New Pixel 9 Pro Details Confirm Google’s Big Decisions

Updated July 26 with new color and case details.

Google may have confirmed the upcoming release of its Pixel 9 smartphones, but there are still some secrets of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL to be revealed, including the exact sizes of the new Pro models.

Update: Friday July 26. Sitting alongside the latest leak of the specs of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro smartphones comes the best look yet at the colors chosen by Google for this year’s flagship smartphone release.

These come from Android Headlines’ look at the protective silicon cases, which will go on sale alongside the two pro models—the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. The colors are charcoal, porcelain, hazel, and rose. Not on show is the rumored aloe color; this is likely down to aloe staying as a web-exclusive color and thus not appearing in the product shots available to retailers.

One interesting point on the case design is the sculpting around the camera island cut-otus. It has a significant amount of curve to it. Google’s new design of the Pixel phones calls for an almost cliff-edge drop from the island to the back of the case. That’s going to be lost when the phone is placed in the case. Given the previous camera bar handed the Pixel a unique identity, diluting that look for the Pixel 9 family and diluting it again in the case is a courageous choice.

New details on the display’s design of the upcoming Pixel 9 family of smartphones have been published by prolific leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer of Onleaks. His details follow on from last week’s confirmation by Google of three different Pixel phones, rather than the two phones seen last year.

Strictly speaking, there are four models… The outlier is the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It’s a sequel to last year’s Pixel Fold, but 2023’s foldable was not labelled as part of the mainline Pixel 8 family—presumably to keep some separation between the consumer-focused candybar phones and the more esoteric foldable. This year, the Fold will be adopted into the Pixel 9 line, but by it nature it will remain a more specialised choice with its unique design.

Which leaves us with the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. The obvious change will be in the physical size—with options for a 6.3-inch screen or a 6.8-inch screen over the two standard Pro models. It’s important to realise where the XL and the regular fit in. Last year’s Pixel 8 Pro offered a larger screen and higher specifications than the Pixel 8. This year, that larger and more powerful role will be handled by the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

The Pixel 9 Pro, as opposed to being a direct replacement for the Pixel 8 Pro, will be of a similar size to the Pixel 9, yet the smaller form factor will feature higher specifications.

It’s an interesting middle ground. Calls for smaller smartphones with the full specs and performance of larger flagships are popular online, and a dedicated audience can be found, but there has been no ‘breakout’ star of a smaller phone. Whether the Pixel 9 Pro is considered a small phone when last year’s Pixel 8 were not seen as such remains to be seen.

I’ll be interested to see the breakdown between the three devices; I suspect that the 9 Pro will be the weakest seller of all the standard Pixel phones, even if it proves to be the most attractive to the online geekerati.

Now read more details on the design of the upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold…