In short: Google started another wave of Pixel 3 teasers on Wednesday, having notified some of its customers about new Google Assistant queries related to the event that they can try out via email. The company’s artificial intelligence companion is now telling users it’s already doing line rehearsals for the happening, in addition to clearly suggesting the gathering will see the announcement of new phones and “a few other new things.” If you want to hear it say that yourself, simply ask it “what’s this announcement about” and it will know what you’re referring to.
Google’s quirky marketing practices also engulf other answers the AI helper gives in regards to the October 9 event; if you ask it how you can find out more information about the incoming announcement, the service will suggest “going to a palm reader,” while also acknowledging the event will be live-streamed on YouTube. The email informing consumers of the new Google Assistant commands also confirms the company will start accepting pre-orders on all products introduced next Tuesday immediately following their launch.
Background: The fact that the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, as well as the second-generation Pixel Buds, new Pixel-series Chrome OS devices, and everything else Google announces next week will become available for advanced orders immediately after their unveiling is in line with the company’s established product practices as the same thing happened for its last two annual product events. The firm is likely to continue teasing the Pixel 3 lineup in the run-up to its announcement, ignoring the fact that the entire series already leaked in an extensive manner following a bizarre turn of events that saw one pre-production batch stolen from Foxconn and consequently appearing all over the Internet.
Impact: Consumers from all countries that received the Pixel 2 lineup — as well as those in France and Japan — will be able to pre-order the new Android flagships starting from next Tuesday, with the products hence being likely to start shipping by the end of the month. The Aqua variant of the Google Home Mini should also make an appearance at next week’s event, though it was already announced yesterday.