Google confirms October 15 Pixel 4 launch

Google has confirmed it will hold an event on October 15 where the tech giant is expected to formally announce its next flagship smartphone, the Pixel 4.

The US firm took the unusual step of confirming the Pixel 4’s existence in a video released in June after a number of leaks detailed features of the upcoming phone.

Google has now sent out invitations for an event in New York where the phone is expected to be unveiled publicly and could be joined by other Google hardware products including new Google Home smart speakers.

According to reports, a new Pixelbook laptop could also be announced.

In the early video and blog post confirming the Pixel 4, Google revealed that the device will introduce facial recognition for the first time, as well as new gesture controls which will allow users to navigate the device using hand gestures and without the need to touch it.

It will be powered by Google’s radar-based motion-sensing technology, known as Project Soli.

“Pixel 4 will be the first device with Soli, powering our new Motion Sense features to allow you to skip songs, snooze alarms, and silence phone calls, just by waving your hand,” Google said at the time.

Google’s launch will come shortly after the release of the latest iPhone handsets – the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.

Chinese smartphone giant Huawei is also expected to announce its new line of flagship Mate 30 Series phones on Thursday, as a busy month for the phone industry continues.

Google introduced the Pixel phone in 2016 as the company’s first own-built smartphone running on the firm’s Android operating system.