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

We’ve been following the developments surrounding the Pixel 9 series, which is expected to debut this October, for months. Personally, I’ve been keeping up with the speed of the wide moves – the Tensor G4, a new design, and what Google potentially calls its next foldable device, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. One detail in particular piqued my interest: we’re getting a smaller, non-folding Pro model this year.

As a Pixel 5 apologist, the idea of ​​a smaller Pixel phone appeals to me. And last week, we saw the first photos of this smaller Pixel 9 Pro in the flesh — next to a larger one MAX– iPhone model. The smaller 9 Pro isn’t the six-inch display masterpiece that the Pixel 5 was, but seeing it next to a device roughly the size of the Pixel 8 Pro really I was interested.

A small Pixel 9 Pro could be my ideal phone

The best of Google, without the bulk?

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, with the same 152.8 x 71.9 x 8.5mm dimensions as the base Pixel 9 model, but seeing it in the photo next to a larger known device it is soothing. In these dimensions, the Pixel 9 Pro is slightly larger than the Pixel 8 I’m using now (and significantly larger than the Pixel 5 I’ll never outgrow), but the phone is smaller than I expected. Pros Android phones to be.

While the pattern of releasing high-end phones in multiple sizes will be familiar to anyone who keeps up with Apple (Pros iPhones have come in two sizes since the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max in 2019), it breaks recent precedent in the Android space. The Pixel 8, 7 and 6 series all include a smaller base version and a larger Pro model that has additional features. And while this year’s Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24+ offer flagship-quality hardware with identical camera loads, the smaller model has less RAM and storage than the larger — and neither ticks the same boxes as the titanic. S24 Ultra.

Barring a botched carrier promotion, I’ve avoided buying any new phones for the past few years, instead parking my SIM card in whatever loaner device I have access to that best suits my needs. (for now, a Pixel 8). I hate to lose high-end functionality, but I don’t consume a lot of content on my phone. That means you have to buy a big device to get the best features — features like telephoto cameras, top-notch multitasking performance, and extra annoyingly, in Google’s case, software tricks out there. device like Video Boost – a rather unattractive proposition.

But if the Pixel 9 Pro does indeed show up this fall with a 6.2-inch display, 12 gigs of RAM, and the same 5x telephoto camera as the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL, I guess I’ll have to bite the bullet. and buy one. It’s not really the little flag that many of us are looking for, but it looks like it’s going to be pretty close to pass.

I’m a little worried about the Tensor G4

Among others

All that said, Google could still squander my cautious optimism for the Pixel 9 Pro in a few ways. First, the Tensor G4 is shaping up to be a fairly mild refresh of the existing Tensor G3 design rather than the new, fully custom, 3nm chip we expected last year. That in itself isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, but given that the Tensor G3-powered Pixel 8 already feels just a touch slower than its Qualcomm-powered competition, it doesn’t inspire confidence either.

There is also the issue of price. We’re yet to see leaked pricing information for the Pixel 9 series, but with three Pixel 9 phones (four, if you count the Fold) AND a Pixel 8a on the way, the price tag for Google’s next-gen phones could get sticky. If the Pixel 8a costs $550 (which we expect it could), it’s not hard to imagine the Pixel 9 Pro retailing for $900 or $1,000. That would be in line with Apple — the 6.1″ iPhone 15 Pro costs $1,000 — but it would be a bit of a stretch to spend that kind of money knowing that a bigger internal upgrade is probably around the corner for the Tensor G5.

Then again, if you’re planning far ahead, there’s always a reason NO to improve; the next generation will always be better, at least in theory. If the Pixel 9 Pro can even come close to fulfilling the promise of a small, full-featured Android flagship, many small phone evangelists will be very happy – myself included.