Pixel 4 Event Recap: All the News from Made by Google '19

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Pixel 4, Pixelbook Go and so much more.

(Image credit: Future)

Google just wrapped up its Made by Google '19 event, where we got our first look at the Pixel 4, Pixelbook Go, new Pixel Buds and more.

As months of leaks suggested, Google's new $799 flagship phone has a refreshed design with a sweet orange option, dual cameras with tons of AI features (including astrophotography!) and lots of neat gesture controls via Motion Sense. The Pixelbook Go improves on Google's previous Chromebook with a lighter weight, cuter design and cheaper price, while the Pixel Buds look like a serious contender to the AirPods' throne. We also got looks at new Nest devices and a deeper dive into what's going on with Google Assistant.

Here's everything you missed from the big Pixel 4 event, as well as our archived live blog for all the news as it happened.

Pixel 4 event highlights

Pixel 4 event live blog

All times ET: refresh for latest updates.

11:06 am: Osterloh's back on stage to close us out. I enjoyed how breezy, casual and quick this show was (no overdramatic overselling, like a certain September event). Some slow spots, but the products and software all sound pretty great. Our staff writer Kate Kozuch gives it 7 Googles out of 10.

Stay tuned for our hands on impressions of the Pixel 4, Pixelbook Go and more!

11:00 am: Here comes famed photographer Annie Liebovitz. She's really impressed with how easy to use the Pixel 4 was for her ("I just let the camera do the work," she said). Some dude in the crowd accidentally opened his selfie cam trying to get a shot of her. 

"It's all inside you. Just get out there and do it," said Liebovitz when asked if she had any tips for those looking to get into photography with their phones.

10:50 am: Time to talk camera stuff. Super-res zoom looks insane -- a very pinched-to-zoom shot of the Golden Gate bridge looks like it was taken right next to it. New features include live HDR+, which lets you see the added brightness of HDR+ mode as you compose your shot. 

You'll also get better white balancing, as well as an improved portrait mode that has more accurate depth thanks to the Pixel 4's two cameras. Most importantly, the cameras will do a better job capturing dog fur during bokeh shots. 

New Night Sight for astrophotography looks nuts -- you'll be able to get a crystal clear view of the stars when shooting late at night (though I'd love to see how that holds up in New York City). Google said that one of the few things Pixel can't do is accurately capture the moon and street lights together, but teased that its working on it.

10:47 am: Pixel 4 colors; Just Black, Clearly White, and Oh So Orange. The phone starts at $799, and starts shipping on Oct. 4. But here's the kicker: Pixel 4 is finally available on every major carrier, so you won't have to go unlocked or use Verizon just to get one.

10:45 am: The Pixel 4's voice recording app can transcribe in real time. This is a GAME CHANGER, guys. I'm already thinking of all of the time I'll save not having to transcribe my interviews. 

10:42 am: Google Assistant is even more deeply ingrained into the Pixel 4, letting you search for an artist and buy tickets for their concert without hitting a single button or screen. The big theme of this presentation seems to be that Pixel 4 is a phone you never have to actually touch.

10:38 am: Google is getting right to business with Motion Sense and all the fancy new motion gestures coming to Pixel 4. The phone can power down when you walk away, and you can swipe to skip a song or silence a call with a quick touch-free wave.

What's really neat is that Motion Sense understands the contexts of actions, and aims to recognize the difference between an intentional swipe and, say, you grabbing your coffee cup while reaching over your phone. 

10:36 am: Here comes the Pixel 4 and that sweet new orange color. Our staff writer Rami Tabari calls it "pumpkin spice-themed." Mmm, coffee sounds good right about now.

10:33 am: On to Nest Wi-Fi. This Wi-Fi system promises 25% more coverage, and comes in a variety of fun colors so that you won't want to hide it behind your TV or computer. Parents can use Nest Wi-Fi to broadcast messages to their kids throughout the home -- or turn the Wi-Fi off if they act up.

10:28 am: Nest Mini time! It's just $49, can mount to your wall, and is as adorable as ever. It also offers twice the bass, and a third microphone for hearing you better when things get noisy. It also has a new machine learning chip with 1 TeraOPS of power for learning your habits. Wait, what the heck is a TeraOP?!

Google is also changing the pricing plans for its Nest Aware service, which will support all of your Nest devices for a single monthly fee. Aware is getting a bunch of new features too, making it easier to keep tabs on your home via your Nest devices.

10:22 am: Here's Pixelbook Go. Same "rippled" design we've seen in leaks, and Just Black and Not Pink color options. The laptop is lighter than the previous Pixelbook, and has a keyboard that's "comfortable and quiet." They're so quiet, in fact, that Google calls them "hush keys." You can pre-order it now for $649. 

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

10:20 am: Google's Ivy Ross is continuing the sustainability discussion, saying how Stadia could eliminate the need for upgrading gaming hardware over the years (if it works well, at least). We're also getting a deep dive on the creation of the Stadia Controller.

10:15 am: Osterloh is now talking about Google's work towards helping the environment. The company is investing $150 million towards renewable energy, and is making its products with an eye towards recycled materials. All of Google's 2019 Nest products will also include recycled plastics -- in fact, the Nest Hub Mini's fabrics are made entirely out of recycled plastic water bottles. That's pretty neat!

10:10 am: Here are the new Pixel Buds. Truly wireless, same colors as the Pixel phones, tons of Google Assistant features and 5 hours of battery life (or 20 with a charging case). I really like the design; the small, round outer buds look like a much more elegant version of what Microsoft is doing with the Surface Earbuds. New Pixel Buds drop in Spring 2020 for $179.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

10:05 am: Oh hey, Google Stadia finally has a release date! We look forward to seeing how good Google's gaming service is at predicting our inputs come November 19th.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

10 am: And we're live! Google is kicking things off with a clip of writer and comedian Baratunde Thurston meeting with the Google team to see all the new goods. Looks like the Pixel 4, Pixel buds and more. Once again, the theme of Made by Google seems to be "help." Wait, is that Martha Stewart in the crowd?

9:20 am: We have a front-row seat for all of the action at the Made by Google hardware event. Check out all of the seats behind us.

Pixel 4 event The Shed

(Image credit: Future)

9:11 am: We're inside the Google Event at The Shed in Hudson Yards. Picking up our press credentials now.

8:55 am: Our own Henry T. Casey gives us a look around the big line and venue before all of the media heads into the event.

8:32 am: The Google Nest Home Mini just leaked, including images, internal upgrades and more. Expect much better sound from this Google Home Mini successor for the same $49 price, along with a wall-mount-friendly design.

8:15 am: We're on the ground at The Shed in Hudson Yards!  Already a long line of tech reporters eager to see what the Pixel 4 is all about. 

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

7:15 am: It just wouldn't be launch day without a last-minute leak. We now know the Pixel 4's alleged price, which is reportedly $799 for the 64GB Pixel 4 and $899 for the 64GB Pixel 4 XL. No word yet on what the higher-storage models will cost, but these prices line up with previous Pixel releases.

Michael Andronico
Michael Andronico

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.