Pixel 9 Series Adds Polish to Google Lineup

Google’s new Pixel Phones and wearables are officially on their way so what’s new and what’s compelling about the Series 9 lineup?

The big news is the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is coming to Australia after Aussies missed out on the original model. Turns out to be a good thing – as the fit and finish of the latest version is far superior. So that’s a win.

There’s a new watch and earbuds but for most of us, the Pixel phones are the devices we want.

PIXEL 9 SERIES

When it comes to the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL we have some obvious improvements in design and hardware, especially in the front-facing selfie camera. It’s been upgraded to a 42MP sensor with PDAF and f/2.2 17mm ultra wide lens, the previous version is a 10.5 MP sensor. On the back you’ll get a triple camera setup with a stack of megapixels to play with – 50 MP wide, 48 MP ultrawide with Macro Focus and 48 MP 5x telephoto lens with Super Res Zoom up to 30x and optical quality at 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x, 10x.

Across the board the phones have the latest Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) at their core. You’ll also notice more RAM (16GB) as apposed to to 12GB to help with on-device processing of AI tasks.

The only differences between the 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL are size related. The bigger XL has a bigger 5060mAh battery while the smaller 9 Pro has a 4700mAh battery. The larger device has a 6.8-inch screen while the smaller Pro has a 6.3-inch display but both are 120Hz and can reach a peak brightness level of 3000 nits.

The Pixel 9 has a 6.3-inch display, 10.5 MP selfie camera and two rear cameras, 50 MP wide and 48 MP ultrawide with Macro Focus. It’s not a bad option when you consider it is a $350 saving on the 128GB base model. Pixel 9 Pro comes with seven years of OS and security updates from launch.

The Pixel 9 Pro starts at $1,699 (RRP) while the Pixel 9 Pro XL starts at $1,849 (RRP) and will be on sale starting August 22 available in Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel and Rose Quartz.

The Pixel 9 starts at $1,349 (RRP) and will be on sale starting August 22 available in Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen and Peony.

PIXEL 9 SERIES PRICING

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PIXEL 9 SERIES PRICING

PIXEL 9

128GB – $1349

256GB – $1499

PIXEL 9 PRO

128GB – $1699

256GB – $1849

512GB – $2049

PIXEL 9 PRO XL

128GB – $1840

256GB – $1999

512GB – $2199

1TB – $2549

PHONES MADE FOR AI

Gemini is at the heart of Pixel 9 operations and it’s going to help you with everything from search to writing, planning and learning. The Pixel 9 Pro also comes with the Google One AI Premium plan for eligible users, giving access to Gemini Advanced at no additional cost for the first year – plus 2TB of storage.

Pixel Screenshots is a feature I’m extremely pumped to try out. I have thousands of screen shots on my phones that I refer to later for dates and other information. Now, Pixel Screenshots, an on-device Pixel-exclusive AI feature, helps you to save, organise and recall things that you want to remember with ease. Simply search in a conversational way to quickly find what you need, when you need it.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Pixel event if there wasn’t a new feature to test the meaning of photography. Last year it was BEST TAKE, a face swapping trick to fix up group shots. This time Google is allowing photographers to be part of the image they take of others. Called, ADD ME, you simply take a photo of the group, then swap in the photographer by having someone else take the shot. The Pixel phone will merge both photos as if everyone was in the shot in the first place. Now, does this capture the actual moment? Of course not. Photos are edited all the time to include missing members, so it will be interesting to see if users make use of this feature.

Magic Editor can now automatically reframe your photo, suggest the best crop and even expand your image to get more of the scene. You can also ‘reimagine’ your photos for a wild new look.

PIXEL 9 SERIES SPECS

(best viewed in landscape on phones)

The look of the new Pixels gives me iPhone vibes with those flat metal sides. The camera housing is no longer a body-wide bar, it’s now a quite chunky island.

And that’s fine by me. The cameras matter and you can’t get a good camera without a bit of a bump in your smartphone.

PIXEL 9 FOLD PRO 

As mentioned above, the Google next gen fold – the Pixel 9 Pro Fold – is coming to Australia after the original fold skipped Down Under. 

But this new model is far more impressive in almost every department. It’s thinner, lighter and brighter, plus it’s more powerful with the new Tensor G4 chip inside. It also gives the Samsung Fold6 serious competition in this category.

The 8-inch Super Actua Flex inner display offers plenty of space for split screen activities or multi-window multitasking. When folded the Pro Fold looks and feels like a regular phone. It’s not much thicker than a standard phone so its usability when folded is extremely pleasing thanks to its 6.3-inch outer display.

It’s water resistant with an IPX8 rating with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the outer display and back. The all-new hinge is made from stainless steel with an aerospace-grade, high-strength aluminium alloy cover.

As with other foldables, using the rear cameras makes more sense when it comes to better selfies. The Pro Fold edges out the FOLD6 with a bit more zoom in its triple array camera, comprising of a 48MP wide, 10.5MP Ultrawide with Macro Focus and 10.8MP 5x telephoto lens.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold starts at $2,699 (RRP) and will be on sale starting September 2 in Porcelain and Obsidian colours.

Pixel 9 Pro Fold Specs
(best viewed in landscape on phones)

PIXEL WATCH 3

The Pixel Watch 3 is now available in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm with over 16% smaller bezels. It has a larger active screen area compared with the Pixel Watch 2 – over 10% more screen on the 41 mm watch and 40% more on the 45 mm size. It’s now easier to read your messages, navigate with Maps and see your metrics during exercise.

The Actua display is bigger, brighter and more responsive making it more visible in bright sunlight. It’s 2-times brighter with up to 2000 nits of brightness while also dimming to as low as 1 nit in always-on display. The refresh rate dynamically adjusts between 1 and 60 Hz for more responsive performance and power efficiency.

Google’s latest smartwatch can last up to 24-hours with always-on display, and 36 hours in Battery Saver mode while still offering health, fitness and safety features. All-new readiness and cardio load tracking guide you to a better workout routine by taking into account recovery and overtraining.

Fitbit Premium gives you personalised, AI-powered run recommendations based on your goals and readiness, and target load. Fitbit Morning Brief, a summary of your most important health and fitness information, is delivered after you wake up so that you can plan your workout and know of any overnight changes to your health metrics.

You can also keep an eye on your Google Home devices with Nest camera and doorbell streams, use it as a Google TV remote, or check offline Google Maps.

The Pixel Watch 3 starts at $579 (RRP) and will be on sale starting September 10, available in Hazel, Obsidian, Porcelain and Rose Quartz. The 45mm size is available in Hazel, Obsidian and Porcelain.

PIXEL BUDS PRO 2

I’ve always been a fan of Pixel Buds and the new Pixel Buds Pro 2 are sounding pretty good to me. Google says the Buds Pro 2 have been designed to be its most comfortable and secure-fitting earbuds. They were modelled using 45 million data points from ear scans to come up with the optimal shape for maximum comfort and a secure fit.

The buds contain the new Tensor A1 chip, and despite a reduction in size by 27%, performance and battery life have been increased.

Pixel Buds Pro 2 have 11 mm drivers for strong bass and a new high-frequency chamber for smooth treble. Active Noise Cancellation with Silent Seal 2.0 adapts to your environment up to 3 million times per second.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 start at $379 (RRP) and will be on sale starting September 26 available in Porcelain, Hazel, Wintergreen and Peony.