Like clockwork, Google's next Pixel phones will hit the shelves later this year. They're expected to come with new software features, better hardware, and a new, pill-shaped camera design. And rumor has it there will be a larger XL model and a successor to the Pixel Fold, all released simultaneously.
When Will the Google Pixel 9 Be Released?
Google is predicted to debut not only the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro but also the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold (aka Pixel Fold 2). All of these phones will likely be announced at the same event. Follow our Google Event page for those updates.
Lifewire's Release Date Estimate
We anticipate an August 2024 event to showcase the Pixel 9 phones.
Google Pixel 9 Price Rumors
We haven't seen any rumors or leaks about what the Pixel 9 will cost. For now, we'll assume pricing will match that of the Pixel 8 lineup. However, with the addition of an XL model, we're really only able to take a guess.
Here's how this year's phones might be priced:
- Pixel 9 - $699
- Pixel 9 Pro - $999
- Pixel 9 Pro XL - $1,199
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold - $1,799
Pre-Order Information
You can't pre-order the Pixel 9 just yet. We'll drop the link here when pre-ordering starts, which will likely be the same day Google unveils the phones.
Google Pixel 9 Features
The Pixel 9 phones will ship with Android 15. Here are some of the new features that are expected to arrive on the 2024 Pixel phones:
- Adaptive Touch: This feature automatically adjusts touch sensitivity to make your phone respond better in certain cases, like when your fingers are wet or there's a screen protector present.
- AI tools: New software features like text-to-image conversion and smart auto-reply abilities are expected to come with the Pixel 9, although these functions might be reserved for the Pro models. A few of these AI capabilities might process on the device, meaning more privacy and quicker results.
- Offline location tracking: Android 15 will introduce Google's Find My Device network for locating compatible items via Bluetooth. The Pixel 9 might be the first Google phone to be findable even when it's turned off.
- Satellite messaging: The Pixel 9 is expected to be the first phone to support Android's satellite communication implementation. This feature will let you text over a satellite even if you don't have a mobile data connection.
Google Pixel 9 Specs and Hardware
Nothing is confirmed until Google makes it official in October. But here's what we've gathered so far from supposed leaks and rumors:
Display
Interestingly, the Pixel 9's screen might be a little smaller than the one on the Pixel 8. It's not a huge change—6.03 inches versus 6.1 inches—but it does seem a bit weird when you think about it. One might assume an upgraded phone means it'll be bigger (or at least stay the same size), but not get smaller.
It makes a little more sense when you consider that the Pixel 9 will be the tiniest in the lineup. There's also the Pixel 9 Pro, which will undoubtedly come in a bigger size (we're hearing 6.1 inches). And with the possible inclusion of the 6.7-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL and 8.02-inch Pixel 9 Pro Fold, you definitely have other options if you want a larger display.
Below is MySmartPrice's take on what the Pixel 9 Pro XL might look like. You can see its thin bezels and new camera layout.
Performance
The Tensor G4 will likely power all four Pixel 9 phones. This is an expected upgrade, given the Pixel 8's Tensor G3 chip. According to Android Authority, this chip will include the more power-efficient and faster Samsung Modem 5400, which may also introduce support for satellite-based messaging.
Cameras
This year's Pixels are changing up the camera bar. Compared to the Pixel 8's camera housing, it looks a bit more compact and rounded, but also flatter on the sides. It now has a small gap on either end that distinguishes it from last year's phones.
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Based on those renders, it looks like the temperature sensor is returning to the lineup, and the enlarged camera sensor could point to a variable aperture lens (i.e., the aperture adjusts based on focal length).
At least for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, we're hearing from MySmartPrice that the triple rear cameras will include a telephoto sensor and a periscope telephoto sensor. The selfie camera hardware will likely change, too, since the Pixel 8's remained the same as the Pixel 7's; an upgrade sounds reasonable after a few years.
Battery
There haven't been any details about the Pixel 9 battery yet, except that the Pixel 9 series might support the Qi2 wireless charging standard.
Some evidence to support this comes from the fact that Liyu Yang, one of the board of directors at the Wireless Power Consortium (the publisher of the Qi standard) is a senior hardware engineer at Google who's leading the design of next-gen wireless charging platforms for future Pixel products.
Other Specs
The Pixel 9 Pro might come with more RAM this year. An unnamed source with access to a purported Pixel 9 Pro (via Rozetked) claims the phone will have an additional 4 GB of RAM compared to last year's device, shooting it up to 16 GB of total memory.
There's no word yet on the phone's storage capacity, but we think it will remain the same. That means 128 GB or 256 GB for the base model and up to 1 TB for the Pro models. The first Pixel Fold caps out at 512 GB but we think the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will add a terabyte option.
The Latest News About the Google Pixel 9
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