This story was updated on January 26th. Update below.
Google has been repeatedly slashing the price of Pixel 8 and we have just been treated to brand new images of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. No, it isn’t September 2024. It’s January and a super early Pixel 9 leak just dropped.
The images come from reliable leaker OnLeaks, via MySmartPrice and 91 Mobiles, and show that Google is planning to completely revamp the Pixel 9’s design. Gone are the rounded edges, which have been replaced with a flatter shape that looks a lot like an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S24.
Around the back, Google has slimmed down the camera bump into a pill shape instead of one long oblong across the entire backplate. Interestingly, the Pro unit will have a 6.5-inch screen, which slightly smaller than the current 6.7-inch Pixel 8 Pro display, while the base Pixel 9 will have a 6.1-inch screen. The SIM tray has been moved to the bottom of the phone, alongside the USB-C charging port.
According to the 91Mobiles story, Google is adding a third camera sensor to the base Pixel 9, which is apparently a telephoto lens. OnLeaks doesn’t have information on the other two lenses, but there’s a good chance they’re the standard wide and ultra wide sensors that are currently in the Pixel 8.
If accurate, this will be a huge change for the Pixel range, which has largely stuck with a similar shape for years. Moving to a flatter, more iPhone-like, design looks more slick and premium from these renders.
I’m curious about why Google would shrink the displays of both devices, but the addition of a third camera lens in the smaller Pixel 9 is good news. I suspect that there will still be hardware differences between the two sets of cameras. But I hope that upgrading the smaller handset’s tech means it will also get access to some of the Pro’s software tricks.
There’s little justification for excluding features like Video Boost, or pro controls, from the Pixel 8, or a future Pixel 9. If Google is planning to completely revamp its flagship line with a new design, then hopefully it will revamp its policy and bring the two devices closer together when it comes to features. Both phones likely won’t land for another eight months, so there’s plenty of time for Google to change its plans, even if these renders are accurate.
January 26th update: Google’s latest feature drop, a semi-regular update that adds new skills to Pixel phones, gives us a glimpse of what to expect from the Pixel 9. The latest drop focuses heavily on AI, like the new “circle to search” feature that expands on Google Lens by letting users search for objects in a photo by drawing a circle around them. If that sounds familiar, Samsung announced the exact same feature for the Galaxy S24 a couple of weeks ago.
Google is also introducing a feature called Magic Compose, which will help change the tone of your messages. The company gives the example of writing a professional text, or something “dramatic like Shakespeare.” Another messaging feature will turn your pictures into reaction emojis, which appears to be exclusive to Google Messages.
The headline addition is the Pixel 8 Pro’s ability to take your body temperature, via the Thermometer app, using the in-built temperature sensor. Google says this is a “medial feature” and that the app has been granted marketing authorization by the FDA. Why Google added this to Pixel 8 Pro remains a mystery, but it is at least fully functional now. It will be interesting to see if Google carries the temperature sensor over to the Pixel 9, or if it’s another single-use feature that destined for the graveyard like so many before it.
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