Pixel 9 & 9 Pro: Everything you need to know
GoogleGoogle’s flagship phones, Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, were announced on August 13. Here’s everything, including their price, availability, specs, and more that you need to know.
This year, at the Made by Google event, the search engine giant announced the Pixel 9 line-up, which includes the Pixel 9 as that standard device along with three pro-phones – Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. These are more phones than ever introduced by Google in a single event.
Then there was the Pixel Watch 3, Pixel Buds Pro 2, and the Gemini AI – which adds more AI trickery to everything. Let us quickly look at what the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro offer in terms of their price, features, specifications, and more.
Where to buy
The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro are available to pre-order starting August 13 via Google Store, Amazon, Best Buy, and other major shopping stores.
The Pixel 9 will start retailing on August 22, while the 9 Pro will be available from September 4 onwards in the US.
Amazon offers a $100 gift card with Pixel 9 pre-orders, while Best Buy includes a $100 e-gift card and a 3-month complimentary subscription to Google One. The Pixel 9 Pro has a $200 gift card on Amazon and Best Buy.
Price
The Pixel 9 starts at $799, and the 9 Pro is priced at $999. This is $100 more than the starting price of the Pixel 8.
The Pixel 9 comes in Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, and Peony colorways. The 9 Pro has been made available in Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose Quartz.
Models | 128 GB | 256GB | 512GB | 1TB |
Pixel 9 | $799 | $899 | – | – |
Pixel 9 Pro | $999 | $1099 | $1319 | $1549 |
The Pixel 9 comes in two storage options, 128GB and 256GB, while the 9 Pro is available in four trims starting from 128GB to 1TB. The 1TB trim is only available in the Obsidian colorway.
Design and display
Pixel 9 and 9 Pro have a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Pro sports an LTPO display, which offers it greater control over the refresh rate as it can switch between 1Hz to 120 Hz depending on the screen activity.
The display on the 9 Pro maxes out at 3000 nits, while the Pixel 9 supports a maximum of 2700 nits of peak brightness.
Google calls the display an Actua and Super Actua display (LTPO). The Pixel 9’s display sports a resolution of 1080 x 2424 pixels, while the 9 Pro has a better display with a 1280 x 2856 resolution.
The overall design, both phones look identical until you turn them around. The Pixel 9 has a dual camera setup at the back, while the Pixel 9 Pro has three cameras housed on a horizontal camera bar.
Both new phones have a glass back and flat edges, which is standard on most modern smartphones. For those looking for a prominent design difference, the Pixel 9 has a glossy rear panel and matte edges, while the 9 Pro has a matte rear panel and glossy edges.
Specifications
Specs | Pixel 9 | Pixel 9 Pro |
Display | 6.3-inch OLED, 120Hz,1080×2424 pixels | 6.3-inch LTPO OLED, 1-120Hz, 1280 x 2856 pixels |
Processor | Tensor G4 | Tensor G4 |
Memory | 12GB | 16GB |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
Camera | 50MP+48MP | 50MP+48MP+48MP |
Selfie | 10.5 MP | 42MP |
Battery | 4700 mAh | 4700 mAh |
OS | Android 14 with 7 years support | Android 14 with 7 years support |
The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro look similar; however, the two phones are for an entirely different target audience. The Pixel 9 is a standard variant for users looking to experience Google’s AI features but have a limited budget.
The Pixel 9 Pro is for serious users who want the best of Google, including hardware and software features. The introduction of the 9 Pro XL makes the lineup similar to Apple’s devices, where the base and the Pro model are identical in size but have unique features.
The latest Google-designed Tensor G4 chipset powers the phones. The Pixel 9 has 12GB of RAM and storage options of 128GB and 256 GB. The Pro model also has 512GB and 1TB options and comes with 16GB of RAM.
These phones have a new cooling chamber to keep the thermals in check. While the phone’s battery size is almost the same as that of their predecessors, Google claims they have 20% greater battery life.
The Pixel 9 comes with a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, which is an upgrade compared to the 12-megapixels in the Pixel 8. The camera setup on the 9 Pro is unchanged.
The magic lies in the software
Google has relied heavily on AI features to make these phones stand out from other devices. Unique features like Add Me, which helps you click a perfect group shot, Guided Frame, Zoom Enhance, Audio Magic Eraser, Video Boost, Night Sight Video, and more are just a few examples of Google’s software prowess.
Then, Gemini AI is integrated into this lineup. Google is replacing the Google Assistant with Gemini AI on these phones as it believes that with generative AI, Gemini can anticipate user needs.
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