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The Pixel 9 series is still over eight months away. But thanks to reliable leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (a.k.a. ONLEAKS), there are already renderings for the phone.
It’s certainly interesting to see these leaks early in the cycle. But more importantly, these tell an entirely new story for his entire Pixel series. We’ll break down that story here (and in the video above) and take a look at what Google’s goals will be in 2024.
According to current leaks, would you buy a Pixel 9 smartphone?
77 votes
Rendered images of Google Pixel 9 leaked
![Google Pixel 9 Pro MySmartPrice 2 Google Pixel 9 Pro MySmartPrice 2](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Google-Pixel-9-Pro-MySmartPrice-2.png)
Before we dig deeper into things, I’d like to do a little refresher on rendering itself. The suspected Google Pixel 9 Pro is shown above, and the regular Pixel 9 is shown below.
The first thing you notice about the Pixel 9 Pro leak is the flat sides around the phone. You could say it’s “borrowed” from the iPhone, but more on that later. You’ll also notice that the camera bar has been updated. The curved corners of the camera bar are reminiscent of the Material Design language found throughout the Android operating system itself. This is definitely intentional, as Google controls his Pixel hardware and Android, so they’re trying to make them look more cohesive.
![google pixel 9 5k 4 google pixel 9 5k 4](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/google-pixel-9-5k-4.png)
Next, renders of the Pixel 9 were leaked. These were the most surprising rendered images of the batch, as they look nearly identical to the Pixel 9 Pro. The biggest difference between the two is size. The Pixel 9 should be about the same size as his Pixel 8, but the Pixel 9 Pro rendering is about the same size as his Pixel 8 Pro. So this will be a compact flagship model with what appears to be the same triple-lens camera we saw in the Pixel 9 Pro leak. If these renderings prove accurate, it would be the first time in history that a Pro-level Pixel and its non-Pro counterpart look this much alike.
So what’s the story here?
Why are there flat sides, Google?
![Apple iPhone 15 volume button and mute switch Apple iPhone 15 volume button and mute switch](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/apple-iphone-15-volume-buttons-and-mute-switch.jpg)
Ryan Haynes / Android Authority
When these renders were first released, people were quick to point out that the flat sides were from an iPhone. In 2020, Apple released the iPhone 12 series, marking the return of flat sides to smartphones. Since then, we’ve seen many companies follow suit. For example, the Galaxy S24 series has flat sides on all models. The sides of ASUS Zenfone 10 are also flat. And every phone that Nothing has ever released (Nothing Phone 1 and Nothing Phone 2) has flat sides as well.
It’s very easy to say that Google is just copying Apple and that Samsung, ASUS, and Nothing are all doing the same. However, I would like to pick up on something that Karl Pei (he’s the CEO and co-founder of Nothing) said a while ago. When his company launched its first cell phone, his Nothing Phone 1, people criticized it for being too similar to the iPhone, especially because it was flat on the sides.
Pei defended this decision, arguing that flat sides are the most efficient way to design a smartphone. Look at the image above and you’ll see what he means. If you have a box, you can fit a certain amount of things in it. However, if you curve the sides of the box all the way around, you can reduce the amount of things you can put inside. Smartphones work the same way. If you start adding curves all over the sides of the phone, you won’t be able to put as many components on the phone as you would with a more squared phone.
The flat sides are similar to the iPhone, but they also allow for more efficient use of space on your smartphone.
Of course, the tradeoff here is that the phone is a little less ergonomic in the hand. But this is a worthwhile trade-off. Because it will allow you to put in bigger batteries, more cameras, more cooling, and all kinds of components that you want in a smartphone today.
Ultimately, you’ll have to decide what you think Google is actually doing here. Is Google designing the Pixel 9 smartphone with efficiency in mind, as Karl Pei suggests, or is Google copying Apple because that’s what Android OEMs are doing? I think it’s a bit of column A and column B. I think Google is looking at Apple and saying, “Hey, that design really sells,” but also saying, “This is fine.” The design allows for more components to be included in the phone than previous designs. ” It’s a win-win.
Ultimately, you can choose to buy the Pixel 9, or buy another phone if you value better ergonomics and don’t want your phone to resemble an Apple device. However, I don’t think this is as simple as Google just copying Apple.
Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Max?
![With Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro in hand With Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro in hand](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Pixel-8-Pro-vs-iPhone-15-Pro-in-hand.jpg)
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
The flat sides of the leaked renders tell a new story, but so does the idea that the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are essentially the same smartphone, just one smaller than the other. This is another thing Apple has been doing for years. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro is just a smaller version of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Obviously, the Pro Max offers some extra features, especially the top telephoto lens. It’s also physically larger, so it has a bigger display and a bigger battery. But no matter how you look at it, the Pro and Pro Max are the same.
If the Pixel 9 is actually the Pixel 9 Pro, and the Pixel 9 Pro is actually the Pixel 9 Pro Max, that would be a big change for Android.
Even though this has been Apple’s strategy for years, Android hasn’t really followed suit. Let’s take another look at the Galaxy S24 series as an example. The base Galaxy S24 isn’t a Pro-level phone, and the Galaxy S24 Plus is just a bigger, slightly more powerful version of it. To get all the features you’d expect from a pro-level phone, including a more powerful 5x telephoto lens, go for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Neither the Galaxy S24 nor his S24 Plus are more compact versions of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This is especially true outside the United States. In the US, the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus are equipped with his Exynos processor instead of the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
The same applies to the Pixel line. The Pixel 8 is more than just a smaller version of the Pixel 8 Pro. It lacks too many features of the Pro.
In the Android world, you have to make a decision: Do you want a big Pro-level phone or a less Pro-level, more compact phone? iPhone users don’t have to make this decision. They can get the iPhone 15 Pro, with nearly all the features of the Pro Max in a smaller (and cheaper) chassis. So if Google imitates this strategy with his Pixel 9 series, it would be a new approach for the Android ecosystem, at least if you look at the market over the past five years or so.
Pro-level smartphones come with pro-level prices
![Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 1 Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Google Pixel 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 1](https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Samsung-Galaxy-S24-Ultra-vs-Google-Pixel-8-Pro-vs-Apple-iPhone-15-Pro-Max-1.jpg)
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
These two important changes that could happen with the Pixel 9 series start to paint a new idea about the next Pixel family and its value, which leads to pricing.
If the Pixel 9 packs the same triple-lens camera as the Pixel 9 Pro, and has most if not all of the Pro features we expect the Pixel 9 Pro to also have, that phone will cost $700. It’s not a flagship model. Phones like the Pixel 9 confirmed in these leaks will be significantly more expensive. It could probably be as expensive as the current Pixel 8 Pro (around $1,000).
Of course, that means the Pixel 9 Pro will be even more expensive than that. If true, this would leave a huge gap in Google’s portfolio. At the low end, there’s the Pixel 7a (or his Pixel 8a, which will be released this year), priced at $500. Given that the Pixel 9 starts at $1,000, there’s a huge difference in the $600 to $900 range, meaning there are no smartphones in the Pixel family.
It’s possible that Google will keep the Pixel 8 series alive, lower the price, and use it to fill the gap. However, we would like to point out that in December 2022, we posted a major leak of Google’s Pixel roadmap for the next few years. With that leak, we learned from reliable sources that Google is planning to release it. three The mainline Pixel series of smartphones is expected to launch in 2024. If this is true, that would include his large and small Pixel 9 Pro smartphones (which have already been leaked). actual At its base level, the Pixel 9 is a small device with two lenses on the back. So it’s similar to the Pixel 8, Pixel 7, and Pixel 6.
This allows Google to almost perfectly copy the iPhone’s strategy, with the Pixel 9 acting as the iPhone 15, the Pixel 9 Pro acting as the iPhone 15 Pro, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL (heh) acting as the iPhone 15. It will function as a Pro Max. . The only thing missing is a duplicate iPhone 15 Plus, but let’s be honest, Google doesn’t need it (and Apple doesn’t need it either).
If our sources are accurate, we should expect another phone in the Pixel 9 series to leak, which will fill in the gap we mentioned earlier. Of course, we haven’t seen it yet, so it might not exist. Maybe Google has changed its mind or maybe our source was wrong. Maybe Steve Hemmerstoffer just doesn’t have access yet. Being this early in the game, there are all sorts of possibilities here. However, we are still waiting for another leak of the Pixel 9 and if there is one we will be very excited as it means our sources were right. And if our sources are right about this, they’re probably also right about all the other information contained in the Pixel roadmap leak.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Would you buy one of these Pixel 9 smartphones? If so, which one? Are you okay with Google copying Apple and tweaking its Pixel line? We’d love to hear from you in the poll above and in the comments below. Please give your opinion.
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