Google Pixel 9 Series: Google may have confirmed the upcoming release of its Pixel 9 smartphones, but there are still some secrets about the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL to be revealed, including the exact sizes of the new Pro models.
New details on the design of the upcoming Pixel 9 family of smartphones have been published by prolific leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer of Onleaks. His details follow last week’s confirmation by Google of three different Pixel phones, rather than the two phones seen last year.
Google Pixel 9 Series
Strictly speaking, there are four models. The outlier is the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, a sequel to last year’s Pixel Fold. However, 2023’s foldable was not labelled as part of the mainline Pixel 8 family—presumably to keep some separation between the consumer-focused candybar phones and the more esoteric foldable. This year, the Fold will be adopted into the Pixel 9 line, but by its nature, it will remain a more specialized choice with its unique design.
Google Pixel 9 pro
This leaves us with the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. The obvious change will be in the physical size, with options for a 6.3-inch screen or a 6.8-inch screen over the two standard Pro models. It’s important to realize where the XL and the regular fit in. Last year’s Pixel 8 Pro offered a larger screen and higher specifications than the Pixel 8. This year, that larger and more powerful role will be handled by the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
The Pixel 9 Pro, as opposed to being a direct replacement for the Pixel 8 Pro, will be of a similar size to the Pixel 9, yet the smaller form factor will feature higher specifications.
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It’s an interesting middle ground. Calls for smaller smartphones with the full specs and performance of larger flagships are popular online, and a dedicated audience can be found, but there has been no breakout star of a smaller phone. Whether the Pixel 9 Pro is considered a small phone when last year’s Pixel 8 was not seen as such remains to be seen.
It will be interesting to see the breakdown between the three devices. I suspect that the Pixel 9 Pro will be the weakest seller of all the standard Pixel phones, even if it proves to be the most attractive to the online geekerati.