Pixel 9 Pro XL: Rumors, news, and speculation
GoogleThe Pixel 9 Pro XL is reportedly Google’s next flagship phone, which will launch later this year. Here’s everything we know about the smartphone so far.
Google is reportedly planning to make big changes to the Pixel 9 lineup. Specifically, we’ve heard rumors that three Pixel flagships are coming this fall. The Pixel 9 Pro may not be the top flagship. Instead, Google may give that title to the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
It’s been a long time since Google last used the “XL” branding. The search giant switched to offering a single phone in its flagship series with the Pixel 5, ditching the XL phones that were a thing until 2019’s Pixel 4 XL. Now that Google is planning to diversify its flagship lineup, XL phones might be making a return, with the Pixel 9 Pro XL being the first.
Release speculation
The Pixel 9 Pro XL is likely to be released on August 13 at the Made by Google event. Apart from the Pixel 9 Pro XL, Google will likely introduce the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Pixel Watch 3. The last five Pixel lineups have all debuted in October.
Expected price
Pixel 9 Pro XL is expected to cost at least $1000. The smartphone may be priced similarly to the Pixel 8 Pro from last year. For reference, the Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999 for the 128GB storage variant.
News and specs rumors
GoogleGoogle is allegedly looking to revamp its flagship phone strategy like Samsung and Apple’s offerings. Both Apple and Samsung release multiple phones each year with tiered features. Apple typically announces four iPhones annually— the Pro Max, the top-of-the-line model with the most features; the Pro, an iPhone version with similar high-end specs, then the standard and Plus models, which are considered more entry-level options.
In addition to the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, leaker Evan Blass has shared renders of the latest addition to the Pixel lineup – the 9 Pro XL.
These renders show a premium device that appears to be an extension of the Pixel 9 Pro. According to the renders, this new device will also come in four colorways – Obsidian, Porcelain, Rose, and Grey.
Google is likely to maintain a similar design across the three devices, featuring uniform bezels on the front and a triple camera setup on a bar-shaped island on the back.
The leak shows that the phone has a triple camera setup, housed on a bar-shaped camera island on the back. According to the renders, the body of the Pixel 9 Pro XL is made of color-matching shiny stainless steel.
The leaker has also shared images of some official protective cases. While one of these cases resembles Apple’s MagSafe charging tech, it’s unlikely that the Pixel 9 Pro XL will adopt the iPhone’s wireless charging technology. More likely, this could be just a regular case with a retractable circular kickstand.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL might replace the Pixel 8 Pro as the ultimate flagship. Alongside it could be a smaller Pixel 9 Pro with similar high-end specs and a 6.1-inch display. The third phone, Pixel 9, would likely be a more budget-friendly option. Android Authority first reported these rumors about a possible three-phone Pixel 9 family.
A 91Mobiles report further corroborated this, claiming the Pixel 9 Pro renders shared in January 2024 were actually of the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Those renders revealed Google will phase out the iconic camera bar for a rounded look that mirrors the camera cutout’s pill-shaped design.
The smartphone features flat sides similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is reported to feature a 6.5-inch flat display, down from 6.7 inches on the Pixel 8 Pro. It measures 162.7 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm (12.0 mm when you include the camera bump). Pixel 8 Pro, on the contrary, measures 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8mm.
Cameras
The Pixel 9 Pro XL will feature a triple camera setup on the rear, as revealed by the renders. It includes a 50MP main camera, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 48MP telephoto sensor, according to 91Mobiles. For selfies, it will offer a 48MP shooter.
Performance
GoogleGoogle may equip the Pixel 9 Pro XL with the Tensor G4. The chipset is being developed by Google and Samsung together using the Korean company’s 4nm process node. It will reportedly bring improved heat management and power efficiency.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL running Tensor G4 chip was recently spotted on Geekbench 6. The processor has 1 3.10GHz prime core, 3 2.6GHz performance cores, and four 1.95GHz efficiency cores. Google has paired the chip with 16GB of RAM.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL also packs the Mali G715 graphics processor – the same as Pixel 8 Pro but we expect the new one to have more cores or a higher clock.
The rumored flagship phone managed to get a single-core score of 1950 and a multi-core score of 4655 on Geekbench. This means a 10% better CPU performance than the Tensor G3, which averages scores of 1711 and 4382 on the single-core and multi-core tests respectively.
Software
GoogleThe Pixel 9 Pro XL is rumored to pack Android 15 and tons of AI features. Interestingly, Google kept its cards close to its chest at I/O 2024, not giving even a glimpse of these new devices. Instead, the event went all-in on AI for Google apps and phones in general. AI was such a huge focus that it overshadowed Android 15.
Rumors suggest the new Pixel could bring a new AI assistant named Pixie and an Adaptive Touch feature. We don’t know for sure what other intelligent features Google will debut on the smartphone. However, a new Android Authority report suggests the Pixel 9 Pro XL could also include Creative Assistant—a new feature that could use generative AI to create custom stickers, among other things.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL could also come packed with cool new software features that are exclusive to the Pixel 9 series, according to 91Mobiles. One of these is Emergency SOS, which sends crisis alerts about nearby fires or floods. Plus, it claims to block malware and phishing scams.
Another neat feature is Pixel Screenshots. It helps you save the info you want to remember later, like events and places. You can open Pixel Screenshots later to find anything you might have forgotten or missed. If you think you’ve heard of this one before, that’s because you have. Microsoft introduced a similar feature with its Copilot PCs, called Recall.
Should you wait for the Pixel 9 Pro XL?
Google is making big changes to the Pixel 9 series, and it might become one of the best Android phones in 2024. Considering that Google will be making it smaller than the Pixel 8 Pro, it might appeal to those who prefer compact phones with high-end specs.