Google has announced the official launch date for its next generation of flagship smartphones — the Pixel 8 series. The Pixel 9 lineup is set to succeed the Pixel 7 series — released in October 2022 — with a base and a Pro model. The company recently leaked the design of the Pro model from the upcoming lineup. Key specifications and other phone details have been doing rounds of the rumour mill for the past few weeks. Now, the Mountain View, California-based tech giant has confirmed the launch date of the Pixel 8 series soon after Apple announced the launch date of its iPhone 15 series.

In a video advertisement posted by the X (formerly Twitter) handle of Made by Google (@madebygoogle), the company confirmed that the Pixel 8 series will launch on October 4. The series is expected to come with the base Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro models. The company will reportedly host the event in New York, starting at 10 AM local time on the day. 

Big fall launches are stressful, but Pixel helps its friend stay cool as a cucumber. #BestPhonesForever

The w8 is almost over. Rest up for #MadeByGoogle on October 4th and sign up for updates: https://t.co/hcAzJ83ajV pic.twitter.com/NWBP2RTdSn

— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) August 30, 2023

Just a day prior, Apple announced that the iPhone 15 series will be unveiled on September 12 at an event named ‘Wonderlust,’ to be held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. The event will also be available for live streaming on apple.com and the Apple TV app starting at 10 AM local time.

In the recently leaked Pixel 8 Pro design, the smartphone was spotted in a Porcelain White colourway, and although it looked similar to the preceding Pixel 7 Pro, the triple rear camera system appeared to be placed in a single pill-shaped unit on the camera island.

A rumoured teaser video also hinted at an ‘Audio Magic Eraser’ feature that the Pixel 8 series phones may be equipped with. The video came with the tagline “the only phone with Audio Magic Eraser,” accompanied by the existing Pixel tagline — “the only phone engineered by Google.” The feature is claimed to allow users to remove unwanted audio from video clips.

The Pixel 8 series has also been tipped to come with AI-powered cameras and Google’s camera application has also been reported to receive a new user interface. These however have all been speculations and nothing yet has been confirmed by the company.