Google has confirmed that comedian and former late-night presenter Trevor Noah will front its Made by Google hardware event on August 12, an appointment that makes clear the company intends to repeat the mainstream entertainment format it adopted last year.
The event takes place in New York City and begins at 6pm ET, which works out to 3.30am IST on August 13. The timing places it at the close of the American working day rather than in the traditional morning slot used by most technology launches.
Noah succeeds Jimmy Fallon, who presented the 2025 edition — an occasion that struck several observers as closer to a taping of a chat show than a product briefing. The line-up announced in Google’s teaser video suggests the company has doubled down on that approach.
The teaser names a considerable roster under its “featuring” credit. Indian cricketer Shubman Gill, who has previously appeared in Pixel advertising, is among them, as is Japanese actress Ayami Nakajo, another face from the company’s Pixel campaigns. Alex Cooper, host of the podcast Call Her Daddy, returns after appearing at last year’s event, and basketball player Stephen Curry, who holds an advisory role with Google, is also listed. Both Cooper and Noah have shows heading to YouTube, which Google owns.
A second group of names follows: DJ Peggy Gou, YouTube creator Jesser, college basketball player JuJu Watkins, musician PinkPantheress, track and field athlete Chari Hawkins, football manager Steven Gerrard and actor Daniel Durant.
Whether all of them will be present in New York remains unclear. Google has not specified who appears live and who features only in pre-recorded segments. Last year, Curry’s contribution was confined to a video.
The teaser video offers brief glimpses of a new handset and a smartwatch. Google has separately teased the Pixel 11 Pro and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and a substantial volume of leaked images and specifications has circulated ahead of the event.
Buyers should brace for steeper pricing than in previous generations, going by the indications available so far.
