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Curious what Pixel 9 colors you can expect this year? Leaks suggest that all Pixel models and sizes will ship in Obsidian or Porcelain. Specifically, the 9 Pro could come in Rose and Hazel finishes, while the base Pixel 9 supposedly has similar (but distinct) Pink and Green colors. The Pro Fold will only have Obsidian and Porcelain, supposedly; Google must think foldable fans hate anything colorful.
As far as we know, the Pixel 9 Pro XL will have the same color options, though interestingly, the TikTok leak suggests the XL will have a glossier finish, while the standard 9 and Pro will look more matte.
What about the newest Pixel Fold, you ask? Our staff is chock-full of foldable nerds excited to see what Google has in store, especially after Google showed us a glimpse of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold in another Gemini-infused promo video last month.
Why call it the Pixel 9 Pro Fold instead of the Pixel Fold 2? It’s mostly a marketing choice, we’d guess; it makes it easier to group all the phones into one family on billboards or in commercials. Plus, it allegedly has the same 6.3-inch cover display you get with the standard Pixel 9 Pro.
At first glance, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold switched its camera bar for a square with two tiers of camera sensors, and the unfolded display looks a bit more square-shaped than its predecessor.
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That same Pixel 9 Pro leak suggests it’ll have a 42MP selfie camera and a triple rear camera array: a 50MP main sensor, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 48MP telephoto lens. At first glance, all three rear sensors are the same as the Pixel 8 Pro’s, but Google could easily upgrade in other areas like exposure, zoom, or AI tricks.
Still, if you’re a fan of selfies, that might be the main reason to get excited about the Pixel 9 Pro.
One other 8 Pro to 9 Pro upgrade: You’ll allegedly have the chance to pay extra for 16GB, 4GB more than previous flagships. That could make stomaching another year of average Tensor speeds a little more bearable.
Our biggest question with the new Pixel 9 series is the Tensor G4 CPU. Google’s Samsung LSI-made chips have always prioritized AI and camera performance compared to Snapdragon’s raw power, with the Pixel 8 Pro and older models frequently overheating.
An alleged Google insider claimed that the Tensor G4 will have middling Cortex cores and a new layout designed to improve cooling performance. While it could have a new modem with satellite connectivity, the GPU would remain unchanged.
While this rumor has some Android Central staffers planning to wait for the Pixel 10, we assume that Google’s NPU for AI tricks and camera processing will be industry-leading. So even though the Tensor G4 benchmarks only give a “slight boost” over the G3, some Pixel 8 owners may still want to upgrade.
We at Android Central don’t endorse turning Made by Google into a drinking game (it’s five o’clock somewhere but definitely not in Mountain View). But if you took a shot every time they say “Gemini” tomorrow, you’d probably die.
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Google introduced the Pixel 9 Pro in the promo video above, but a Gemini generative AI demo takes center stage, and the glimpse of the Pixel 9 Pro’s new camera bar is surrounded by an “Oh hi, AI” quote. It’s clear Google will try to stand out from iPhones and Galaxy phones by going all-in on Gemini, for better or worse.
A recent leak suggested Google will give a free year of Google One AI Premium ($20/month) for all Pixel 9 buyers, plus Fitbit Premium and YouTube Premium trial runs. But will new AI tricks tempt Pixel 8 Pro buyers to upgrade?
Long-time Pixel users might be excited by this blast from the past: Google reportedly plans to bring back “XL” devices! After the Pixel 4 XL — which Senior Editor Harish Jonnalagadda had a “love-hate relationship” with in 2019 — you’ve been stuck with whatever size Google chose.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL leaked on TikTok, and even before that, a Google promo leak suggested that the Pixel 9 Pro would ship in 6.3-inch and 6.8-inch sizes. Phones aside, Google allegedly wants to sell a Pixel Watch 3 XL, so you can choose between 1.2- and 1.4-inch displays.
We hope this rumor ends up being true at the Made by Google event; fans of smaller phones will appreciate having all the bells and whistles, with extra display space as optional. The small size of the Pixel Watch 2 was one of our only complaints about the Android watch, as well.
