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Google is set to announce new Pixel devices next month at an event in Mountain View. It’s a bit of a strange thing for Google, since Pixels are usually announced in October, and at an event in New York City or San Francisco. Not at Google’s campus in Mountain View. However, it is rumored that Google has at least four Pixel smartphones to announce and at least two smartwatches. So there’s lots to see next month.
That brings us to the latest leak, which actually comes from Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC) which is basically their version of the FCC. Like with the FCC, Google needs to send products over to the NCC for approval before they can be sold. And the NCC has decided to publish pictures of the phone. So we can see the Pixel 9 Pro Fold here, but it also appears to be a prototype and could be a final prototype. But we can tell based on the logo on the back, that it is not the final, final version.
While we don’t know exact dimensions yet of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (I really hope that is not the final name), it looks a lot like the OnePlus Open or OPPO Find N3. Which has a 18:9 aspect ratio main display, similar to a regular slab phone. That would be a big departure from the passport-style Pixel Fold the company released last year. Which I, and many others loved.
Google’s opting for a smaller battery this year
In a surprising turn of events, Google is supposedly using a smaller battery for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, at just 4,560mAh. The original Pixel Fold was 4,727mAh, that’s about 4% smaller. But let’s face it, the Pixel Fold wasn’t exactly known for its battery. Perhaps the new Tensor G4 is going to offer better efficiency than the Tensor G3 did; the Pixel 8 series with Tensor G3 fell in last place in almost every battery test this past year. Don’t forget, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is jumping from a Tensor G2 to a Tensor G4, so it’s getting two generations of chip upgrades here.
With a name like “Pixel 9 Pro Fold,” I can’t help but think that Google might release a non-Pro foldable this year or at some point in the future. Which could be good for a cheaper price tag. The Pixel Fold was priced at $1,799 last year – the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 5. However, the OnePlus Open did start at $1,599 and pretty much lapped both of those other foldables. If Google can offer the Pixel 9 Pro Fold at a lower price, it could really be a big seller.
Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL also appear
The NCC isn’t just releasing pictures of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold either. They have also released pictures of the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. Now, from our understanding, the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are going to be the same size, with the Pixel 9 Pro XL being a larger model.
With the Pixel 9, we can see that it is still using a glossy back, similar to the Pixel 8. I thought for sure Google would use matte this time around since the Pixel 8a had a matte finish. While both Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL sport matte finishes, as well as the triple-camera bar on the back. All three models are sporting sharp edges around the camera bump, which many won’t like.
According to the NCC, we could also see faster charging, at least on the Pro models. As the Pixel 9 Pro is reportedly 25.20W, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL is 32.67W. So it’s likely going to be 27W charging and 33W charging, respectively.
Now for the battery sizes, the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro have a 4,558mAh capacity battery, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL is 4,942mAh.
Google Pixel 9
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
