Design The Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL feature a redesigned appearance while retaining the overall
design language that began with the
Pixel 6 series, with the edges now flat rather than curved and the camera bar taking the shape of "an elongated, free-floating […] oval". They are each available in four colors: } Peony
Hardware In a departure from previous generations, the Pixel 9 series was offered in three models: the base model, a “Pro” model, and a new “Pro XL” model. The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are near-identical in size, with a screen size, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL is slightly larger at . A key distinction between the base and Pro models lies in the camera setup, with the higher-end models sporting a 48-
megapixel telephoto rear camera in addition to the standard 50- and 48-megapixel
wide and
ultrawide lenses; the Pro models also include a 42-megapixel ultrawide front camera compared to 10.5 megapixels on the base. All three phones are powered by the fourth-generation
Google Tensor system-on-chip (SoC), marketed as "Google Tensor G4", and the
Titan M2 security
co-processor. The upgraded
Samsung Exynos 5400 modem on the new Tensor chip enhances the Pixel 9's satellite connectivity, enabling the ability to
contact emergency services via satellite, similar to the feature introduced by Apple on the
iPhone 14 and the first
Android phone to be equipped with this technology. Dubbed “Satellite SOS”, Google partnered with
satellite network provider
Skylo and SOS dispatch center
Garmin on the feature, which was made available for free for two years. Tensor G4 is also the first SoC to run
Gemini Nano, a version of the
Gemini large language model (LLM), with
multimodality.
Software As with prior Pixel generations, the Pixel 9 series is equipped with numerous AI-powered features, with the
Associated Press calling it a "vessel for the AI technology that is expected to reshape the way people live and work". Google dedicated the first half-hour of its launch event discussing its advances in the field before unveiling its new devices.
Gemini, a generative AI–powered
chatbot launched in 2023 in response to
OpenAI's
ChatGPT, was frequently spotlighted, replacing the
Google Assistant as the new default
virtual assistant on Pixel and heavily integrating into the Pixel 9 series. In order to facilitate on-device AI processing, the
RAM on the Pixel 9 series was substantially increased. Google also debuted Gemini Live, a new voice chat mode powered by the
Imagen 3 text-to-image model. Other AI-powered features included Pixel Studio, an
image generation app; Pixel Screenshots, a screenshot management and analysis app; Add Me, the ability to retroactively add subjects to photos; Pixel Weather, a new
weather forecast app; Call Notes, which summarizes phone calls while running on-device; and miscellaneous camera updates. Breaking with tradition, the Pixel 9 series was shipped with the year-old
Android 14 rather than
Android 15, likely due to the earlier-than-usual timeframe; the phones were updated with Android 15 via a “Pixel Drop” software update, formerly known as Feature Drops, on October 15. Continuing the
Pixel 8's trend, the phones will receive seven years of major OS upgrades, with support extending to 2031. == Marketing ==