Google Pixel 9: Release Date, Price, Models and all Rumors

Although the Google Pixel 8 may seem to have just arrived, but top phone manufacturers are constantly considering their next flagship model. That would be the Pixel 9 in Google’s instance, and it won’t be long until that new model, which comes with new features and improvements, sweeps the current Pixel out of the race.

How do we know for sure? Information on the Google Pixel 9 is starting to leak out, which is undoubtedly a hint that development on the upcoming smartphone release is progressing.

The Google Pixel 9 is still in its early stages of development, and it will be many months before we get to see the newest Google flagship in person. (To put the debut date of the Pixel 9 in context, it’s likely that the Pixel 8a will arrive much earlier, which is why the majority of Google phone rumors center around that midrange model.) However, now is the best moment to keep up with all of the most recent rumors and news about the Pixel 9.

This is what we currently know about Google’s plans for the Pixel 9, which is expected to be released in the fall of 2024.

GOOGLE PIXEL KEY POINTS

• Launch in the fall is expected, probably in October.
• Three models are rumored to exist: the standard Pixel 9, a smaller Pixel 9 Pro along with a 6.7-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL.
• All Pixel 9 model should to be powered by the Tensor G4.
• A smaller screen than the Pixel 8 could be found on the regular Pixel 9.
• On launch, the phone will run Android 15.

GOOGLE PIXEL 9: Rumored Release Date

Even though there are still a lot of rumors around the Google Pixel 9, Google’s usually predictable release history makes it possible to guess when the flagship phone will launch.

Google I/O 2024, however, is set to take place on May 14. Even though the Pixel 8a and Pixel Fold 2 are the only hardware we’re expected to hear about at Google’s developer event, it’s still possible that Google may provide information about its plans for the Pixel 9. In the end, Google I/O 2022 gave us a sneak peek at the Pixel 7.

GOOGLE PIXEL 9: Rumored Price

The price of the Pixel 9 is yet unknown. The starting price of the Pixel 8 Pro is $999, while the Pixel 8 costs $699. Both those costs are an increase of $100 over what they previously were. Not only did Google hike pricing recently, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra also experienced price rises of $100. If Google is unable to reverse the Pixel 8 price increases, our hope is that it will at least be able to maintain the current prices for the launch of the Pixel 9.

Ahead of the phone’s expected fall release, stay tuned for additional information on the Pixel 9’s price.

GOOGLE PIXEL 9: Models

Assuming Google continues its release schedule, estimating the number of Pixels that will be released in the fall should be rather simple. Apart from the Pixel 4 and Pixel 5, Google has consistently introduced two variants featuring distinct screen sizes. The larger of the two flagship smartphones is currently referred to as the Pixel Pro, and it is different from the regular Pixel in that it has a larger display, a larger battery, and a telephoto lens.

According to a December 2022 leak, there will be three Pixel 9 versions in the future Pixel phone series. A smaller screen option with a telephoto lens was one of the two versions of the Pro that Google was reportedly going to offer. The Pixel roadmap speculation was accurate in many respects regarding the Pixels that will be released in 2023, while we would normally brush off rumors that have been around for more than a year, even if it is what Google was talking about at the time. Well, who knows?

Reports from later on have persisted in suggesting that a third Pixel model would be added. Leakster Steve Hemmerstoffer, also known by his posting as OnLeaks, is the most recent to support that assertion. Hemmerstoffer stated that Google has plans to release the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL in the fall while revealing Pixel 9 photos. The screens on the final two phones would be of varying sizes and would have a triple camera setup on the back.

GOOGLE PIXEL 9: Design And Display

The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have screens that measure 6.2 and 6.7 inches, respectively. The Pixel 9 panels are expected to go bigger, according to at least one source, however early predictions might be changed if a third Pixel 9 model is released.

Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants predicted larger screens or the full Pixel 9 lineup shortly after the Pixel 8 the launch this past fall. It wouldn’t be out of line for Google to increase the size of that specific model because earlier entry-level Pixel devices had larger displays than the Pixel 8.

On the other hand, various images appear in leaked renders of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9. The first set of renders for the Pixel 9 Pro was created by @OnLeaks and was posted on MySmartPrice. It shows a phone with a 6.5-inch screen. Perhaps this is the new, smaller-screened Pro model that some have been speculating will be added to the roster, or perhaps Google actually does intend to stick with a smaller panel. This appears to be in contradiction with rumors that the Pro model for this fall will have a bigger screen, in either scenario.

Parallel to the Pixel 8, the Pixel 9 renders from @OnLeaks also show off a phone with a screen that is 6.1 inches in size, which would be smaller.

Another perspective on the three possible Pixel 9 devices’ sizes can be found in the March 2024 renders that OnLeaks at 91Mobiles published. The Pixel 9 Pro will be offered with 6.1- and 6.7-inch screens, respectively, while the basic phone is said to have a 6.03-inch display.

These renders have one more possible modification. The horizontal camera bar on the Pixel 6 has been present across the back panel. However, currently, its ends are rounded and do not extend all the way to the edge. Along with the shift away from the rounded edges preferred by the latest Pixels, the renders show that Google is moving toward flatter sides.

GOOGLE PIXEL 9: Camera

There was short rumor that Google had included a telephoto camera inside its entry-level flagship when the first Pixel 9 renders surfaced, revealing a third camera lens. It becomes fairly obvious that any renders using a telephoto lens feature any Pixel 9 Pro model—either the smaller model or the upcoming XL offering—now that reports of various Pixel 9 Pro versions are getting traction.

There haven’t been any new rumors regarding the Pixel 9 camera’s real specifications yet. The Pixel 8’s primary camera currently has a 50MP sensor, and an additional 12MP ultrawide lens completes the configuration. The Pixel 8 Pro’s cameras are led by the same 50MP sensor, while its telephoto and ultrawide lenses are made of 48MP sensors.

GOOGLE PIXEL 9: Software and Performance

Another simple guess regarding the Pixel 9 series is that, should Google adhere to existing naming standards, it would most likely run on a new Tensor chipset, the Tensor G4. Although there have been rumors that Google may create the entire Tensor G5 chipset, the company still uses Exynos silicon for its CPUs. However, that wouldn’t be released until the Pixel 10 in 2025.

Thankfully, it appears that Samsung’s most recent silicon advancements may benefit the Tensor G4 processor, potentially making it more potent and effective than the Tensor chip of the current generation.

Tensor G3 CPUs included in the Pixel 8 series perform less well than the silicon found in other high-end Android devices. This difference is expected to grow as Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 silicon begins to show up in phones such as the Galaxy S24 Ultra and OnePlus 12. Although lightning-fast speeds aren’t strictly the goal of Tensor, we do believe the Tensor G4 will provide some speed improvements, especially for graphics rendering.

The real benefit of Tensor is found in its AI-powered functions, which include the call screening and photo editing functionalities present in Pixels today. Some of those functions are matched by Samsung’s Galaxy AI features, which were unveiled alongside the Galaxy S24. A few new features are also added. However, a software update enabled existing Pixels to have features like Circle to Share. In any case, we anticipate a neural engine update for the Tensor G4 that powers new functionality that we’ll learn more about in the lead-up to the Pixel 9’s release.

It’s almost a given that Android 15 will power the Pixel 9 when it launches. Indeed, it seems highly probable that the Pixel 9 variants will be the initial ones to arrive with the Android 15 upgrade already installed. A developer-focused preview of Android 15 may be released as early as next month if Google maintains its regular development schedule for the platform. The full version would probably be released just before the Pixel 9 launch, with a public beta likely to debut in time for the spring Google I/O conference.

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