Here’s what to expect from the Made by Google event on October 15

Google is hosting an event in New York City on October 15th, where it’s expected to announce several new products. The much-leaked Pixel 4 and 4 XL are certainties, while other products are scarce rumours at this point.

So, we reviewed all the leaks and rumours and compiled this breakdown of what we expect, what we don’t think will happen and what we certainly won’t see.

Here’s everything you should expect from 2019’s Made by Google event.

Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL (It’s basically already launched)

If you haven’t seen a leak of Google’s upcoming smartphones by now, I’d be amazed. Nearly every aspect of the Google Pixel 4 XL has appeared online. It’s been thoroughly examined in video reviews, and there are even demo units available for purchase through a Malaysian auction.

However, it’s worth noting that for all we’ve seen, only the Pixel 4 XL has made a significant appearance. The smaller version of the phone, the Pixel 4, has hardly leaked at all. That said, if past Pixels and a recently leaked render are anything to go by, the Pixel 4 will likely be very similar if not identical aside from the screen size. In fact, more of the smaller Pixel 4’s specs leaked online. Reportedly it will feature a lower pixel resolution, a 5.7-inch display and a 2800mAh battery.

We know that the Pixel 4 XL will come in three colours — ‘Just Black,’ ‘Clearly White’ and ‘Oh So Orange’ (although I still think Google made a mistake in not calling it ‘Spooky Orange’). Further, it’ll sport a 6.23-inch 1440 x 3040 pixel resolution OLED display with 539 pixels per inch (PPI).

One of the more impressive specs is that the Pixel 4 XL display will have a 90Hz refresh rate. That should make gaming, as well as using the phone, much more smooth and enjoyable.

Of course, to power that display, the Pixel 4 will need some beefy internals. According to leaks, the phone will sport at least 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and will have a Snapdragon 855 processor. A 3,700mAh battery is also rumoured to be featured in the phone.

There are many more things we know or expect from the Pixel 4 as well. It’s supposed to bring a new telephoto lens to the table. Considering how good Pixel photos are with just one camera, I can’t wait to see what Google does with two. The phone will also include face unlock hardware similar to what Apple offers in its newer iPhones.

Finally, the Pixel 4 will sport a Soli sensor and radar chip to detect various motions, whether that’s lifting the phone so it scans your face or waving your hand to silence a call.

There’s plenty we haven’t mentioned yet, so if you want to learn more about the Pixel 4, check out our break down of everything we know about the phones. There was also a recent leak that detailed the Canadian pricing of the upcoming Pixel phones, which you can find here.

Nest Mini (Likely)

It’s been a couple of years since Google launched the Home Mini in Canada. The tiny but helpful speaker helped make smart speakers a staple in many peoples’ homes with its affordable price and cute design.

Rumours suggest Google is working on a refresh and it will probably make an appearance at the Pixel event.

Dubbed the ‘Nest Mini‘ to bring it in line with Google’s other smart home products like the Nest Hub, the new Mini speaker is expected to bring several improvements.

First up, the new speaker will probably come in new colours and sport a louder, higher-quality speaker. It may also have a method for mounting it on a wall.

Additionally, it’s expected to feature a 3.5mm audio port. This could allow you to connect a device to play music on the speaker, or it could allow you to connect the Mini to a higher-end stereo and make it smart, similar to how the Chromecast Audio worked.

The Nest Mini may also have a proximity sensor to detect when people are nearby. While it isn’t clear what the purpose for this would be, it could allow the Mini to present relevant information like volume level when it detects people are nearby, intelligently adjust volume depending on how close you are or improve its ability to recognize accidental activations based on whether you’re near the speaker.

Nest Hub Max in Canada (A good chance)

Judging by how Google handled the release of the original Nest Hub in Canada, I expect the company will bring its Nest Hub Max north of the border at the Pixel event.

When the Nest Hub first launched, it wasn’t available in Canada. However, at the company’s next big product event, it announced the bigger Nest Hub Max. Alongside that, the Nest Hub came to Canada. Not to mention Google has trademarked the Hub Max in Canada as well.

Likely we’ll see the same happen at this Pixel event, as it’s the first major Google event since the Nest Hub Max launched.

Nest Wifi (A good chance)

Google Wifi came out in 2016, and since then, a lot has changed. There are a variety of competitors in the mesh Wi-Fi space, and it looks like Google may refresh its offering to stay competitive.

Rumours point to Google launching ‘Nest Wifi’ at the Made by Google event. While the Wi-Fi aspect of the system may not change much compared to the current Google Wifi, the new system is expected to feature ‘Assistant capabilities.’

Mesh Wi-Fi systems typically have a ‘primary’ router and several smaller ones called ‘nodes or beacons’ that relay the signal. Nest Wifi’s nodes may sport similar functionality to the Nest Mini.

It’s an exciting prospect and clever use of the mesh beacons. While I think there’s a strong chance we’ll see Nest Wifi, I’m not sure all the rumours about features will prove accurate.

Pixelbook Go (Probable)

Rumours about Google’s next Chromebook have swirled for some time now.

Since the Pixelbook launched in 2017, there hasn’t been a true replacement for the absurdly powerful and ridiculously expensive machine. Last year’s Pixel Slate was a solid attempt from Google — the hardware was excellent, but it stumbled in most other areas.

Now it looks like Google may return to the traditional clamshell form factor with the new ‘Pixelbook Go’ and target it at the mass consumer market with a more affordable price point. However, it may still have some stellar hardware.

Leaks suggest we’ll see either a 1080p or 4K 13.3-inch display in the Go. It may also come with several processor variants starting with an Intel m3 and offering either an Intel i5 or i7 as well. It may offer 8GB or 16GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB storage options.

While we haven’t seen as many rumours about the Pixelbook Go as other devices, I expect there’s a decent chance we’ll see new Chromebook hardware at the Google event. What remains to be seen is whether the new device is the Go, or something else.

Things we probably won’t see

I think it’s worth mentioning a few of the things we aren’t sure about or won’t see at the Made by Google event.

First up, 5G. It’s unlikely that we’ll see any 5G Pixels at the event. If one does make an appearance, it won’t be coming north of the border. Besides, I think it’d be fitting to see a 5G Pixel next year with the Pixel 5… G. Pixel 5G. Get it?

Anyway, we’re also not likely to see a Pixel 4a. Considering the Pixel 3a only just came out and seems to be a bit of a success for Google, it’s unlikely we’ll get a refresh so soon.

It’s also unlikely we’ll see a successor to the larger Google Home speaker. The Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max fill the same purpose as the Home speaker, and if the Nest Mini brings better speakers, there isn’t a place for the Home in Google’s smart home lineup.

Google also isn’t expected to announce anything related to Stadia, although it may discuss the platform through the lens of its new product announcements.

Finally, we’re bound to see some new Pixel-branded accessories at the event, but the rumour mill hasn’t provided any hints about what may come. Suffice to say we’ll have to wait until October 15th to find out.

New Pixel Buds (Probable)

A recent rumour suggests we’ll see new Pixel Buds at the Google event.

While we haven’t seen many leaks regarding the Pixel Buds, it would make sense to see new ones. It’s been a while since Google first introduced the Pixel Buds. Aside from needing a refresh, many other manufacturers have added their own wireless earbuds to the market.

Microsoft recently announced its Surface Earbuds and Amazon also announced Echo Buds — but neither will come to Canada this year.

Considering leaks suggest the Pixel 4 won’t include wired earbuds in the box, it seems like that the company could refresh the Pixel Buds and push them hard.

New software and other updates (Likely)

While the focus of the event will no doubt be hardware, Google typically launches new software as well. We can expect, based on the rumours, that the new Pixel 4 and 4 XL will bring the next-generation of Google Assistant to users. Google showed off the new Assistant at I/O earlier this year. Essentially, Google managed to condense the over 100GB voice model into about 05.GB. The new size allows Google to store the model on-device for faster and more private responses.

Rumours suggest the next-gen Assistant will come to the U.S. first and Canada will follow shortly after. Additionally, Assistant is expected to get a new ‘raise to talk’ feature. You can learn more about that here.

Update 10/10/19 at 10:44am: Added some more rumours, details and other Canadian specifics we can expect from the upcoming Google event.