Google Pixel 9: News, leaks, rumored price, and release window

January 8, 2024
ad
(0)
Uncategorized

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

UPDATED DEC 18, 2023

Let’s look ahead at what Google has in store for its 2024 flagships

Google Pixel 9: Design and specs

Without any leaked renders, all we have to go by for the Pixel 9’s base design are a handful of rumors and Google’s usual design language. The last three generations of Pixels have carved out a specific look with its iconic camera bar. Love it or hate it, it’s a style that stands out from the pack, and it’s tough to imagine this changing.

Our earliest word on the Pixel 9 series came in December 2022, when a leaked roadmap dished all the dirt on Google’s handset lineup through 2025. Here’s what we wrote in our coverage of that leak:

Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 series is set to expand. Alongside the regular Pixel 9 (no codename on this) and the Pixel 9 Pro (“komodo”), Google wants to launch a small version of the Pixel 9 Pro. At 6.3″ this model (codenamed “caiman”) would effectively be the size of the current Pixel 7, but with all of the extras that often leave users opting for the larger model. It’s yet another Apple-inspired move, as Google looks to chase the success of phones like the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

Aside from some pricing inaccuracies, this original report has proven to be true throughout 2023. As we get further into the future, it’s easier for certain elements of phones to be changed or canceled. There’s no word on whether a smaller Pro model will arrive in 2024, but it’s something to keep an eye out for when renders appear. Considering how much Google kept exclusive to the more expensive Pixel 8 Pro this year, a smaller model without those limitations would be fantastic.

For what it’s worth, Ross Young — someone with experience in the display industry — said that every Pixel successor in Google’s next generation will have larger screens than what came before, including the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. Considering we praised this year’s Pixel 8 for its relatively svelte design, that’s a bit of a disappointment. Only time will tell if this holds true or what the exact dimensions will be.

As for specs, the Tensor G4 is all but certain to be the brains behind Google’s next smartphones. Originally intended to be the company’s first custom in-house chipset, recent reports delayed those plans into 2025 with the Pixel 10. The Tensor G4 will serve as a small bump over the Tensor G3, something made apparent through its “Zuma Pro” codename. Rather than using TSMC’s 3nm node as expected, the G4 will continue to act as a modified Samsung Exynos chipset, right down to using Samsung’s foundry, as we’ve seen in the past.

If raw performance is important to you, it might be worth holding out to see if the Pixel 10 gets that long-rumored, fully custom, in-house chip. Google’s hardware has never matched the powerhouse performance of Apple or Samsung. That could change in 2025 if this current schedule holds out.

To read the rest of the article: Google Pixel 9: News, leaks, rumored price, and release window