After Apple, Google's new machine is also coming: Officially announced the October 4th conference, implying AI features.

After Apple, another Silicon Valley giant announced the date of its product launch. Following the unveiling of the iPhone 15, Google's new Android phone will also make its debut.

On Wednesday, August 30th, Eastern Time, Google announced that it will hold a press conference in New York City on October 4th at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to "introduce the newest members of the Pixel device lineup."

Although Google did not disclose which specific devices will be released, it is widely believed that Google will launch the new generation flagship phones, Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Additionally, following last year's debut of the first smartwatch by Google, there may be a second-generation watch, the Pixel Watch 2.

Interestingly, on the same Wednesday, Google continued its "tradition" of prematurely exposing its own products. The official website of the Google Store leaked a photo claimed to be of a physical device. Some netizens discovered an image on Google's subscription and services promotional page, with the alternative text stating, "A person using a porcelain white Pixel 8 Pro to answer a phone call."

Media outlets immediately commented that the phone in the leaked image is not much different from the previous leaks. It looks like a rendered image of the Pixel 8 Pro, with a prominent bar-shaped design in the area of the rear camera, which is covered by an oval-shaped glass.

At the time of writing this article for Wall Street News, the exposed image can no longer be seen when users open Google's subscription and services page, indicating that Google may have removed the image.

From the aforementioned leaked image, the internal structure of the Pixel 8 Pro cannot be discerned. However, on Wednesday, Google posted a video on the social media platform Threads, showcasing a conversation between an iPhone and a Pixel phone. The video demonstrates some features of Google phones that iPhones cannot achieve, such as blurring old photos, using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to answer unknown calls, and real-time translation of text messages.

Previously, there were rumors that the Pixel 8 series will adopt the self-developed Tensor chip and may be equipped with an ultra-wide camera. Google may also add new AI features to the camera system. There may be minor adjustments to the phone's display and design, and there are even reports that it may have a non-contact body temperature measurement function, allowing users to determine if they have a fever.

As for the Pixel Watch 2, previous reports suggested that it will have a longer battery life, allowing users to wear it for more than a day in an "always-on" watch display state. It will also add some features to track the user's health condition. Mobile hardware products like smartphones are just a drop in the bucket when it comes to Google's revenue. Google's earnings report does not separately list smartphone revenue. One month ago, Google announced that its advertising revenue for the second quarter of this year was 58.143 billion yuan, accounting for approximately 78% of the company's total revenue. Google Cloud, which is considered the future growth engine, generated revenue of 8.031 billion yuan, accounting for 10.8%.

In the second quarter, Google's advertising revenue exceeded expectations with a year-on-year growth of 3.3% after two consecutive quarters of decline. Cloud revenue grew by 28% compared to the same period last year, maintaining the same growth rate as the first quarter. This indicates that the impact of AI tools like ChatGPT has not shaken Google's position as the leader in search.

On Wednesday, the day before Google's official announcement, both major smartphone brands took action. On Tuesday, Apple announced that it will hold a new product launch event on September 12 (September 23 in Beijing time). Huawei, on the other hand, unexpectedly started selling its new Mate 60 Pro before its official release, sparking discussions about the competition between Mate 60 and iPhone 15.