I think they've simultaneously shot themselves in the foot.

Google are looking to sell their shiny new Pixel 9 range on the back of Gemini. Remove all their AI pomp and there isn't really anything about these phones that jumps off the page; they even made them look more generic with flat edges.

At the same time Google needs more sweet input for Gemini so will roll out every feature they announced last week to the Pixel 6 through 8 as well.

So the question remains: if Gemini 9 inevitably comes to all the other Pixel handsets (and by extension lost of other Android devices) why would anyone buy the Pixel 9 range at all?