Over the years, Google has steadily grown into a companywell-known for its smartphones. Google’s Pixel phones are often the Android enthusiast’s pick, offering great value for money, incredible camera performance, interesting features and a software experience that none of the competitors even come close to matching.
The latest generation of Pixels, thePixel 8andPixel 8 Pro, made quite a splash. It once again delivered excellent performance, a best-in-class camera with incredible AI features, as well as a nice design – and all that with great prices to match. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, even just a few short months after their release, we’re already excited about the next generation Pixel.
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On the one hand – no phone is truly perfect, so we do have some ideas on how the new Pixel 9 series could be improved, and we hope to see them implemented in the new models. On the other hand, there are already quite a few rumors going around about what Google is planning to woo us with next, despite the phone probably arriving in the second half of 2024. Here’s what we know so far and everything we want from the upcoming Google Pixel 9 and Google Pixel 9 Pro.
Google Pixel 8 Pro
If you don’t want to wait for the next generation, the Google Pixel 8 Pro is among the best Android phones available today.
What we hope to see from the Google Pixel 9
The deal with modern smartphones is that most of them are really quite good enough, especially all the flagships from the likes of Apple, Samsung or Google. Nowadays, we mostly get iterative, yearly updates – for now, at least, there are no big revolutions to have anymore.
This lack of big changes does not mean that phones do not change year-to-year – they evolve, making smaller steps towards improving our experience even more.
This lack of big changes does not mean that phones do not change year-to-year – they evolve, making smaller steps towards improving our experience even more. Here’s what we’d like Google to bring to the Pixel 9 in order to address the shortcomings of its (already really great) predecessor:
Faster charging upgrade
You can’t live without fast charging once you’ve experienced it. Unfortunately, Pixel phones are not really known for their charging speeds, maxing out at a mere 30W for Pixel 8 Pro – that’s nothing compared to the 100W+ speeds of some Chinese competitors.
With its new Pixel lineup, Google could improve its charging technology, allowing users to fill their batteries much quicker, which in turn means less time plugged in and more time to do whatever you want on your phone.
Better performance with updated chip
Google Pixel phones, starting with the Pixel 6 line, have Google’s own SoCs inside, called Google Tensor. These chips are focused on AI and machine learning performance, making them great at what Google does best – all the AI trickery.
However, sometimes you just need a little bit of brute force, and that’s something that Tensor lacks a little bit. Sure, it’s still a powerful flagship chip, but it pales in comparison to Qualcomm’s or Apple’s offerings.
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With its new Tensor G4, it would be great if Google improved its performance, especially considering what Apple has been doing with its mobile chips that are now capable of running modern AAA games.
Better battery life long-term
The other thing that Google could improve on is battery life. Don’t get me wrong – the Pixel’s battery life (aside from the accursed Pixel 4) has been pretty solid, but at the same time – it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Google’s phones comfortably sit in the middle of the pack, offering enough battery to last you a day. Improving it, combined with faster charging and a faster SoC, could make for an almost perfect phone.
Another Pixel size?
Around the time of the Pixel 8 lineup release, there have been rumors about one more phone eventually coming to the market. Google was supposedly considering including a smaller Pro version in its future lineup, making the current Pixel Pro into a sort of Pixel Pro Max. This new size could be a tad bigger than the regular Pixel, with the added benefit of better cameras found on the Pro. If such a package existed, and with a price tag to match, sitting in between the “big Pro” and the regular Pixel, Google could have quite a great phone on their hands.
How much will Google Pixel 9 cost?
With the Pixel 8 series, Google increased the price of both models by $100. However, before that, the prices of the company’s phones had been holding steady at the same level for a few years. That’s why we are not really expecting the price to rise above what we’ve seen this year:
Therefore, we’re expecting the Google Pixel 9 to hit the $699 mark, while the bigger Google Pixel 9 Pro will probably be sold for $999. Of course, these are just speculations for now, but Google is generally trying to keep the prices of their phones under what their competition (particularly Apple) offers.
Here’s everything we know so far about the Pixel 9
We’re not expecting the new Pixel phones to drop for quite a few months now, seeing as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have just been released in October. However, that’s not stopping Google from working on the new generation, and that means there are plenty of leaks regarding the development process and some invaluable info about the upcoming changes. We can be sure that the new phones should arrive around October 2024 and will ship with Android 15. Here’s everything else that has leaked so far:
There’s a design overhaul coming
The last three generations of Google Pixels brought with them a design that’s now quite familiar, with a distinctive camera bar and an instantly recognizable form factor. It seems that Google doesn’t want to let things get too stale, as it is gearing up for quite a significant upgrade with the Pixel 9 series.
Thanks to theleaker OnLeaks in collaboration with 91mobiles, we now have access to the first design renders of the regular Google Pixel 9. Of course, keep in mind that these might not be accurate – they are still just rumors, after all – but OnLeaks has an excellent track record, so there might be something to this rumor.
That being said, the renders paint quite a refreshing picture of the upcoming Pixel 9 series. The edges of the phone are more rounded, quite similar to the new iPhone 15 design, with a flat edge and a flat screen. The camera cutout is in the middle of what’s supposed to be a 6.1-inch display on the regular Pixel 9, with distinct, small bezels.
The phone is reportedly going to measure 152.8 x 71.9 x 8.5mm, with the camera bump making the last measurement grow to 12mm. Speaking of the camera bump – as is tradition since the Pixel 6, it is the most eye-catching part of the Pixel 9. This time, Google went away from the camera bar spanning the whole width of the back of the phone, and opted for a more oval design, with rounded-off edges of the array. To the left of the camera bar you may see glass covering three (yes, one more than on Pixel 8) camera sensors.
The same leaker, this timein collaboration with MySmartPrice, also revealed renders of the supposed Pixel 9 Pro. Once again, the upcoming phone is surprisingly smaller than its predecessor, measuring 162.7 x 76.6 x 8.5mm and rocking a 6.5-inch display. We can also see the same pill-shaped camera bar at the back of the phone that houses three cameras. However, the main sensor seems to be much bigger than on the Pixel 8, possibly pointing to a bump in the camera hardware.
The body of the phone is reminiscent of its smaller brother, with rounded corners and flat edges, going for the same iPhone style.
The Tensor G4 isn’t as fast as we’d hope
One of the biggest expectations surrounding the Pixel 9 lineup is the new Tensor G4 processor, which was thought to be much better and faster than its predecessor in AI-related calculations and traditional CPU and GPU power.
Unfortunately, this seems to be the case no longer. As perAndroid Authority, Google was planning to build the upcoming Tensor G4 from the ground up instead of relying on Samsung’s chips, as was the case with previous Tensor SoCs. However, it appears that the company couldn’t make it in time, and the upcoming Pixel line will once again be using Tensor chips based on modified Samsung designs.
This means not only a different architecture than what Google had intended, but also a different manufacturing process. Google was planning on moving to TSMC’s 4 nm process, which powers, among others, the newest M3 chips found in the new Macs. Being stuck with Samsung’s design means that the new Tensor will most probably be yet another iterative update, bringing about performance gains similar to the difference between the Tensor G1 and Tensor G2.
Don’t fret, Google is not abandoning its custom chip dream; it is just delaying it for another year. If all works out, we can expect fully custom Tensor SoCs to be included in Pixel phones just in time for the line’s 10th anniversary. Of course, Google will also work its magic and give us plenty of new AI-based features and performance optimizations, so Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro will not be slouches by any means.
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The Pixel 9’s camera might be a non-Pro paradise
The Pixel 8 lineup made quite a stir when it came to the camera department of Google’s phones. It brought with it a new 50MP main sensor and Pixel 8 Pro also got improved ultrawide and telephoto shooters, making the hardware the name of the game for that generation – of course, complemented by Google’s signature AI.
For now, we expect the upcoming generation to stick to the same sensors, with a few other tweaks coming instead. Fortunately, Google has shown time and time again that they can do quite a lot with the same camera sensor, so if you’re expecting camera improvements, this news should not worry you at all. However, there might be a surprise in store for the non-Pro variant.
According to the design renders provided by Onleaks that we’ve mentioned before, the regular Pixel 9 will feature a third camera, which would make it on par with its Pro-branded bigger brother. From the looks of the camera sensor, it seems to be a periscope zoom lens, which would once again point towards the same camera tech – at least hardware-wise – as the current generation of the Pixel 8 Pro.
It seems that the Pixel 9 Pro will also get some goodies of its own. Looking at the renders, the Pro variant will not get a fourth camera. Instead, its main lens seems to be much bigger than the current gen. It might signify a bigger camera sensor, or maybe a lens with variable aperture – we’re not sure which one yet. That being said, the regular Pixel 9 surely seems to already be a contender for the best upcoming phone of 2024.
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What’s more, before the release of the Pixel 8,9to5Googlereleased information about some camera features that were supposedly coming to the then-upcoming phone. However, the most interesting of them – Video Unblur – did not find its way to the Pixel 8 line, so we’re expecting it to appear when the next generation hits the shelves.
The Pixel 9 display might be getting bigger
For years, Pixel phones came in two sizes, with a small one and a big one. However, with the Pixel 6 onward, this trend changed to a medium one and a huge one, to the disappointment of small-phone enthusiasts.
It seems that Google is going full steam ahead on the big-phone path, as the analyst Ross Young is claiming that the upcoming Pixel phones are going to have bigger displays.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t provide any more information about the upcoming sizes. Do keep in mind that making the screen bigger does not necessarily mean that the new phones will be bigger as well. Google might just minimize the bezels on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, making their screens larger while maintaining the overall form factor of the new phones.
On the other hand, the design leaks we’ve mentioned before also claimed that the upcoming Pixel 9 will go for a smaller, 6.1-inch screen. It’s the same size we know and love from the Pixel A series, and surely a godsend to all the people who love more compact phones. The Pixel 9 Pro will supposedly shrink as well, going for a much more pocketable 6.5-inch display size. As you can see, there are some inconsistencies between the leaks – which is, to be fair, not that uncommon a few long months before the release.
These are all the rumors that we’ve managed to get a hold of so far. These are still early days, so more will surely be coming as the release date of the upcoming Pixel phones approaches. Of course, you have to also keep in mind that until these phones are released, all of these are just speculations, and all the rumors might not actually come true. However, with a great track record for those we are publishing this leaked information, at least some of them may be accurate.
Then again, Google is known for leaking its upcoming devices ahead of their release to spur interest. We just might learn, or see, a lot more about the Pixel 9 lineup at Google I/O in May.
