Google’s big fall event is happening next week in San Francisco. This is where the search giant will be taking the wraps off of a number of new products – mostly hardware – including the much leaked and rumored, Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. Typically events like this are reserved for the press, and sometimes industry analysts. However, Google appears to be sending out invites to some non-press users to attend the event next week. It’s not clear how many are being invited, or how they are being chosen, at this time. But a few of them were early Google Glass Explorers and are Local Guides (a Google Maps program) in San Francisco. So it doesn’t appear to just be random people getting invited to the event.
Typically, Google hasn’t invited people that weren’t members of the press to their press events. Usually the only event that sees those that aren’t press, is Google I/O. Which means that this event next week is going to be a pretty big one for Google, and it also adds more credibility to the rumors that Google is going on an all-out marketing blitz to end the year. Previously, Google had been doing the “Be Together. Not the Same” push for Android, and had big billboards through Times Square in NYC, and also had a slew of commercials running on TV. This time, it should be an even bigger push. This shouldn’t be a surprise given that Google is an advertising company, but in the past they haven’t marketed their own hardware products all that much.
At this event in San Francisco, the company is going to announce the Pixel and Pixel XL which are smartphones made by HTC. They are also tipped to be announcing more details about Google Home, hopefully that includes official pricing and a release date. As well as a few new products like Google WiFi and Chromecast Ultra. There’s also the possibility that Daydream could launch at this event, after being announced at Google I/O in May. As well as Android Wear 2.0, also announced at Google I/O and has been in a preview form on a couple of smartwatches.
All told, this event is gearing up to be a pretty big one, and it appears that Google wants their biggest fans in attendance for the announcements they have to make.