The device I'm most excited to see at the Made by Google event next week has already been announced. Or, at least, Google has already confirmed its existence.
This is the Pixel 9 Pro, the latest version of Google's high-end flagship that appears in its own teaser video. We don't learn much about the Pixel 9 Pro in this video — just that it will be powered by the Gemini AI chatbot, feature a redesigned camera bar with rounded edges, and that it will appear on August 13. And yes, that's the date Google has set for its big hardware reveal.
Why get excited about this? Because I've been following the rumors surrounding Google's Pixel 9 phones. And it looks like the Pro model is going to shake things up this year.
Specifically, rumors suggest that Google will release two versions of the Pixel 9 Pro: a standard Pro model and a larger version that we've been calling the Pixel 9 Pro XL. While the XL is expected to match or exceed the current Pixel 8 Pro's display size, the standard Pixel 9 Pro is said to shrink down. Depending on which rumor you want to believe, the smaller Pro will offer a screen size between 6.1 and 6.3 inches.
As a fan of smaller, more compact phones, I see the prospect of a shrunken Pixel 9 Pro as addition by subtraction.
A question of smartphone size
While most smartphone buyers favor phones with larger screens, I prefer smaller phones that I find easier to use with one hand and much more comfortable to slip into a pocket. The days of phones with screens smaller than 6 inches are probably over, but phone screens around 6.1 inches are the next best thing, especially now that phone makers have reduced bezels to accommodate more screen space.
Google doesn't currently offer a premium compact phone. The Pixel 8 certainly delivers in terms of size with a 6.2-inch panel, but it lacks the telephoto lens of the Pixel 8 Pro's fancier camera setup. If you wanted that extra camera, Google's reasoning seemed to be that you'd have to settle for the larger screen size. It's been that way ever since Google adopted the standard phone/Pro model line with the release of the Pixel 6.
The two major phone makers don’t behave that way. Whether you get the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro or the 6.2-inch Galaxy S24, you’re getting a compact phone that still finds room for that zoom camera. Google can’t say the same about its phones, at least until the Pixel 9 Pro goes official.
Google may be late to the premium compact phone market, but if it follows the pattern of previous Pixel iterations, the Pixel 9 Pro could have a significant advantage over smaller counterparts like the iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy S24. Aside from the screen size, battery size, and the presence of a telephoto lens, Google isn’t changing much between its standard and Pro phones. Assuming that continues with the Pixel 9 lineup, one could imagine that the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL will be carbon copies of each other, save for the screen size and battery.
The iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy S24 can’t say the same. Apple’s smaller Pro phone lacks the more advanced zoom lens found on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. And the differences between the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Ultra are substantial, from different charging speeds to different megapixel ratings on the camera sensors. Even the zoom capabilities are different, though the S24 is one of the few phones under $800 with a telephoto lens.
In other words, you'd be betting on the Pixel 9 Pro to deliver roughly the same experience as its XL sibling, which isn't the case with other high-end flagships, where there's more differentiation between each model.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Overview
Size isn’t the only factor that makes a good device a top phone. There’s also the question of AI features, camera performance, and cost. Given Google’s track record, we can be pretty confident that the Tensor G4 chip will introduce a host of new AI capabilities to the Pixel 9 lineup, while the cameras should be able to hold their own against any other device on the market. It’s the price that worries me.
The Pixel 8 Pro starts at $999, which is $100 more than its predecessor's starting price. One would hope that a smaller screen size on the standard Pixel 9 could also encourage Google to lower the cost of the phone, though that seems highly unlikely. With rumors predicting price hikes on at least some Pixel models, we'll probably feel lucky if we can still buy the Pixel 9 Pro at the 8 Pro's current price. Worst-case scenario, Google could follow the lead of other phone makers and raise prices again.
I don't think the latter outcome is very likely, but it would certainly dampen my enthusiasm for the Pixel 9 Pro. And with less than a week until the big phone launches, I want to believe that Google is preparing to give us a phone that lives up to some lofty expectations.