Google may only have just pulled the covers off its new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, but work is surely well under way for the successors that will arrive next year. Here’s all we know so far about the Google Pixel 9 and 9 Pro.
When will the Google Pixel 9 be released?
At this early stage is is, of course, no official release date for the Pixel 9 phones but Google has a pretty regular routine when it comes to its hardware launches. October in the usual slot, as you can see from the previous models listed below:
We don’t see any reason why this pattern would change in 2024, so there’s a very good chance that the Pixel 9 models will make their debut next October, with several rumours of a potential new device being added to the roster.
It could be that Google will introduce a smaller Pro model, with reports saying it will have a 6.3in display rather than the 6.7in panel expected in the Pixel 9 Pro. Aside from this, it should be pretty much the same, allowing Google to mimic the iPhone Pro lineup and offer like-for-like alternatives.
How much will the Google Pixel 9 cost?
The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro both saw price increases over their forebears, to the tune of $100/£100 per model. As Google held the previous versions’ prices for a few years, we’d expect to see the same with the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. So, you should be looking at $699/£699 and $999/£999 respectively. Here’s what the past few generations cost at launch:
- Google Pixel 8: $699/£699
- Google Pixel 8 Pro: $999/£999
- Google Pixel 7: $599/£599
- Google Pixel 7 Pro: $899/£849
- Google Pixel 6: $599/£599
- Google Pixel 6 Pro: $899/£849
If Google does introduce a smaller Pro model, then it could either come in at around the $899/£899 mark (following the Apple playbook of $100/£100 difference between its iPhone Pro models) or the larger Pixel could be bumped up to $1,099/£1,099 with the smaller Pro sitting in the $999/£999 position it’s bigger brother previously occupied. We hope for the former, as it would mean each Pixel is $100/£100 cheaper than its direct iPhone rival.
What new features will we see in the Google Pixel 9?
Give the Pixel 9 isn’t due to appear until near the end of 2024 you wouldn’t expect there to be many rumours yet. That hasn’t stopped a few stories appearing that paint a picture of what Google may have in store for its next flagships.
And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the phones will run Android 15 out of the box.
New processor
While its a pretty safe bet that the Tensor G4 will be at the heart of the Pixel 9 range, there were some early rumours circulating that Google has intended to make this an SoC designed entirely from scratch rather than basing it on the Samsung Exynos chipsets that has been the case with the G1, G2 and G3. Developing SoCs is incredibly difficult, and it seems that Google hasn’t quite managed to pull this off yet, so Samsung may once again be involved.
But, Phone Arena has reported that Samsung’s next Exynos 2400 SoC (the one on which the G4 is likely to be based) should be a powerful upgrade to its predecessors, meaning that although Google might not get to tailor the G4 to its own tastes as much as it wanted, the underlying technology could guarantee a decent boost in performance.
Alternatively, Android Authority reports that the new chipset will be closer to the refinement we saw between the G1 and G2, rather than a big leap forward.
Bigger displays
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Ross Young, display industry specialists and reliable tipster, posted recently that all of the Pixel 9 models will get bigger displays.
Now, there are no specifics in the post, and we haven’t seen anything elsewhere, so it remains to be seen whether this comes to pass. That being said, Young has a decent track record when it comes to the panels that appear in smartphones, so this is one to keep an eye on.
Camera improvements?
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Google tends to keep its camera hardware around for a while and refine it rather than upgrading every year. As the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro both benefited from a new 50-megapixel main sensor that the company claims has 21% more light sensitivity than the Pixel 7 series, it could be software where any strides are made in the Pixel 9 cameras.
The Pixel 8 Pro did get a few more upgrades this time around, with a 48-megapixel ultrawide sensor that was 105% more light sensitive, plus a 48-megapixel telephoto sensor that’s 56% more sensitive to light, so late night photographs should look spectacular.
Before the launch of the Pixel 8 series, 9to5 Google published a breakdown of some cool new features that it found in the code of a Google APK, which suggested it might appear in the new phones. They didn’t, but that could be because Google is perfecting them to launch with the Pixel 9 models. These include Video Unblur, which works in the same way as Photo Unblur but for video. This would allow you to sharpen footage where it isn’t quite in focus. There’s also overlay filters for video, which appear to be filters for film-style effects.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that the features and hardware mentioned here will appear, but as these and other details become clearer we’ll be sure to update this article so you’ll know what to expect when October 2024 rolls around.