The Pixel 9 Pro could be the reasonably sized Android flagship I’ve been waiting for

We have been following the developments of the Pixel 9 series for months now, whose debut is scheduled for October. Personally, I’ve been keeping up to date on the biggies: Tensor G4, a new design, and Google potentially brandishing its next foldable, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. One detail in particular, however, piqued my interest: this year we will have a smaller, non-folding Pro model.

As a Pixel 5 apologist, the idea of ​​a smaller flagship Pixel phone speaks to me. And last week we saw the first photos of this smaller Pixel 9 Pro in the flesh, next to a larger one Maximum– iPhone model. The smaller 9 Pro is hardly the six-inch screen masterpiece that the Pixel 5 was, but seeing it next to a device the size of the Pixel 8 Pro Truly it interested me.

A little Pixel 9 Pro might be my ideal phone

The best of Google, without the clutter?

The leaked image above is, we believe, a Pixel 9 Pro next to an iPhone 14 Pro Max. We first heard back in January that there would be a smaller Pixel 9 Pro, measuring the same 152.8 x 71 .9 x 8.5 mm of the base model Pixel 9, but seeing it in photos next to a known larger device is reassuring. At these dimensions, the Pixel 9 Pro is a little larger than the Pixel 8 I’m using now (and substantially larger than the Pixel 5 which I’ll never get over), but the phone is smaller than I expected Pro Future Android phones.

Although the idea of ​​launching high-end phones in different sizes will be familiar to anyone who keeps up with Apple (Pro iPhones are available in two sizes starting with the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max in 2019), breaking with recent precedents in the Android space. The Pixel 8, 7, and 6 series all include a smaller base version and a larger Pro model with extra features. And while this year’s Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24+ both offer flagship-quality hardware with identical camera features, the smaller model packs less RAM and storage than the larger one – and neither meets the same specs of the titanic S24 Ultra.

With the exception of a misguided carrier promotion, I’ve avoided buying any new phones in recent years, instead parking my SIM in whatever loaner device I have access to that most closely matches my needs (right now, a Pixel 8). I hate missing out on high-end features, but I don’t consume a lot of content on my phone. This makes the need to buy a large device to get the best features – features like telephoto lenses, high-end multitasking performance, and, most annoyingly, in Google’s case, off-device software tricks like Video Boost – a rather unattractive.

But if the Pixel 9 Pro actually shows up this fall with a 6.2-inch display, 12GB of RAM, and the same 5x telephoto lens as the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL, I think I’ll have to bite the bullet. and buy one. It’s not the truly small flagship that many of us are clamoring for, but it looks like it will be too close to pass up.

I’m a little worried about the Tensor G4

Among other things

That said, Google may still squander my cautious optimism for the Pixel 9 Pro in a few ways. For one thing, the Tensor G4 is shaping up to be a fairly mild update to the Tensor G3’s existing design rather than the brand new, fully custom 3nm chipset we expected it to be last year. This in itself isn’t necessarily a problem, but given that the Tensor G3-powered Pixel 8 already feels just a tad slower than its Qualcomm-led competition, it doesn’t inspire confidence either.

There is also the question of price. We have yet to see leaked pricing information for the Pixel 9 series, but with three Pixel 9 phones (four, if you count the Fold) AND With an upcoming Pixel 8a, prices for Google’s next-generation phones could get stiff. If the Pixel 8a costs $550 (which we expect), it’s not hard to imagine the Pixel 9 Pro costing $900 or $1,000 at retail. This would be consistent with Apple – the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro costs $1,000 – but it would be a little difficult to spend that amount knowing that a larger internal update is likely around the corner for the Tensor G5.

On the other hand, if you’re planning too far ahead, there’s always a reason Not update; the next generation will always be better, at least in theory. If the Pixel 9 Pro can even come close to delivering on the promise of a small, full-featured Android flagship, many small phone evangelists will be very happy, myself included.