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Gadget season: What Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Amazon, Razer are bringing this fall

How to watch this fall's biggest tech announcements -- and what's been announced so far.

Tamara Palmer Contributing writer
Tamara Palmer is a DJ, author and publisher of the small-batch print magazine California Eating.
Sean Hollister Senior Editor / Reviews
When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.
Tamara Palmer
Sean Hollister
4 min read

Apple. Google. Amazon. Microsoft. Samsung. Huawei. Razer. Nokia. Facebook. 

The world's tech companies are announcing so many gadgets we don't know where to start. We'll be bringing you back-to-back-to-back coverage this fall -- and here's our guide to when and where it's all going down.

apple-event-cropped

Apple is asking us to gather round for its latest event. 

Apple (Sept. 12)

This fall kicked off with a bang -- not one, not two, but three new iPhones and a new Apple Watch were announced live from the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, on Sept. 12. We were there, and here's a cheat sheet of literally everything you missed. You can also read CNET's liveblog if you want a replay of our up-to-the-second news and analysis.

Amazon (Sept. 20)

The event itself was something of a surprise -- no flashy invites being sent out in advance -- but Amazon's outdoor pop-up hardware event was like nothing we've ever seen on Sept. 20 in Seattle. The company announced 13 new gadgets, including a freaking voice-activated microwave that can automatically order more popcorn. Not to mention a host of new features for existing Alexa devices, like the ability to listen for breaking glass and send you a burglar alert. 

Here's everything Amazon announced.

Watch this: Amazon unveils a slew of Alexa gadgets for the smart home

Oculus VR (Sept. 26-27)

Facebook's next Oculus VR headset is expected to be announced at Oculus Connect 5 on Sept. 26-27 in San Jose, California. We're expecting Oculus' Santa Cruz prototype to turn into a real product -- but probably not its futuristic Half-Dome yet. Check back for more information on the event, including a link to a likely livestream.

Oculus Go on the go

See all photos

Microsoft (Oct. 2)

Hints that new Microsoft Surface hardware will be announced in an Oct. 2 event in New York City came with the phrase "A moment of your time" on the invitation. Software and service announcements are also expected when the party starts at 4 p.m. ET that day. 

This post will be updated with livestream information, if and when available.

Nokia (Oct. 4)

Are you still a Nokia fan? You'll want to pay attention on Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. London time -- aka 9 a.m. PT -- when the company takes the wraps off its latest phone in the UK. Could it be that crazy Nokia phone with five cameras? Or a more down-to-earth notched Nokia 7.1 Plus? Or both? We'll let you know.

Google (Oct. 9)

google-pixel-3-leak-1

9to5Google obtained these images -- and some alleged specs -- from a tipster.

9to5Google

We're guessing that Google will announce the debut of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, plus a new wave of Chrome OS tablets live from New York City. Join us at 11 a.m. PT on Oct. 9 to watch the event live. You'll be able to catch CNET's pre- and post-event coverage as well as Google's entire livestream (which you can also find on Google's YouTube Channel). 

Razer (Oct. 10)

Think CNET is getting any rest after the Google event in NYC? Think again -- unless this invite is grossly misleading, Razer will announce the second-generation of its gaming-centric Razer Phone on Oct. 10 in Los Angeles. We liked a lot of things about the original, and our fingers are crossed that this one blows it out of the park. 

Samsung (Oct. 11)

And the day after Razer, we'll immediately be prepping for a new Samsung Galaxy announce on Oct. 11. It's not clear whether it's a phone or not, but it's presumably something notable since Samsung didn't seem to think its triple-camera Samsung Galaxy A7 deserved such an event. Since the tagline is "4X the fun," we're thinking maybe a device that folds and flips into different configurations -- say, Samsung's long-awaited folding phone or perhaps a detachable Chromebook. But it could also be a phone with four cameras. Why not? 

You'll be able to find a livestream at Samsung's Galaxy website.

Huawei (Oct. 16)

Mate 20 , the next flagship phone for Huawei, will launch on Oct. 16 in London. Last month, the company announced the Mate 20 Lite, which features a 6.3-inch display, a 20-megapixel rear camera, a 24-megapixel front camera and a secondary 2-megapixel camera for extra depth information. The Mate 20 is expected to have a screen as large as 6.9 inches. Check back for any updates on a possible livestream of this event.  

Samsung (Nov. 7-8)

Rumors of a flexible Samsung phone unveiling surround the Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco on Nov. 7-8, which is when it's more likely to be unveiled. Stay tuned to see if the mythical folding phone becomes a reality.

Galaxy Note 9 looks stunning in these photos

See all photos

As always, stay tuned to CNET for all of the news from these announcements. We'll have editors on the ground delivering you all of the details you need to know. 

Originally published Sept. 7.

Update, Sept. 20: With more events and more info.

Correction, Sept. 21: Oculus Connect is in San Jose, not Santa Cruz, and Amazon's event took place in Seattle.