ahead of time certainly takes some suspense out of the event, though we still have some questions about Google's upcoming products that we hope to have answered.
For that reason, it's worth tuning in to the upcoming Made by Google event to find out just how Google's new flagship phones can compete against both the Galaxy S23 and the recently released iPhone 15 lineup. The Pixel Watch sequel is intriguing as well given how much we like Google's first entry into the world of smartwatches. And there's always the potential for surprise product announcements that remain a secret regardless of Google's tendency to blab out things ahead of time.
With that in mind, here's a guide on how to watch Made by Google 2023 so that you can see all of the new products Google has planned for the rest of the year.
How to watch the Made by Google 2023 live stream
The Made by Google 2023 event takes place Wednesday, October 4 at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT/3 p.m. BST. Google is holding its product launch in New York this year, and Tom's Guide will be on hand to share some first impressions about the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Watch 2 and whatever else happens to appear.
Don't despair if you're not going to be there in person. You can always watch the Made by Google 2023 live stream, which Google is hosting on YouTube. The Google event live stream is now in place, and you can get notified of when it goes live.
Previously, another Google teaser video serving as a placeholder for the event live stream promised that the "W8 is almost over" and that "Gr8 things are coming," just in case you still weren't sure if the Pixel 8 was on the agenda for Made by Google.
Made by Google 2023 live stream: What we're expecting
Given all the teaser videos, it's not going out on a limb to predict the latest Pixel 8 phones and a Pixel Watch follow-up are planned for this year's edition of Made by Google. But the devil's in the details — here's what we're expecting to see.
Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro: Google's fall hardware event nearly always delivers new phones, and Google has confirmed its latest flagships will play a role at the October 4 event. So what will the Pixel 8 lineup deliver?
A new Tensor chipset is almost certainly in the cards, with the Tensor G3 set to power the Pixel 8 lineup. While Tensor generally puts the focus on its neural engine that delivers the kind of machine learning-powered features that make the Pixels so unique, rumors suggest Google is working to boost performance for the Tensor G3. That would be a welcome change as Pixel phones tend to lag behind the best phones from Apple, Samsung and OnePlus in terms of performance.
On the photography front, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro could be getting a new main camera sensor that's physically larger than what appeared in the Pixel 7 models. That would allow the cameras to capture more light. We also hear that Google is planning a lot of new software capabilities like staggered HDR, where multiple exposures are captured simultaneously for sharper images.
The Pixel 8 could get a smaller display than what the Pixel 7 offered, shrinking from 6.3 inches to 6.17 inches. But the display could see a boost to its refresh rate, matching the 120Hz refresh rate the Pixel 8 Pro is set to offer.
As for the Pixel 8 Pro, leaked images suggest that a temperature sensor is coming to the phone's camera bar. It's supposed to be capable of actually telling you how hot or cold things are, so we're eager to see just how Google sells this particular capability.
The days of super cheap Pixel flagships could be over. A rumor claims that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will cost $100 more than their predecessors, giving them starting prices of $699 and $999, respectively. We've got more on the Pixel 8 vs. Pixel 8 Pro differences based on rumors about both devices.
Pixel Watch 2: Also confirmed to be appearing at Made by Google 2023 is a follow-up to Google's Pixel Watch. So how will Google make sure that the sequel surpasses the original?
Apparently, it will start with a chip change, as Google is rumored to be dropping the Exynos 9110 inside the current Pixel Watch for a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Plus. That will supposedly give the Pixel Watch 2 a battery life boost. Another potential switch involves ditching stainless steel for an aluminum frame that's cheaper and lighter.
As for new capabilities, Pixel Watch 2 rumors suggest the smartwatch will gain the ability to track stress levels, a "multi-path" heart rate monitor and safety improvements such as car crash detection.
Android 14: Google's Android update is usually out by this point, but Android 14 has yet to make its debut beyond the beta that's currently available. The arrival of the Pixel 8 seems like a perfect time to launch Android 14, since that's the version of Google's phone software that will run on the new models.
Android 14 doesn't figure to usher in substantial changes to the Android experience, but there are some improvements that should make using your phone more convenient. Highlights include the ability to use the phone's camera flash to alert you to incoming notifications, more refined permissions for sharing photos and video, a Health Connect app that's integrated into the platform and built-in satellite connectivity.
Some sort of audio gear: If you watch that teaser video Google is running in place of the Made for Google 2023 event live stream, you'll notice several products likely to appear at the event — a Pixel 8 smartphone, a Pixel Watch 2... and something else. Freezing the frame at about the 11-second mark, the mystery product looks very much like an audio device — there are two very small speaker slits and what appears to be the edge of an eartip emerging from the shadows.
If we had to guess, we'd assume these were new Pixel Buds models tied to the Pixel 8 release. Google last released the Pixel Buds Pro more than a year ago and the Pixel Buds A-Series well before that. That's long enough to go between audio upgrades.
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