Google has officially invited the media to its next press event, where it will likely unveil its next smartphones: the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.

The event is set for 9 October in New York City, according to the invitation, which included an animated gif that shows swooping lines spelling out "I <3 NY". That happens to be the official state logo of New York. It's unclear how this relates to the upcoming Pixel 3 phones, but we should note that the "<3" may be for Pixel 3, as it's in a distinguishable colour. To be clear, Google hasn't confirmed it'll unveil phones soon.

It has in the past, however, used October events to update its Pixel line. Last year's event in San Francisco happened 4 October. Also, keep in mind, Apple will announce its 2018 iPhone models in Cupertino next week, so this event could be Google's way of signaling to phone buyers: "Maybe you shouldn't get the new iPhone, at least for a few more weeks, until you can see what we've done with the Pixel 3."

Google might also unveil other devices during its event. Last year, for instance, it showed off the Google Home Max, Google Home Mini, Pixel Buds, and Pixelbook. It was a huge hardware launch event. And we're looking forward to seeing what Google has planned this time around.

Google will stream the event live, per usual, but Pocket-lint hopes to be there to cover it live. For more on what to expect, see: