Summary
- Get ready for more Pixel options: A standard Pixel 9 model has leaked, completing the trifecta of rumored flagship devices.
- There’s a difference in design and camera setup compared to Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL, with dual cameras and adaptive touch feature.
- There’s speculation around the future of Google’s A-series, as leaks indicate a potential shift towards a three-Pixel flagship lineup.
A little over a year ago, we saw a leaked Pixel roadmap that suggested a smaller Pixel 9 Pro could be in the cards, with Google potentially making a standard Pixel 9, plus a smaller and larger variant of its Pro series phone in 2024. Earlier this year, the first Pixel 9 leaks seemed to suggest part of that prediction was coming true, as we saw a smaller and larger Pixel with Pro-style features on both. Now, renders of a standard Pixel 9 model have emerged, seemingly completing the rumored trifecta.
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Industry insider OnLeaks, in collaboration with 91Mobiles, has revealed images of what could be the entry-level model in Google’s 2024 flagship lineup. The Pixel 9 shown in these renders would reportedly be released alongside two other variants, a smaller Pixel 9 Pro and a larger Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Source: 91Mobiles
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Similar to past leaks, the standard Pixel 9 model appears to use a rounded camera bar with more of an island effect than a wraparound look. This builds on Google’s design language introduced with the Pixel 8 Pro, where the cameras themselves resemble a search bar rather than the pill and circle seen on the Pixel 7 Pro.
However, unlike the previous leaks, which are now believed to have been of the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL, the model shown here does not feature a triple camera array or a temperature sensor — things that have become hallmarks of Google’s Pro-series Pixel line. Instead, we see a dual camera setup without a periscope telephoto lens, suggesting a standard and wide-angle configuration similar to the current Pixel 8.
The leaker reports that this model measures 152.8 x 71.9 x 8.5mm, with the thickness ballooning up to 12mm when measured at the camera bump. It’s supposedly using a 6.03-inch display, though we’ve seen in the past that leakers tend to measure actual corner-to-corner dimensions, whereas OEMs report a calculated screen size that treats the rounded corners as if they were square, so don’t be surprised if the listed screen dimensions end up being a touch higher than that 6.03-inch mark.
91Mobiles says that, even though the phone is shown in black here, other colors should be expected, and that Qi2 charging with up to 15W speeds is thought to be included in the Pixel 9 series. It’s also expected to feature a Tensor G4 SoC, just like the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL. Adaptive Touch, a feature we had previously spotted in development, is expected to be present.
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With these developments aligning so closely with the roadmap seen in late 2022, questions will no doubt arise about the future of Google’s A-series Pixels. We’re expecting to see the Pixel 8a within the next two months, and the increasing cadence of leaks around that device seems to indicate a release is imminent. But the roadmap suggested that, if Google switched to a three-Pixel flagship lineup, the A-series line could possibly be discontinued in favor of the cheaper, non-Pro Pixel 9. We’re still hopeful that won’t be the case, as promising Pixel 7a sales may have motivated Google to keep the line alive, but only time will tell.
