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Google's 25th anniversary celebrations in the US kick off in earnest
It's all systems go for Google's Silver celebrations in the US
What seemed like a far-fetched dream for two doctoral students in California is now almost a necessity across the globe. Larry Page and Sergey Brin first dubbed their search engine "BackRub" as a corny pun, but the pair quickly realized they had something serious going. The duo joined hands with an out-of-the-box idea of making information available to the world, then Google practically exploded onto the tech scene like the Big Bang. It's hard to believe that was almost 25 years ago.
Google's 25th anniversary is coming up, and the celebration could mean deals like these
Google has almost been around for a quarter of a century
Google is soon to turn 25. The company was first founded on September 4, 1998, by then-students Larry Page and Sergey Brin. It got its start with the Google search engine, which is still its main product, but over the next few years it managed to branch out into many more things. For the past quarter of a century, it has positioned itself as one of the main tech companies out there, and of course, Google wants to celebrate it. How, exactly? By holding a big sale on some of its most popular hardware products, of course.
Google Pixel Watch could get its first discount as soon as Black Friday
Google Store could discount the Pixel Watch for Black Friday
Google has been offering enhanced trade-in values on the Pixel 7 series in the US since its launch as a way to lure new customers. The trade-in deals are so good that you can get the Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 for free if you have a recent flagship Android or iPhone. For the Pixel Watch though, the company has not provided any such attractive offers or discounts. It only bundled the watch as a pre-order offer with the Pixel 7 in select countries, but nothing in the US. This might change when Google Store's Black Friday deals go live next week.
Google gives Pixel Superfans 100 cold, hard reasons to recommend the phones to their friends
The reasons are dollars
What's the only thing better than a shiny new Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro smartphone? If you said “having someone else pay for it,” we like the cut of your jib. While these phones are both some solid values, andd have already seen some incredible deals, Google's latest promotion could score you one for absolutely free — so long as you convince enough of your friends to buy one.
In July this year, Rakuten started offering two percent cash back on every hardware purchase on the Google Store in the US. The offer went live right before the Pixel 6a and the Pixel Buds Pro went up for pre-order on the big G's online store, allowing you to save more money on your purchase. Now, ahead of the launch of the Pixel 7 series and the recent release of new Nest hardware, Rakuten has upped the cash back on the Google Store to four percent, so you can save even more money on your new Google hardware purchases.
Celebrate Google’s 24th birthday with discounts all over the Google Store
The deals vary depending on the region you live in
Every year, Google celebrates its birthday by hosting a sale on the Google Store and offering sweet discounts on its hardware products. While the company was founded on September 4, it celebrates the occasion every year on or around September 27. The big G is celebrating its 24th birthday a few weeks early this time. Its birthday sale is now live on the Google Store, where it is providing discounts on the Pixel 6 series and other devices.
You can start saving more on your Google Store purchases with Rakuten’s Chrome extension
Shoppers can bundle this cashback deal with any other offer
Google has started accepting pre-orders for the new Pixel 6a. It's the company’s most powerful mid-range Pixel phone yet, and you can buy it for just $150 if you trade in an older A-series Pixel in working condition. If you don’t have an older phone you're able to trade in, of if you're looking to buy some other Google hardware, you've still got money-saving options. We just learned about a new one, as Rakuten's browser extension starts letting you save two percent on all Google Store transactions.
Google's testing a new way to redeem Play Store rewards points on things you'll actually want
Use Play Points on actual hardware from the Google Store
A new change to the Play Store's Play Points rewards program has been spotted in the wild. It isn't live on any of my devices yet and could either be in the process of rolling out or part of a smaller test, but Google is allowing some customers to redeem Play Points for actual hardware on the Google Store, including Pixel phones and Nest devices.
Google’s second retail store is headed for Brooklyn, New York
Expect a similar experience to the Chelsea store
At Google I/O 2022, the company announced that it's opening a new physical location, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Offering a hands-on experience of Google's products, the company says this is the first of its "neighborhood stores" which will apparently offer a "more intimate experience". Its first store opened in Chelsea, New York in 2021, and offered a hands-on experience for new products along with customer support and a repair desk.
The Google Store has been redesigned, and it looks like it’s preparing for the Pixel Watch
The store comes with a specific section for Watches
Google’s online store just had its first redesign since early 2020, and the company has made some tweaks that may point to the company’s upcoming products. The biggest change is the company has switched one of the category names to Watches, which was previously Fitbit, in a move we suspect may be preparing for the long-rumored Pixel Watch. Just last week, we heard in a leak from Evan Blass that the Pixel Watch will likely arrive shortly, and some suspect we may see an announcement at Google I/O 2022 on May 11.
Google launched the excellent Pixel 4a in August 2020 after a slight delay. Despite its mid-range specs, the phone offered a notably superior value proposition than the more expensive Pixel 4, which had crummy battery life and whose much-hyped Soli radar module turned out to be a gimmick. As spotted by 9to5Google, Google has now removed the Pixel 4a's listing from its online store, confirming that it is no longer selling the phone.
Google seems to have finally stopped selling the original Home Mini
Since everyone already has a dozen...
The Google Home Mini hit store shelves in late 2017 as a smaller, more affordable alternative to the company's original smart speaker. Unsurprisingly, it was a massive hit, and an upgraded "Nest Mini" was released just two years later to even more critical acclaim. Google has kept the Home Mini on the market in the years since, offering it at steep discounts and even for free with certain memberships or subscriptions. It seems like its time may have finally come, however, as it's unavailable in several places online.
Google's early Black Friday deals are live
Including record low prices on the Pixel 5a and Nest Audio
Thanksgiving and Black Friday are creeping closer and closer, and many companies and stores are already ramping up their marketing around the annual price drop event. Google's kicking off the holiday shopping bonanza with discounts on all kinds of products, from phones to speakers to security cameras.
Google ran out of Bose 700 stock for Pixel 6 pre-orders in Europe, but all is not lost
There's an even better deal on offer now
Google bundled the $99 Pixel Buds A-series with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro pre-orders in the US and Canada, which was nice enough. In Europe, where the new Pixels are also available, the pre-order bundle was even more generous and included the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 worth €400. However, due to unprecedented demand and global supply issues, Google has found itself in a position where it cannot ship the flagship Bose headphones to all customers who pre-ordered the phone. That's why it has come up with another pre-order bundle that, in many ways, is even better than the original offer.
Google warns Pixel 6 Pro is in 'high demand,' in case it wasn't obvious
But it's making it easier to shop around at other stores
The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are officially ready for purchase, assuming you're lucky enough to find one in stock. Both models — especially the larger one — have been nearly impossible to locate, whether online or on store shelves. Even those who managed to place their pre-orders last week have been caught up in confusing delivery dates and unexpected delays. With a new notice on its store page, Google is finally acknowledging some supply issues with its latest phones.
Pixel 6 supply may be low, but Google has a waitlist you can join
No need to settle for less storage or a different color
The Pixel 6 series seems like Google’s first shot at competing directly against the iPhone and whatever Galaxy devices Samsung has on the horizon. It seems Android fans find them as promising as we do — so much so, in fact, that it’s been difficult for anyone to get their hands on one. To help potential buyers find their preferred model, Google has opened up a waitlist option on its store.
The Google Store is up and running again for Pixel 6 pre-orders, but many models are sold out
Site issues plagued pre-orders at Google's own storefront for hours
Read update
Google just announced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, and you can see both our Pixel 6 Pro hands-on and Pixel 6 hands-on, but good luck actually snagging either on the Google Store today. Between Google's apparent inability to keep the site up and stable during the checkout process and the apparently quite limited pre-orders selling out, you're gonna have a hard time buying one, though the company tells us some hours later that its storefront should now be up and running smoothly.
Google celebrates its 23rd birthday with up to 23% off in some international Google Stores
So, we're getting 100% off when Google turns 100, right? Right?
Google already teased that it would have some presents in store for us for its 23rd birthday, and while the US unfortunately isn't included in the latest sale, there are some good deals to be had in many other parts of the world. In some countries, Google offers up to 23% off.
Google's NYC store is the only place on Earth to see the Pixel 6 (right now)
The Pixel hype season is well and truly upon us
Google has been teasing the Pixel 6 series ahead of its rumored launch next month for some time now. The company recently opened its first retail store in NYC, which is the perfect place to tease and promote the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro by giving customers the first clear look at the phones in real life.
Nest's new battery-powered security camera and video doorbell now shipping in the US
Buy them today, install them this weekend
After announcing a bumper crop of smart security hardware earlier this month, Google appears ready to begin delivering its new battery-powered Nest smart home devices to the masses. Google Store shoppers can now cart both items and get actual ship dates.