Alright friends, the official info we’ve been waiting for is here – the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro have been fully revealed by Google. We’ll get to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold separately, so for this moment prepare for everything you need to know about the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL. Guys, we have a small Pro phone and they didn’t cut any specs!
Diving in here, we have a Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL that are essentially the same phone, only in different sized packages, with slightly different prices and a couple of size-related specs differences (battery, display, etc.). Then we have the Pixel 9, which is only a slightly lesser phone, but one that should still arrive as quite the value, because it isn’t landing that short of the Pro devices.
Let’s talk about the Pixel 9 series!
Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL: Leaks told us a lot about these phones already and they certainly gave us looks at the designs. Well, here they are. That’s the Pixel 9 Pro XL in “Hazel” above, with its flat sides, matte glass rear finish, and large camera bar. It is indeed just as we thought it would be – it looks pretty great.
In terms of hardware upgrades, all of the Pixel 9 phones are running Tensor G4, plus the Pro devices both have 16GB RAM. We also have options for storage that start at 128GB and run up through 1TB. The Pixel 9 Pro has a 6.3″ OLED display, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 6.8″ OLED display – both are LTPO and support refresh rates from 1-120Hz with peak brightness up to 3000 nits. They each have a brand new 42MP selfie camera, as well as the exact same 3-camera setup on the back with wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses.
As far as differences go, the Pixel 9 Pro XL has a slightly bigger battery (5060mAh vs. 4700mAh), faster charging (37W vs. 27W), and a bigger display, all of which make sense. But other than those three things, you really can buy the Pixel 9 Pro and not miss out on anything from the bigger device. It’s what we’ve all been asking for.
Pixel 9: The Pixel 9 may lack the “Pro” tag, but it is still a well-equipped phone. You’ve got Tensor G4, 12GB RAM, storage options of 128GB or 256GB, a 6.3″ OLED display with refresh rates of 60-120Hz, 4700mAh battery, and a dual camera system made up of 50MP main and 48MP ulta-wide cameras. The only thing missing, in terms of cameras, is the telephoto and the new selfie camera found in the Pro devices. At $799, the Pixel 9 is going to make a lot of people happy.
Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL specs: For those who want more details on the hardware, we have the full specs tables for you below.
| Pixel 9 Pro | Pixel 9 Pro XL | Pixel 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software | Android 14 7 years OS, security, Pixel Drop updates | Android 14 7 years OS, security, Pixel Drop updates | Android 14 7 years OS, security, Pixel Drop updates |
| Display | 6.3" LTPO OLED Super Actua display 20:9, 1280x2856, 495ppi 1-120Hz Gorilla Glass Victus 2 3000 nits peak brightness | 6.8" LTPO OLED Super Actua display 20:9, 1344x2992, 486ppi 1-120Hz Gorilla Glass Victus 2 3000 nits peak brightness | 6.3" OLED Actua displa 20:9, 1080x2424, 422ppi 60-120Hz Gorilla Glass Victus 2 2700 nits peak brightness |
| Processor | Google Tensor G4 Titan M2 security coprocessor | Google Tensor G4 Titan M2 security coprocessor | Google Tensor G4 Titan M2 security coprocessor |
| Memory | 16GB RAM 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 16GB RAM 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 12GB RAM 128GB / 256GB |
| Battery | 4700 mAh Charging: 27W wired, 21W wireless Battery Share | 5060 mAh Charging: 37W wired, 23W wireless Battery Share | 4700 mAh Charging: 27W wired, 15W wireless Battery Share |
| Camera (rear) | Wide Camera: 50MP Octa PD wide camera ƒ/1.68 aperture 82° field of view 1/1.31" image sensor size Ultrawide Camera: 48MP Quad PD ultrawide camera with autofocus ƒ/1.7 aperture 123° field of view 1/2.55" image sensor size Telephoto Camera: 48MP Quad PD telephoto camera ƒ/2.8 aperture 22° field of view 5x optical zoom Super Res Zoom up to 30x 1/2.55" image sensor size OIS, EIS (wide and telephoto) | Wide Camera: 50MP Octa PD wide camera ƒ/1.68 aperture 82° field of view 1/1.31" image sensor size Ultrawide Camera: 48MP Quad PD ultrawide camera with autofocus ƒ/1.7 aperture 123° field of view 1/2.55" image sensor size Telephoto Camera: 48MP Quad PD telephoto camera ƒ/2.8 aperture 22° field of view 5x optical zoom Super Res Zoom up to 30x 1/2.55" image sensor size OIS, EIS (wide and telephoto) | Wide Camera: 50MP Octa PD wide camera ƒ/1.68 aperture 82° field of view 1/1.31" image sensor size Super Res Zoom up to 8x Ultrawide Camera: 48MP Quad PD ultrawide camera with autofocus ƒ/1.7 aperture 123° field of view 1/2.55" image sensor size OIS, EIS (wide) |
| Camera (selfie) | 42 MP Dual PD selfie camera with autofocus ƒ/2.2 aperture 103° ultrawide field of view | 42 MP Dual PD selfie camera with autofocus ƒ/2.2 aperture 103° ultrawide field of view | 10.5 MP Dual PD selfie camera with autofocus ƒ/2.2 aperture 95° ultrawide field of view |
| Connectivity | 5G mmW + Sub 6 WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.3 NFC UWB Satellite SOS | 5G mmW + Sub 6 WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.3 NFC UWB Satellite SOS | 5G mmW + Sub 6 WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.3 NFC Satellite SOS |
| Durability | IP68 Gorilla Glass Victus 2 rear cover glass | IP68 Gorilla Glass Victus 2 rear cover glass | IP68 Gorilla Glass Victus 2 rear cover glass |
| Security | Fingerprint unlock Face unlock | Fingerprint unlock Face unlock | Fingerprint unlock Face unlock |
| Other | USB-C 3.2 Dual SIM (nano + eSIM) Stereo speakers Temperature Sensor | USB-C 3.2 Dual SIM (nano + eSIM) Stereo speakers Temperature Sensor | USB-C 3.2 Dual SIM (nano + eSIM) Stereo speakers |
| Colors | Obsidian Porcelain Hazel Rose Quartz | Obsidian Porcelain Hazel Rose Quartz | Obsidian Porcelain Wintergreen Peony |
| Size | 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.5 (mm) 199g | 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 (mm) 221g | 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.5 (mm) 198g |
What else makes the Pixel 9 Pro a “Pro” phone? You’ve got Gorilla Glass Victus 2 covering both the front and back as well as metal frames. The hardware should be as premium as any other premium device. The software, as is typically the case, is where Google hopes these will further standout.
Google is shipping Gemini as the on-device assistant out of the box for Pixel 9 and is including a Google One AI Premium subscription with them. This gives you access to Gemini Advanced, which has a bunch of new features on the way. The Pixel 9 should have access first.
For other software features, Google is launching Pixel Screenshots, which is an AI feature that can look through your previous screenshots to help you find info. The idea here is that you should start taking screenshots all of the time to to give Gemini more info to keep track of for you. All of Google’s special camera tricks are here too (Super Res Zoom, Night Sight, Night Sight Video, etc.), with Video Boost that can now enhance to 8K resolution.
There’s a new “Add Me” feature that lets you add yourself to photos with your friends. You start as the photographer and snap a photo of everyone, and then someone else holds the camera to let you get into place. The overlay should let you fit right in as if you were there all along. It sounds weird, but I guess it could be useful for those who are always stuck behind the camera.
Google is introducing Satellite SOS to the Pixel line with Pixel 9. This satellite connectivity allows you to connect to emergency services when you don’t have a cellular connection. There aren’t many details on this just yet, so we’ll have to fill those in later.
Pixel 9 Pro starts at $999 and Pixel 9 Pro XL starts at $1,099 – they both come in Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose Quartz. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is up for pre-order today and ships by August 22. The Pixel 9 Pro launch date will be announced shortly (Verizon says September 4). Once we have it, we’ll let you know.
Pixel 9 starts at $799 and comes in Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, and Peony. It’s up for pre-order today and ships by August 22.
Pre-order Links: Pixel 9 | Pixel 9 Pro
This post was last modified on August 13, 2024 10:10 am