NCC/Android Authority
Can you really call them “leaks” when Google’s Pixel phones are thrown across the web for months every year before they’re officially released? What volume of photos, hardware specs, and other details constitutes a leak, as opposed to a rapidly draining colander?
Google's Pixel 9 series of phones are expected to launch at an event on August 13. Because the phones must be certified by various regulators including Taiwan's National Communications Commission, or NCC, there are now photos — lots of photos — of all four phones that Google is expected to announce next month. The Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Google's second attempt at a foldable phone, have been measured, rated for battery life and charging speed, and even disassembled to take a look inside.
As suggested by renders of the Pixel 9, renders of all three non-foldable phones, and photos of prototypes, the NCC images confirm that Google’s “Pro” phone in this series will be the same size as the standard 9 model but with triple rear cameras and upgraded, possibly AI-friendly specs. The NCC filings don’t confirm all of the phone’s internals, such as the eye-watering 16GB of RAM seen in an early Pixel 9 Pro prototype. Google has previously noted that keeping certain generative models “RAM resident” requires more RAM.
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The potential Pixel 9 Pro XL, as seen at Taiwan's NCC, complete with the company's quirky remix of the “This isn't necessarily Google” logo.
NCC/Android Authority
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The alleged Pixel 9 Pro, slightly taken apart.
NCC/Android Authority
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The alleged Pixel 9 Pro Fold, down to the screen, batteries, and camera holes.
NCC/Android Authority
The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro get a 4,558mAh battery, according to the NCC filings, while the 9 Pro XL packs 4,942mAh. That’s a very modest increase over the Pixel 8 for the Pixel 9, and roughly even between the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL (which, as a reminder, are now the “big” phones, though some people might not consider the 6.1-inch displays on the base models to be “small” at all). Charging speeds are roughly the same between the Pixel 8 and 9, as Android Authority notes, though the “big” Pixel phone jumps from around 27W in the 8-series to nearly 33W on the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s listing.
A fold that is flatter and higher
What’s changed much more is the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Rather than being as squat and boxy as the original Pixel Fold from 2023, it’s now a little taller and closer in height to its direct competitors. The cameras are now arranged in a square grid, rather than the Pixel’s typical chunky horizontal bar, and the selfie camera on the large inner display is now in the corner. The bezels are slimmer, the crease appears to be reduced (at least in these prototype photos) and, interestingly, the new Fold can lie completely flat, something the previous model couldn’t.
The new Fold's battery is listed as 4,560mAh, up from the previous model's 4,727mAh. As noted in our review of the Pixel Fold , Google has managed to pack the biggest battery in the category, but the category has an inherent problem with battery life. In fact using That big OLED screen for the things that make it fun to use, like watching video or playing games, does mean that the battery will drain faster than a comparable experience with a tablet, which can have twice as many battery cells.
All four Pixel phones tout Thread radio support, and all but the base Pixel 9 tout ultra-wideband (UWB) support. A new, Google White and slick 45W charger has also been filed with these phones.
Android Authority has obtained the best layout of photos of the Pixel 9 series that were uncovered by the NCC, and the devices appear to be a sure bet to debut at the Made by Google event on August 13.
