There's not much mystery surrounding what kind of device the company intends to unveil for the Made by Google hardware event, and for every detail Google doesn't reveal in its teaser video, rumor sites have leaked renderings, spec sheets and other information that the rumor sites have leaked give everyone an idea of what to expect.

Indeed, what Google will unveil at its Made by Google event this Tuesday (August 13) at its headquarters in Mountain View, California, is largely unknown. The company has already shown off the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold in videos, which means we can expect to see the standard Pixel 9 at the event as well. Rumors have built a pretty solid case that there will be two versions of the Pro in different sizes, and all signs point to the Pixel Watch 3 and new Google earbuds also being part of the mix.

There may be a few surprises in terms of announcements, but just featuring products that Google has confirmed or rumors have almost confirmed is a pretty full agenda. So what will be discovered?

As it turns out, there is a lot. While we may have a pretty good idea of what Google will be announcing, there are still some important details that need to be filled in. Here are the biggest questions surrounding the Pixel device we're likely to see when Made by Google kicks off on August 13 at 10 am PST/1 pm EST.

Google was once unrivaled when it came to including AI capabilities in its flagship models, and since switching to its own Tensor chip in the Pixel 6 lineup, AI-powered features have been as much a part of the Google Pixel's outstanding photo processing capabilities has been a big part of the Google Pixel story.

However, rival phone makers are also entering the AI scene. Samsung's two recent major phone launches (the Galaxy S24 lineup in January and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 foldable last month) have made AI capabilities a central focus for Galaxy. Apple may be lagging behind its competitors when it comes to AI, but the first Apple Intelligence features are currently available in preview form, with full functionality to be rolled out to select iPhones by 2025.

In other words, the Pixel is no longer the only game in town when it comes to AI. So how will Google respond?

Pixel 9 rumors about potential AI features suggest a number of intriguing additions. The new Pixel is expected to add the ability to record calls and transcribe those recordings; the Add Me feature is thought to be the ability to insert a person taking a group photo into a photo; the Pixel gains the ability to search for screenshots taken from the content in the screenshot; and the Pixel The Pixel could gain the ability to search for a screenshot taken from the content in the screenshot. And one has to wonder if the Gemini chatbot will be integrated into the new model in some way.

I expect to see demos of these rumored features and whatever else Google ends up adding to the Pixel 9's bag of tricks. But what I will be watching for is how Google introduces these new AI tools. At the heart of the controversy surrounding Google's Olympic ad about Gemini writing fan letters was the sense that AI is being advertised for a task that should really be left to our own creativity. Google needs to understand that AI is best used when it speeds up tedious tasks or enables seemingly impossible tricks, not as a substitute for communication skills or creativity.

We now know that we should not expect best-in-class performance from Google's Tensor chip. This system-on-chip uses the Tensor engine to fuel all the AI functions detailed above. Still, when it comes to performance, the gap between Google phones and the best Android phones needs to be addressed in some way.

When we posted benchmarks of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered device doubled the Geekbench 6 single-core test results of the Pixel 8 Pro and its Tensor G3 silicon, and outperformed multi-core results by over 150%. Even in real-world tests like transcoding a movie in Adobe Premiere Rush, the Galaxy S24 Ultra completed the task 9 seconds faster than the Pixel 8 Pro.

Worryingly, there are reports that the Tensor G4 is only a minor upgrade to the Tensor G3, which could widen the performance gap with phones using Qualcomm's top-of-the-line silicon. We expect at the very least the Tensor G4 to be more power efficient and allow Pixel 9 phones to last longer on a charge. [Just as the Pixel Phone hopes to draw consumers away from Samsung's Galaxy flagship and Apple's iPhone, the Pixel Watch needs to stand out in a world where Galaxy Watches and Apple Watches get all the attention. made by Google event is Google's chance to show off the Pixel Watch 3.

It seems clear that the Pixel Watch 3 will come in two sizes, with a 45mm XL version joining the standard 41mm watch. The latest watch is also expected to work with Google's Find My Device network and run on Wear OS 5.

However, the Galaxy Watch 7, which came out this summer, boasts new AI-powered wellness features that paint a complete picture of your health and fitness. Right now, the best smartwatch on Android is Samsung's, and if Google wants to stay in the conversation, the Pixel Watch 3 will have to offer more than a larger display.

The original Pixel Fold came out in mid-2023, but Google decided to forgo an update this year rather than release a follow-up at the same time. Instead, a second attempt at a foldable phone will join the Pixel 9 lineup, presumably Google's decision to make the new foldable work with the Tensor G4 chip as well.

We liked the Pixel Fold when it came out, but subsequent Samsung and OnePlus foldable phones have surpassed it. We'll be watching to see what Google does with the Encore and whether it can address some of the criticisms of the original device. That would mean shrinking the bezels on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's internal display, but we'd also like to see the phone do a better job of making apps look great on its larger screen.

With Google, though, it all comes back to AI in the end, and the likely inclusion of a Tensor G4 chip means that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will have new AI-powered features. But will any of them be optimized to take advantage of the phone's two displays and form factor? Samsung optimized the AI interpreter mode on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 to take advantage of the internal and cover displays. Hopefully, Google may be planning something similar, where AI-powered features will help make this phone's foldable design more attractive.

Mobile phone prices are on the rise. Apple raised the price of its iPhone 15 Pro Max last fall, and Samsung followed suit with the Galaxy S24 Ultra early in the new year. Both of Samsung's new foldable phones cost $100 more than their predecessors.

The pressure is on Google to buck the trend, especially after the price of the Pixel 8 series increased from the previous generation; rumors of the Pixel 9 suggest that some models, at least in Europe, will cost more than the previous model, and price increases may not be completely avoided It may not be possible to avoid the price increase altogether. But one of the ways Google has set itself apart from other handset makers in the past has been to lower the price of its flagship handsets. We'll be on the edge of our seats Tuesday to see if history repeats itself.