The Google Pixel 9 Pro is official: Google unveiled the new phone along with the Google Pixel 9, Google Pixel 9 XL, and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold at its latest “Made by Google” presentation.
We’ve already tried out the Pixel 9 Pro ourselves and you can read our first impressions of the new device in our Google Pixel 9 Pro hands-on review. For a look at the other phones, check out our Google Pixel 9 hands-on review, Google Pixel 9 XL hands-on review and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold hands-on review.
In this guide, we’re focusing on the Pixel 9 Pro in particular, so read on for a condensed overview of the new phone’s release date, price, specs, and features.
Get to the point
- What is that? Google’s latest Pixel smartphone with Pro brand
- When will it come out? Pre-orders are now available, shipping begins September 4th
- How much will it cost? From $999 / £999 / AU$1,699
- What upgrades does it bring? A more durable design, a Tensor G4 chipset, 16GB of RAM and improved camera performance
Google Pixel 9 Pro: Release date and price
- Pre-order now, shipping from September 4th
- From $999 / £999 / AU$1,699
The Pixel 9 Pro was announced at Google’s recent Made by Google event on August 13, 2024. It’s available for pre-order now (check out our dedicated Google Pixel 9 Pro pre-order page for the latest deals), and shipping is scheduled to begin on September 4. The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL will begin shipping on August 22.
The Pixel 9 Pro costs $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 for the model with 128GB storage, with that price rising to $1,449 / £1,449 for the 1TB storage option (in Australia, the maximum storage capacity is 512GB, which costs AU$2,049). 256GB and 512GB options are also available in each region, with all four options coming with 16GB of RAM.
As for the colors of the new phone, you can buy the Pixel 9 Pro in Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazelnut, and Rose Quartz. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is available in the same color options.
| RAM/Storage | US | United Kingdom | Australia |
| 16GB / 128GB | 999 US dollars | 999 € | 1,699 € |
| 16GB / 256GB | $1,099 | 1,099 € | 1.849€ |
| 16GB / 512GB | $1,219 | 1,219 € | 2,049 € |
| 16GB/1TB | $1,449 | 1,449 € | N/A |
Model comparison
Google released the Pixel 9 Pro alongside the standard Pixel 9 and the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL. Here’s how the three models compare:
| Google Pixels 9 | Google Pixel 9 Pro | Google Pixel 9 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions: | 152.8 x 72 x 8.5mm | 152.8 x 72 x 8.5mm | 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm |
| Weight: | 198g | 199g | 221g |
| Advertisement: | 6.3-inch Actu | 6.3-inch Super Actua | 6.8-inch Super Actua |
| Resolution: | 1080 x 2424 pixels | 1280 x 2856 pixels | 1344 x 2992 pixels |
| Refresh rate: | Adaptive 60-120 Hz | Adaptive 1-120 Hz | Adaptive 1-120 Hz |
| Chipset: | Google TensorG4 | Google TensorG4 | Google TensorG4 |
| Rear view cameras: | 50 MP main lens, 48 MP ultra wide angle | 50 MP main lens, 48 MP ultra wide angle, 48 MP telephoto lens | 50 MP main lens, 48 MP ultra wide angle, 48 MP telephoto lens |
| Front camera: | 10.5 megapixels | 42 megapixels | 42 megapixels |
| R.A.M: | 12GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage: | 128GB, 256GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
Google Pixel 9 Pro: Design and Display
- Redesigned rear camera bump
- 6.3-inch Super Actua display
- 3,000 nit peak brightness
The Pixel 9 Pro features a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED panel, which is a dramatic departure from the 6.7-inch size of the Pixel 8 Pro. Why did Google shrink its latest flagship? Well, because the 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL is launching this year.
The good news is that this new 6.3-inch display offers a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, which is an improvement over the 2,400 nits peak brightness of the Pixel 8 Pro’s screen.
Other changes from the Pixel 8 Pro include a redesigned camera array on the back. The Pixel 9 Pro’s camera array is on a rounded, isolated island, rather than integrated into the back like the Pixel 8 Pro.
While the sides of the Pixel 8 Pro are curved, the Pixel 9 Pro has polished sides that sit flush against a flat back. However, the corners of the phone are still curved and the back remains matte instead of glossy.
Google says this new “molded shape” provides improved durability for the Pixel 9 Pro, and it’s worth noting that the aluminum used for the phone’s body is 100% recycled.
Google Pixel 9 Pro: Cameras
- Same 5x zoom lens as the Pixel 9 Pro XL
- AI offers improvements in video zoom and night video
- New 42MP selfie camera
The Pixel 9 Pro has the same four cameras as the Pixel 9 Pro XL: a 50MP main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 48MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, and a 42MP selfie camera.
The latter is a dramatic improvement over the Pixel 8 Pro’s 10.5MP lens, but the upgrades don’t stop there. The phone’s Super Res Zoom feature uses AI to give you up to 30x zoom, and it’s now available for video recording too (up to 20x).
Night Sight Video has also been improved, and Video Boost can now enhance video to up to 8K resolution (and process dark video twice as fast) for the “best video quality on Pixel yet.” Read our hands-on review of the Google Pixel 9 Pro to get our first impressions of the phone’s new camera features.
In the realm of AI photography, the Pixel 9 Pro introduces “Add Me,” a new editing feature that lets you add the photographer to a group photo by merging two photos. Google’s Best Take feature also returns, and the Magic Editor has been improved to automatically reframe photos, suggest appropriate crops, and zoom in on images to capture more of the scene.
Google Pixel 9 Pro: Performance and software
- Google Tensor G4 chipset
- 16GB RAM
- New AI features
Under the hood, the Pixel 9 Pro is powered by Google’s new Tensor G4 chipset, the chipset you’ll find in every Pixel 9 device, including the standard model.
Of course, this newer chipset brings performance improvements over the Pixel 8 Pro, but the real innovation in the Pixel 9 Pro is the new 16GB RAM capacity, which allows the phone to handle AI tasks better than… perhaps any other phone on the market right now (for comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with 8GB RAM).
Like the Pixel 8 Pro, a quick press and hold of the power button on the Pixel 9 Pro triggers Google’s Gemini assistant, and the new phone comes with the Google One AI Premium plan, which gives you access to Gemini Advanced for free for a year.
New software features on the Pixel 9 Pro include Pixel Screenshots, which uses the device’s on-board AI to save, organize, and retrieve screenshots when needed.
The Pixel 9 Pro comes with seven years of operating system and security updates, matching Google’s software commitment for the Pixel 8 Pro.
Google Pixel 9 Pro: Battery
- 4,700mAh battery
- 45W wired charging
The Pixel 9 Pro has a slightly smaller battery (4,700mAh) than its predecessor (5,050mAh), but Google still promises at least 24 hours of battery life with normal use. In Extreme Battery Saver mode, battery life is said to be up to 100 hours (100!). Of course, we’ll put both claims to the test in our full Pixel 9 Pro review.
Wired charging has been improved to 45W, which is better than the 25W wired charging on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. However, you’ll need to buy a 45W charger to take advantage of the higher speed, as Google doesn’t include one in the box.
