Google's Pixel 9 lineup mixes things up for the company's flagship phones, expanding the lineup with two versions of the Pixel 9 Pro and introducing a host of new AI-features. The first move was driven by customer demand for a more compact Pro option, while the second clearly comes as a response to stepped-up competition on the AI front from Google's competitors.
Along with the standard Pixel 9, you'll also be able to consider a Pixel 9 Pro that's available in the same size. In addition, the Pixel 9 Pro XL provides a big-screen option for people who prefer a larger display and longer battery life. There's also a foldable version, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which follows up on the Pixel Fold introduced last year. (Read more on Google's new foldable in our Pixel 9 Fold Pro report as well as our hands-on with the foldable phone.)
As for AI features, Google's Gemini chatbot is built into the Pixel 9 lineup — Pro users even get access to the advanced version of Gemini. Many of the other new AI features center around boosting around the already formidable cameras tied to Google's flagship phones.
Those additions come as Google faces a challenge from the Galaxy AI features that Samsung has been adding both its flagship Galaxy S phones as well as its Galaxy Z foldables. And soon Apple's iPhones will gain more AI capabilities in the form of the still-in-beta Apple Intelligence features.
We'll have to do more testing with the new Google handsets to see if these latest AI additions put Google back on top in the race to offer the smartest phones. You can see our first impressions in the Pixel 9 hands-on, Pixel 9 Pro hands-on and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold hands-on previews we put together after some initial time with the new devices. For now, here's a look at what's new with the Pixel 9 lineup and what you can expect should you opt for any of the new phones.
Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro: Price and availability
The Pixel 9 starts at $799/£799 for a 128GB model. That's $100 more than what you would have paid for the Pixel 8 when it came out last year. It also means Google's entry level flagship costs the same as both the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24, eliminating a pricing edge Google once enjoyed over its bigger-name rivals.
The price stays the same on the Pixel 9 Pro even if the screen has shrunk. You'll pay $999/£999 for the 6.3-inch version of the phone, while the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL costs $1,099/£1,099. Both Pro models also feature 128GB in their base versions.
You're able to upgrade to 256GB of storage for the Pixel 9 for an extra $100, while the Pro models also have 256GB (add $100), 512GB (add $220) and 1TB (add $450) options. The Pixel 9 comes in Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen and Peony color options, while the Hazel and Rose Quartz join the black and white colors for the Pro models. Note that if you want a 1TB Pixel 9 Pro, you can only get it in Obsidian.
Google is now taking preorders for the Pixel 9 models. The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL have a release date of August 22 and the Pixel 9 Pro arrives on September 4.
Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro: Specs
Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro: Design
The biggest visible change with the Pixel 9 lineup is the fact that the standard phone and the Pro model are now the same size with both measuring 6 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches and weighing in at 7 ounces. The Pixel 9 Pro is the heavyweight of the trio at 6.4 x 3 x 0.3 inches and 7.8 ounces.
The differences should become more apparent when you flip over the phones. There’s still a horizontal camera bar on the Pixel 9 phones, but it doesn’t extend fully across the back of the new handsets, ending with rounded edges that give the bar a pill shape.
Google has also turned to higher-end materials for the Pixel 9 Pro models. The Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro XL feature a matte glass back designed to reduce the change of fingerprints, while the sides are made of polished metal. Google is touting the sustainability of its Pro phones, which use recycled materials, including the entire aluminium enclosure.
In contrast, the Pixel 9 offers a matte glass back and polished metal sides. All three phones are rated to be twice as durable as the Pixel 8 lineup, and they carry IP68 ratings for water and dust resistance.
Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro: Display
The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL models may have different screen sizes, but apart from that — and a larger battery inside the XL — the two Pro phones are essentially the same. That includes a Super Actua display with 15% thinner bezels than before and what Google is calling the brightest display among premium phones. Specifically, Google promises a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and if either Pixel 9 Pro model comes close to that, they'll easily outshine the best phones from Apple and Samsung.
The Pixel 9's 6.3-inch display also benefits from thinner bezels, which helps make its screen larger than the 6.2-inch panel the Pixel 8 sports. The Pixel 9's display is supposed to be able to hit a maximum brightness of 2,700 nits — again, a remarkably bright screen if it comes close to hitting that number in our testing.
The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL have variable display refresh rates that range between 1Hz and 120Hz depending on whether the content on the screen would benefit from smoother scrolling or more immersive graphics. The range on the Pixel 9 is more limited at 60Hz to 120Hz.
Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro: Cameras
Cameras don't get a big overhaul with the Pixel 9 lineup, but there are some notable hardware changes. All three phones feature the same 50MP main camera, and there’s a new 48MP ultrawide lens with a Macro Focus feature for detailed close-ups. The Pixel 9 can support optical zooms up to 8x with Super Res Zoom removing noise from the shot.
The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL both have a dedicated telephoto lens — a 48MP sensor that delivers a 5x optical zoom, with 10x optical quality shots also available. Super Res Zoom allows you to get 30x zooms. The Pro models also support Super Res Zoom when capturing video, and the Video Boost feature on those phones can support up to 8K resolution.
Easily the biggest change to the Pro models involves the front camera, which has been upgraded from a 10.5MP sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro to a 42MP shooter equipped with autofocus for sharper selfies. The standard Pixel 9 continues to use a 10.5MP sensor for its front camera, but it gains the autofocus feature found on the Pro models.
It's not just the hardware that's helped past Pixel handset rank among the best camera phones, though — Google also equips its phones with a number of AI-powered features aimed at improving and enhancing the shots you capture. With the Pixel 9 phones, the most intriguing camera addition is a new feature called Add Me, in which the person taking a group photo can add themselves into the final shot.
With Add Me, you take an initial group photo before handing off the Pixel 9 to someone else. The phone then provides guidance on where you should stand so that AI can seamlessly integrate you into the original group shot.
In addition to Add Me, the Pixel's Night Sight feature gets an upgrade to add support for panoramic shots in low light. An Auto Frame Mode can expand the area on either side of your image to make the final shot more balanced. And popular features like Magic Editor and Best Take, added in previous Pixel iterations, return for the Pixel 9 series. Magic Editor even gains a Reimagine capability that can add new effects and details to a photo's background such as falling leaves or other seasonal indicators. You just type in what you want.
Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro: AI features
AI features supported by the new Tensor G4 chipset aren't just about photo editing. The Pixel 9 comes with Gemini Live on-board, giving you the ability to tap into Google's chatbot for writing inspiration or summaries. Gemini can pull details from an invite you receive via email and check your calendar to make sure you're free then. It can also references images on your Pixel screen to look up information, like how to make a specific recipe with the ingredients you've photographed.
Pixel 9 Pro owners get a special bonus with Gemini — a one-year subscription to Gemini Advanced along with 2TB of storage. Gemini Advanced integrates the chatbot directly into Gmail and Google Docs.
In addition to Gemini, AI features added to the Pixel 9 phones include the ability to search the content of screenshots so that you can easily track down hard-to-find information like passwords and login info that you've previously captured. A Pixel Studio tool uses prompts to create images that you can later edit with the Magic Editor tool.
A Call Notes feature will draw comparisons to a similar capability coming in Apple's iOS 18 where the Pixel 9 phones will be able to record and transcribe phone calls. In addition, you'll be able to get an auto-generated summary so that you can refer to the content of the phone call at a glance. (Don't fret, privacy advocates — the person on the other end of the call will be informed that they're being recorded.)
One of the better additions to the Pixel 8 returns in the Pixel 9, as Google says the new phones will receive seven years of software and security updates. That means a host of Pixel feature drops potentially bringing new AI capabilities to your phone into the start of the next decade. The phones will launch with Android 14, though we’d expect them to get the Android 15 update as soon as that becomes available.
Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro: Performance and battery life
Few details have emerged about the Tensor G4's performance, suggesting that the Pixel 9 phones may have a hard time keeping up with current Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Android devices or the A18-powered iPhone 16 models coming in the fall. At least Google has increased the RAM on its new flagship phones — the Pixel 9 comes with 12GB of memory, while the two Pixel 9 Pro models offer 16GB — though that's probably to support the added AI capabilities.
The Pixel 9 phones add a feature that's been available to iPhone owners since the iPhone 14 — satellite connectivity for emergency messaging. Satellite SOS lets Pixel 9 owners in the U.S. share their location with contacts when there's no cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. The service will be free for the next two years, and Google plans to bring it to other countries after launch.
As for battery life, both the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro feature 4,700 mAh power packs while the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL offers a 5,060 mAh cell. In both cases, those are bigger batteries than the ones in the Pixel 8 (4,575 mAh) and Pixel 8 Pro 5,050 mAh. Coupled with the Tensor G4, which is hopefully more power efficient than its predecessor, we're betting that the Pixel 9 models can improve upon the performance of Pixel phones in our battery test, where Google phones have turned in average performance at best.
Charging speeds are faster than before, with all three Pixel 9 models supporting 45W charging. In the case of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, Google says the battery should be 55% full after 30 minutes of charging, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL can get up to 70% charged in that same time. The Pixel 9 can charge at 15W wireless, while the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL can hit 21W and 23W, respectively, with Google's 2nd Gen Pixel Stand.
Google Pixel and Pixel 9 Pro: Outlook
We're only just scratching the surface of what the latest Pixel 9 phones can do. Doubtlessly, we'll discover more capabilities, particularly on the AI front, as we get a chance to use the phones.
Stay tuned for more test results from the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL now that we can spend more time with the phones ahead of their launch.
