After a lot of discussion online and — as always — leaks, the Pixel 9 lineup has arrived. Now expanded to three devices; the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL, there’s a device to suit just about anyone.
As always, there are some commonalities between the devices, including:
- The updated look of the devices, with the camera bar now rounded
- The Tensor G4 chip
- The Titan M2 Security Co-processor
- The use of scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for durability
- IP68 rating for device longevity
- The promise of 7 years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates
- All devices launch with Android 14 out of the box
During the briefing we attended, much was said about the updates to the devices. This included durability, battery life (including fast charging), and the screens now bigger and brighter than ever. There was also a lot of discussion about the individual devices and their capabilities.
Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL
Let’s take a look at the latest addition to the range first, the Pixel 9 Pro XL. It’s got a 6.8-inch super acuta display running at 1344 x 2992 resolution at 486PPI. As has been the case for a couple of years now, the screen has a dynamic refresh rate (1 – 120Hz) to improve battery life, but the retina-burning 3000 nits peak brightness won’t do your battery life any favours; clearly, it will be useful outdoors on bright days though.
The dimensions of the Pro XL are 62.8mm x 76.6mm x 8.5mm, nearly identical to those of thele offering noticeably more screen real estate. The device weighs 221g and has a 5060 mAh battery that can fast charge Pixel 8 Pro whi to 70% in 30 minutes.
Storage options remain the same as last year’s Pro device, with a boost in RAM up to 16GB.
I’ve bundled the Pro and Pro XL together here because the specs (Aside from the physical components such as the screen at 6.3-inch, dimensions at 152.8mm x 72 mm x 8.5 mm, weight 199g and battery capacity 4,700mAh) are the same. You’ll get the full and true “Pro” experience, whether you choose the Pixel 9 Pro, or the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
When it comes to cameras, the Pro and Pro XL have seen a small bump in specs this year too, now offering users:
- 50 MP wide
- 48 MP ultrawide with Macro Focus
- 48 MP 5x telephoto lens with Super Res Zoom up to 30 x 12 and up to 10 x optical
The Pixel 9 Pro is available to pre-order now for $1,699.00, and the Pro XL can be pre-ordered for $1,849.00
Pixel 9
The Pixel 9 represents the entry point to the Pixel range, with the same design aspects and physical size as the base-level Pro; there’s plenty about the Pixel 9 to excite users who don’t need the top specs.
You’ll be looking at a 6.3-inch (160 mm) Actua display with a 20:9 aspect ratio, 1080 x 2424 OLED, and 422 PPI. It runs at 60 – 120Hz refresh with a peak brightness of 2,700 nits. The Pixel 9 has the same physical dimensions as the Pixel 9 Pro, although it is 1 whole gram lighter.
The battery is a 4,700mAh battery that can fast-charge to 55% capacity in around 30 minutes. The storage options on the Pixel 9 remain the same, and this, too, has seen a RAM bump from 8GB in the Pixel 8, up to 12 GB in the Pixel 9.
A camera spec increase also graces the Pixel 9 with a 50 MP wide and 48 MP ultrawide with Macro Focus and up to 2 x Optical zoom.
The Pixel 9 is now available for pre-order at $1,349.00
The other announcements at the event include the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Pixel Watch 3 and the Pixel Buds Pro 2.
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