Google Leak Suggests Smaller Pixel 9 Pro, New 'Pro XL' Models in 2024

New leaks suggest that Google will launch three Pixel 9 models in 2024, rather than the expected two. In addition to the base Pixel 9 device, there’s likely to be a similarly sized Pixel 9 Pro in addition to a larger Pixel 9 Pro XL with a larger screen and battery. The latter two would have more advanced cameras and potentially other features such as more RAM and storage options, quicker charging, and higher quality construction. This would allow Google to diversify its pricing and reach more people, as well as compete more directly with Apple’s base iPhone, Pro, and Pro Max offerings. 

The leaks also seem to confirm that Google has gone for a significant design overhaul, compared to the past few generations which have largely stayed the same. New renders released by OnLeaks and 91Mobiles seem to confirm details that first emerged in January. The phones are likely to have flat sides with rounded corners, and a new oval-shaped camera island. 

Google has released a pair of mainstream models nearly every year since the original models launched in 2016. The first four generations of Pixel phones came in two sizes, with the larger one given an XL suffix. From the Pixel 6 onwards, Google has released a regular and a Pro model, which is not only larger but also has more capable cameras and other minor added features.

There’s no word yet on how Google’s hardware segmentation or pricing strategies will play out. It is also not yet clear whether the two purported Pro models will have exactly the same cameras, display types, and other hardware. The Pixel 8 Pro has a temperature sensor which its smaller sibling lacks, and the current-gen Pixel 8 is also not capable of running AI-optimised tools powered by Google’s Gemini Nano AI model due to “hardware limitations”; most likely the fact that it has less RAM than the Pixel 8 Pro. This is a discrepancy that Google might want to avoid with its next generation of smartphones.  

While the standard Google Pixel 9 is rumoured to have a 6.03-inch display, the smaller of the two models carrying the Pro suffix will supposedly have a 6.1-inch panel while the purported Pixel 9 Pro XL will have a 6.5-inch panel. These would be smaller than the current-gen Pixel 8 series’ screens which measure 6.2 inches and 6.7 inches for the vanilla and Pro models respectively.   

The trio of phones will be powered by Google’s next-gen Tensor SoC, which is likely to be a relatively minor improvement over the current-gen Tensor G3, thanks to delays in Google’s plans to design an entirely custom SoC in-house. Not much else is currently known about hardware specifications. The phones will undoubtedly be some of the first to ship with Android 15 later this year, and you can expect more AI features along with a promise of updates for at least seven years. 

If Google keeps up the schedule it has set with the past few generations, we should see the Pixel 9 series launching in early October. Meanwhile, Google is also putting the final touches on its lower-cost Pixel 8a, which should launch at the company’s annual Google IO developer event in mid-May.