Google is about to ace a key maturity exam with its ‘late’ Pixel 10 launch
How delighted were you when you heard that this year’s big “Made by Google” event could take place in July or even June instead of August or September? Well, that dream was crushed in no time, as the Pixel 10 series launch is now reportedly scheduled for August 20, with a proper release for the search giant’s four new high-end smartphones then expected on August 28.
Basically, the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold are likely to go official later in the year than the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold did back in 2024, which sounds like bad news for Google fans, Android purists, and even Android users in general.
But while I consider myself a member of all three of those groups, I view the newly rumored dates as a potentially positive thing. Here’s why:
Constantly shifting schedules are for amateurs and industry newbies
Who here remembers the original Google Pixel phone? The decidedly experimental Android 7.1 Nougat-running handset (and its XL sibling) were unveiled in early October 2016, followed by a Pixel 2 duo in October 2017, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL in October 2018, and the Pixel 4 and 4 XL in, you guessed it, October 2019.
Google broke the pattern (somewhat) with a late September 2020 launch for the single-size Pixel 5, going back to a traditional October announcement for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro in 2021, Pixel 7 and 7 Pro in 2022, and Pixel 8 and 8 Pro in 2023. The Pixel 9 family then changed the paradigm completely, both by including four members instead of just two or three and by seeing daylight in August.
The Pixel 9 family should mark the beginning of a new era for Google-made smartphones.
This allowed Google to beat Apple’s iPhone 16 quartet to the market, which was clearly a smart strategic choice. But while a June or July 2025 release would have given the Pixel 10 series a strategic advantage over Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, and Z Flip 7 FE in addition to this year’s iPhone 17 lineup, that would have also signaled weakness and indecision for a company that’s setting the trends in so many segments of the tech industry.
After nine years in this business (15 if you also count the discontinued Nexus line), Google needs to show maturity, boldness, and a pioneering spirit that other brands can follow. Predictability is a key characteristic of most smartphone market heavyweights (from Apple to Samsung and even Xiaomi or Oppo), and if Google wants to join that club, firmly locking a timeframe for all future high-end Pixel launches sounds like the best possible “programming” move.
Early announcements don’t always generate the best buzz
Quick, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the Pixel 9a name? It’s “delay”, isn’t it? But that’s not entirely fair, as Google’s 2025 mid-ranger was still released earlier in the year than the Pixel 8a back in May 2024.
The search giant would have clearly been better off unveiling and releasing the Pixel 9a in April or even May than rushing its announcement and tarnishing its image with what everyone now views as a tardy rollout.
The Pixel 9a is proof an early announcement is not always a good idea.
To a certain extent, the same can be said about last year’s Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which arrived in stores a couple of weeks after the “vanilla” Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro XL despite all four models going official at the same time.
Bottom line, it would be much wiser of Google to unveil the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, and 10 Pro Fold on August 20 and start shipping all four devices on August 28 than rushing them to a July announcement only to realize the phones can’t actually be used until weeks later. Of course, that’s all assuming Big G will release the entire Pixel 10 family by the end of August, which is obviously not a guarantee just yet.