We’re still processing everything Google showed yesterday, from the Pixel 9 to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Pixel Watch 3, and more. This is by far Google’s biggest hardware reveal we’ve attended, even if they started the first 30 minutes of the show talking about software. There was a lot to process, so you may have missed things.
Let’s take a few minutes to share a few random but important notes about the Pixel 9 Pro series that you might have missed. Some of these things may influence your purchasing decision or at least confirm that your pre-order was the right move.
Pixel 9 Pro series launches with Android 14, but who cares?Yes, the Pixel 9 will ship with Android 14 and that’s neither a surprise nor a big deal. Android 15 hasn’t been released yet and is still in beta (new beta yesterday), so it only makes sense that the Pixel 9 will run the current stable version of Android. And you know what? When Android 15 is released, you can bet the Pixel 9 will be one of the first devices to come with it.
Pixel 9 Pro in pink (Rose Quartz) is only available with 256 GB. 1 TB only in Obsidian. Fans of the pink or “Rose Quartz” Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL can only buy the device with 256GB of storage, which comes to a starting price of either $1,099 (9 Pro) or $1,199 (9 Pro XL). Why no 128GB option? Perhaps Google doesn’t expect to sell that many.
On a related note, if you want 1TB of storage on your Pixel 9 device, your only option is Obsidian. However, both Porcelain and Hazel go up to 512GB, so that’s something.
New 45W charger, but now 45W speeds. Google has released a new wired charger for Pixels for the first time in years. It’s a 45W charging lamp that costs $29.99. Unfortunately, none of the new Pixel 9 phones charge at 45W speeds. Instead, the Pixel 9 Pro maxes out at 27W and the Pixel 9 Pro XL maxes out at 37W. On the Pixel 9 Pro XL, 37W is the fastest charging speed Google has ever allowed for a Pixel device, but it’s still not the full 45W.
No wireless Qi2 charging. All of the new Pixel 9 devices have wireless charging, but it’s still the old Qi standard, not the new Qi2. When asked why during a briefing call, Google basically said they hadn’t heard any demand for it and that was just silly. Qi2 will essentially bring Apple’s wonderful MagSafe magnets and charging to Android, which we would all appreciate. Seriously, Apple’s wireless charging ecosystem is so good that everyone would probably want it if they knew it could come to Android. Maybe next year…please tell Google you want this in the Pixel 10.
Massive upgrade of the fingerprint sensor. Google briefly mentioned during yesterday’s presentation that they had improved the fingerprint sensor in the Pixel 9 series and then showed a slide suggesting it should be 50% faster. Qualcomm later pursued to confirm that it is the Qualcomm 3D Sonic Gen 2 ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. This is the sensor that Samsung has been using for a few releases and it should actually bring big improvements over the poor sensors that Google had in all previous Pixel devices.
Still has a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is back in the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL after first being introduced in the Pixel 8 Pro a year ago. Does it have a new function or is it more useful? Um, I guess we’ll see, but it’s unlikely. Does anyone still use it in the 8 Pro?
Gemini Live requires Gemini Advanced, which you get for free. One of the biggest Gemini announcements for the Pixel 9 Pro series was Gemini Live, where Google showed demos where you could talk to Gemini in a more natural way, with it speaking to you as if it were another person. We’ll definitely be testing this out extensively, but it looks like a promising idea for those looking for a new Friend Assistant to share ideas. To gain access, you’ll need a Gemini Advanced subscription, which normally costs $239 per year, but Google is offering a one-year subscription to Pixel 9 Pro owners.
And by the way, Gemini Advanced also gives you first access to Gemini’s new features, as well as 2TB of Google One storage through the Google One AI Premium plan.
3 new Pixel-exclusive apps are here. This probably hasn’t escaped your notice since Google has spent a lot of time on it, but there are three new Pixel apps to play with that no one else has. There’s Pixel Weather, Google’s dedicated weather app that we’ve wanted for years. Then you have Pixel Studio, a little image editing tool that lets you create your next fun invitation or silly picture to share with friends. And finally you have Pixel Screenshots, a new way to use Android’s screenshot capabilities to organize your life and help you find information later. These are all exclusive Pixel features and the Pixel 9 Pro has them all out of the box.
Pixel 9 Pro is a “Pro” phone in every way like the Pixel 9 Pro XL. I know we’re so used to Google making two phones, one of which lacks all sorts of features from the “Pro” model, that I have to say this again – the Pixel 9 Pro may be smaller, but it has all the goodness of the Pixel 9 Pro XL. In other words, Google hasn’t cut anything out of the smaller Pro model and is really just giving you the choice.
We covered that in our first report, but we’ll go over it again. The differences between the two are a slightly larger battery (5060mAh vs. 4700mAh), faster charging (37W vs. 27W), and a larger display. Two of those three differences are size-related, and I couldn’t tell you why Google created that difference in charging speeds, although it could also be size-related. That’s all. Otherwise, you have the same chip, 16GB of RAM, storage options, the exact same camera system, the same design and materials and colors, UWB, and the list goes on.
