By moving its usual October Pixel launch forward to August, Google has stolen a little of Apple’s thunder ahead of the (expected) iPhone 16 event next month. Of course, being first would count for nothing if the new Pixels weren’t good. But they are. Very, very good.
I’ve used Pixel phones regularly for a couple of years now, and though I get the chance to try out many alternative Androids and iPhones for my job, I like the way Google’s mobiles do things. The AI features tend less towards the gimmicky and more towards the useful, the cameras are always fantastic, and for my money the pure Android experience is the best phone OS on offer.
You can find out what we like about the new models in our Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro reviews below, but suffice to say that these handsets will give Apple – and indeed, Samsung – some serious competition. Whether that will translate into sales is a different matter, but the ball is firmly in Apple’s court now.
Speaking of which, we’ve also got some thoughts below on the next iPhone and what it needs to do to stay ahead of the competition, courtesy of Roland Moore-Colyer, our Managing Editor of Mobile Computing. You’ll also find our regular guide to what to watch this weekend, some excellent early Labor Day deals, and much, much more.
Until next week,
Marc McLaren, Global Editor-in-Chief
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The week in Phones
We've been trying out Google's new phones (Future)
The Pixel 9 series is official, and we have plenty of thoughts about the phones: Zachariah Kelly has written about how the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers the best of what Google can offer in terms of hardware and software, though he says there's still room for improvement.
As for Apple, it's gearing up to unveil its iPhone 16 handsets sometime next month – but TechRadar Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff would like to see the tech giant take a stand when it comes to keeping smartphones out of the classroom.
Luma Labs has given its AI video generator Dream Machine a significant upgrade, and version 1.5 of the tool is even more likely to blow you away with its movie-making skills, with faster renderings and more realistic results now possible.
While the idea of bloatware doesn't often have positive connotations, the own-brand apps that Samsung continues to pack into its phones and laptops could actually be the best way of matching the seamless experience offered by Apple across multiple devices.
Among our picks for this weekend we've got new teen comedy Incoming on Netflix, while Apple TV Plus has the second season of acclaimed Korean drama Pachinko, and the first part of Kevin Costner’s movie trilogy Horizon: An American Saga is showing on Max.
