The much-anticipated Pixel 9 series is set to debut tomorrow at the Made by Google Event. Just like every year, the rumor mill has been buzzing, and we already have a wealth of information about the upcoming Pixel devices before the official release. From rumored specs and features to expected prices, here’s everything we know so far about the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and the Pixel Buds Pro 2.
Table of Contents
Expected Variants
Google is launching four variants in the Pixel 9 series. Surprisingly, the Pixel Fold sequel has joined the Pixel 9 series, and renamed to Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Yeah, we know. Here are the expected storage and RAM options for all four variants:
- Pixel 9: 128GB and 256GB storage options, both paired with 8GB of RAM (UFS 3.1).
- Pixel 9 Pro: 256GB or 512GB storage options, both in 12GB RAM and a 1TB variant with 16GB RAM (UFS 4.0).
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 256GB or 512GB storage options, both with 16GB RAM, and a 1TB variant with 16GB RAM (UFS 4.0).
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold: 256GB with 12GB RAM, 512GB, and a 1TB variant with 16GB RAM. (UFS 4.0).
Google is also launching the Pixel Buds Pro 2 alongside these smartphones. Until Pixel 7a, the ‘a’ series phones only had the 128GB option. With the Pixel 8a, Google introduced the higher 256GB model to the lineup. So we think the base Pixel 9 will also come with the higher 512GB model, unlike previous years. However, this is just speculation.
Release Date
Google’s Made by Google Event will be held on August 13th, 2024. They have also confirmed the launch of Pixel 9 series phones in their social media posts. Even the Google Store website is updated with the banner on the top including the release date and Pixel 9 series images.
However, they are expected to hit the market 9 days later on August 22, 2024. On the other hand, Pixel 9 Pro Fold (or simply Fold 2) will start shipping in early September, expectedly on September 4, 2024, almost 3+ weeks after the announcement. The Pixel Buds 2 Pro which is expected to be announced at the same event should be available to the public from September 26, 2024.
It looks like Google is aiming for a sooner release of the Pixel 9 series this year compared to their previous launches which were announced and released in October usually. Here’s a look at those:
- Google Pixel 9 — Event announced for August 13, 2024
- Google Pixel 8 — October 4, 2023
- Google Pixel 7 — October 6, 2022
- Google Pixel 6 — October 19, 2021
- Google Pixel 5 — September 30, 2020
Because of the early launch, the Pixel 9 series may arrive with Android 14, as Android 15 may not be available for the prime time by the release date. Still, the Pixel 9 series will likely be the first device to get Android 15, even if it’s not available right out of the box.
Design, Display, and Expected Colors
The design is the most leaked part of the Pixel 9 series. Google has officially confirmed this now by releasing the design to the public with their social media posts and Google Store banners. Taking a cue from the recent trend of other flagship phones, the Pixel will come with flat sides and curved corners.
All four models feature a flat OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro have identical 6.3-inch Actua displays, slightly larger than last year’s 6.2-inch display, and also share the same pixel density of 418 PPI. The Pro XL variant boasts a larger 6.8-inch Actua display, surpassing the Pixel 8 Pro’s 6.7-inch screen. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold introduces a 6.3-inch external and an 8-inch internal display, significantly larger than the original Pixel Fold which had 5.8″ and 7.6″. For protection, the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro Fold are expected to feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, similar to last year’s models. The Pixel 9 Pro XL, however, is anticipated to offer the enhanced Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+.
As per recent leaks, Pixel may come in these four colors – Porcelain, Obsidian, Rose, and Green. The Pro variant has an additional Hazel color instead of Green. Pixel 9 Pro Fold will come in Obsidian and Porcelain colors.
Pixel 9 wallpapers were also leaked and are available to download at Android Authority.
Chipset – Leaked Geekbench Scores are Disappointing
Pixel 9 series will be powered by the new Tensor G4 chipset based on Samsung’s Exynos processor. The Geekbench scores (Pixel 9, 8GB, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, 16GB) have popped up on the official site in June 2024.
Here’s the leaked Geekbench score for the Pixel 9 phone, 8GB variant:
And here’s the Geekbench scores of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, 16GB variant:
The details of the other models have not been released yet. While the scores above are not encouraging compared to this year’s models like the S24 series, we will soon share our hands-on first impressions and review as and when we get the devices in-house.
Pixel 9 Camera Leaks
Android Authority leak revealed that while the main camera is sticking around, we can expect plenty of camera changes in the Pixel 9 lineup. Here are all the Pixel 9 camera specs leaked until now:
Pixel 9:
- Rear Cameras: 50MP wide camera, 48MP ultrawide camera
- Front Camera: 10.5MP
Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL:
- Rear Cameras: 50MP main camera, 48MP ultrawide camera, 48MP telephoto sensor
- Front Camera: 42MP
Pixel 9 Pro Fold:
- Rear Cameras: 48MP main camera, 10.5MP ultrawide camera, 10.8MP telephoto sensor
- Front Camera: 10MP
While we wait for an 8K video recording on Pixel, there is no solid evidence to expect this from the Pixel 9 series. Android Headlines suggests Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL may have a video boost feature that uses AI to enhance videos from 4K to 8K. Interestingly, the report also indicates that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will not support 8K upscaling, although it will retain Video Boost functionality.
There is some good news too as the same report suggests the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL will come with the Zoom Enhance feature. It will use AI to upscale and improve the quality of zoomed-in pictures. Google announced the feature last year with the Pixel 8 series, but it’s yet to be released publicly.
Battery and Charging
Finally, in the Pro models, Pixel will introduce fast charging with 45W moving away from the 30W. Apart from that, there isn’t much of an improvement in the battery and charging department in the Pixel 9 series. Here are the currently available details on the Pixel 9 series’ battery:
- Pixel 9: 4600 mAh battery, 30W wired charging, 15W wireless charging
- Pixel 9 Pro: 5000 mAh battery, 45W wired charging, 23W wireless charging
- Pixel 9 Pro XL: 5200 mAh battery, 45W wired charging, 23W wireless charging
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold: 4800 mAh battery, 30W wired charging, 15W wireless charging
AI Features
Leveraging the Tensor G4 chipset, the Pixel 9 series is expected to boast several AI features. Here are some notable ones:
- Add Me to merge two photos so you can make it to the group photos even though you missed being there in person.
- Video Boost can increase the resolution of your videos turning a 4K video to 8K.
- Search screenshots with context similar to Microsoft’s recall feature. However, we are yet to see how Google implements it.
Here are some more AI features you can expect with the Google AI in the Google Pixel 9 series. There are also leaks about a new upgraded Google Assistant called Pixie, but there’s not much info around it as of now, and probably may not arrive this year.
Price
Dealabs has allegedly leaked the UK pricing for the Pixel 9 lineup. Based on that, here’s the expected pricing for the US variants:
- Pixel 9 (128GB): $799
- Pixel 9 (256GB): $899
- Pixel 9 Pro (128GB): $999
- Pixel 9 Pro (256GB): $1099
- Pixel 9 Pro (512GB): $1229
- Pixel 9 Pro XL (128GB): $1099
- Pixel 9 Pro XL (256GB): $1199
- Pixel 9 Pro XL (512GB): $1329
- Pixel 9 Pro XL (1TB): $1589
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold (256GB): $1799
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold (512GB): $1929
Pixel 9 leaked prices suggest the base variant will see a $100 markup for what is a marginal upgrade in the spec. Maybe it has more to do with the AI features and cloud computing it takes to deliver results. We will soon find out. Fortunately, Pixel phones constantly go on discounts and prices usually drop faster compared to other premium smartphones.
