Late last year, the Android Authority spoke to an “anonymous but authoritative source” who explained Google’s roadmap for the next three years. This source essentially denied rumors that Google would sell a Pixel Ultra in the future.
Fans of phones like the Galaxy S22 Ultra may be disappointed with this one. This leak proves that Google will play to its strengths by copying Apple’s playbook instead of Samsung’s, and that Google will launch his iPhone in 2023 instead of his 2024. I can only hope that it begins to reflect the approach of
A quick summary of Android Authority (opens in new tab) Source claims:
- The Pixel Fold and 7a will arrive around Google I/O 2023 in May.
- The smaller Pixel 8 and unchanged Pixel 8 Pro will launch this fall, as usual.
- If the Pixel 7a doesn’t sell, Google will skip the 8a and launch a lower-priced phone every two years.
- In 2024, Google will switch to an Apple strategy, selling the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro alongside a 6.3-inch Pro model with the same specs as the larger Pro. The Pixel Fold 2 could also go on sale.
- In 2025, it could release sandwich-style foldable models similar to the Galaxy Z Flip series, or sell two Pixel 10s and two Pixel 10 Pros as size-only differentiators.
Google will very likely deviate from the source Pixel roadmap. Rumors in the last few days have suggested that Google may have pushed the often-delayed Pixel Fold to Spring-Fall 2023. Google is happy to delay device launches for years if they aren’t ready, experimenting with new designs based on what resonates with users. So none of this is certain.
Android Authority sources say Google is stuck with its Pixel plans that “mimic Apple’s successful sizing strategy” starting with the Pixel 9.
What I find most interesting is that the source doesn’t mention Pixel 8/9/10. UltraIn mid-2022, AOSP showed evidence of a Pixel 7 Ultra (labeled “G10”) with similar specs to the Pixel 7 Pro (or “P10”), but with a slightly larger display. It is The device apparently hasn’t arrived, and Google doesn’t seem to have plans to match traditional massive flagships like the Galaxy S22 Ultra with the best displays and cameras.
Instead, Google will market the current Pro as a “Pro Max” phone while selling a one-handed Pro phone with all the same premium perks. “emphatically” this happened, and Google said it wanted to “mimic Apple’s successful sizing strategy” with the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro Max.
Given how the iPhone 14 Plus was a commercial failure, I’m not too interested in Google’s plans to sell a plus-sized base Pixel 10. But for a professional lineup, it makes perfect sense for Google to replicate the strategy.
Copying Apple isn’t a bad move for Google
One of my favorite phones of 2022 was the Galaxy S22 Plus. That’s because it offered a near-flagship experience without the Ultra’s massive curved design. But mostly because I felt Samsung took certain things away from the middle child and the Ultra needed to surpass it. I would argue that a $1,000 phone shouldn’t only have 8GB of RAM and FHD resolution, but by offering these features, it upsells to Ultra for “only” $200 more. less likely.
That’s what makes Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro an attractive option, even with its mediocre battery life. I know I won’t be forced to spend $, so I’m willing to accept the smaller screen and shorter lifespan than the top-tier one-handed phone, the Pro Max.
While Google and Apple never agree on mobile phones (see the long-running RCS feud for an example), Google chose to emulate a rival rather than close partner Samsung. I am glad that
Google can and should emulate Samsung with its foldable strategy, but for a traditional handset, the $899 Pixel 7 Pro costs hundreds less than the S22 Ultra and is already on our books It is the best Android smartphone among. If Google wanted to sell the Pixel 9 Ultra, how would it outperform a 6.7-inch Pro phone with a QHD/120Hz display, 12GB of RAM and a Tensor-backed camera?
Unless Google starts overclocking its Tensor chips, there’s little to make the Pixel Ultra stand out other than an expensive upgrade or downgrade from the good Pro.
As my colleague Harish Jonnalagadda said about Tensor G2, Google isn’t playing numbers games with hardware. The latest he happily uses an older Cortex core than a Snapdragon chip, relying on his APU for demanding tasks like photo processing. So an expensive Ultra phone is pointless unless you start overclocking or using a Tensor+ chip, or somehow downgrade your Pro to make your Ultra look more attractive.
The same applies to cameras. Samsung provides the same camera for the Galaxy S22 and S22+, ensuring the Ultra has the best resolution and zoom. But Google gave his Pixel 7 and Pro the same main, ultra-wide and selfie cameras, only reserving a telephoto lens for the Pro. Neither have particularly powerful sensors compared to most phones, as Google relies on Tensor AI to provide features like Photo Unblur and Super Res Zoom.
If the Pixel 7 Pro competes with the S22 Ultra despite its inferior sensor, the Pixel Ultra can Certainly charming. But down that road, it’s more likely that other Pixel phones will stick to older hardware and make the Ultra stand out, hurting the Pro in the long run.
Make Pixel Fold Pixel ‘Ultra’
If the leaked Google Pixel roadmap is accurate, Pixel fans in the near future will either have a wide range of options or a very slim list, depending on what happens to Google in 2023. Sandwich foldables that mimic 2025’s Pixel Fold 2 and Pixel 8a, as well as the Galaxy Z Flip in 2025, may never see the light of day if the Pixel Fold and 7a don’t sell.
Given that Google doesn’t have any clear plans for the Pixel Ultra, we can only hope that it will finally stop delaying the Pixel Fold and finally launch it this year. At $1,800, not many people will be able to afford it. But if Google tempts current Pixel 6 and 7 owners with tempting trade-in deals, many will likely outperform the Pro with its unique design, even if it has the same performance and camera. You’ll swallow the cost for the chance of getting a top-of-the-line device that does. Other Google smartphones.
