Google Pixel 3, XL Launch Date Revealed

Google has already sent out invites for a special press event on Oct. 9 in New York City. It’s widely believed that the the company will officially launch the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL as well as other hardware products at the event.

The invite didn’t include much of a hint or a clue as to what the event will be about, but it did include the “I <3 NY” tagline. The “3” in the emoticon may be the most subtle hint at the third-generation Google Pixel smartphones, as pointed out by The Verge. Understandably, Google doesn’t really need to heavily promote the upcoming smartphone for the event since it has already been leaked numerous times in the last couple of weeks. The launch of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL on Oct. 9 shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone at this point.

The Pixel 3 is expected to arrive with a 5.5-inch display that will have HDR support. This model won’t have a notch and its overall design is mostly similar to the Pixel 2 XL. As for the Pixel 3 XL, the device will have a 6.7-inch display with a notch on top and a slim bottom chin. Both handsets are expected to have a single camera on the back, dual cameras up front, a USB Type-C port and dual front-facing stereo speaker.

Google’s Oct. 9 press event is also significant since it would be a change of pace for the company. The last two Google October press events all took place in San Francisco on Oct. 4, according to Digital Trends. There’s no information yet on why Google decided to change things up for this year, but it’s expected that the company will announce other hardware products alongside the Pixel 3 handsets.

Google is rumored to announce its very own wireless charging stand that will work with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The device is believed to be called the Pixel Stand and it may also come with a nifty feature that will support Google Assistant capabilities. The Pixel Stand will allegedly allow users to call on Assistant while their Pixel 3 is wirelessly charging. They will be able to make phone calls, read messages and play music using Assistant voice commands.

Google might also announce the second-generation Pixelbook at the Oct. 9 event. Discovered source code hinted that the company may be working on two versions of the Pixelbook 2: one codenamed as “Nocturne,” and another codenamed “Meowth.” There’s also a third device, codenamed “Atlas,” which may also end up being a third model, according to 9To5Google. It’s possible that some of these models might just be prototypes and Google could end up just releasing one model of the Pixelbook 2.

Google’s Oct. 9 event will start at 11 a.m. PT and users will be able to watch the livestream on Google’s YouTube channel.