What to know
- Google’s next iteration of Pixel devices could come in threes – Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL.
- The extra option will allow Google to include its Pro features in a more compact device.
- The biggest of the three – Pixel 9 Pro XL – may be more compact than last year’s Pixel 8 Pro.
This year’s Pixel release could see an additional variant alongside the standard and the Pro models. According to recent leaks, Google might be looking to bring back the XL moniker this year with a third Pixel 9 Pro XL. The additional model in the Pixel 9 lineup will not only offer users extra options but also give Google more room to decide which variant gets what.
For instance, early renders suggests the three devices will have different sizes. The standard Pixel 9 is pegged at 6.03 inches, Pixel 9 Pro at 6.1 inches, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL at 6.5-inch displays.
So even the largest phone among the three would be 0.2 inches shorter than the Pixel 8 Pro. which, let’s face it, is just too big for it’s own sake.
Most years, users are split between getting a slightly shorter Pixel that fits in their hands or one that boasts the best cameras. With the next iteration, you could get the best of both worlds on the Pixel 9 Pro since both the ‘Pro’ models include a triple-camera system. In terms of design, the Pixel 9 lineup also includes a fatter bump for the rear camera visor, but that would hardly be a deal breaker for most.
Up until 2020, the smaller sized Pixels were relegated to the budget-friendly A series (the 4a being the last Pixel that was actually comfortable to hold). But what Google (and Apple) have failed to realize thus far is that bigger doesn’t always equate to better, even though that has been the trend among phone manufacturers.
There’s little point in packing all the next-gen camera capabilities and AI features into a giant unwieldy brick that no one can hold for too long. With the Pixel 9 at least, it looks like Google is listening to user complaints and wants to shake things up that may have skewed too far in one direction.
Although we’re still some time away from any official confirmations by Google, such leaks tend to turn out right when it comes to Google. In between now and then, there’s also Pixel 8A and a Pixel Fold 2 that are to come out. And perhaps next year, we could also see a Pixel 9A. We can only speculate what that would entail, perhaps a return to more compact phones?
