Leaked US pricing shows that Google's new Pixel 9 Pro models won't come cheap

Summary

Google’s new Pixel 9 Pro models come with a smaller variant and a larger “Pro XL” model. The Pro XL is thought to be about the same size as last year’s Pixel 8 Pro.
A T-Mobile pricing leak suggests the Pixel 9 Pro will start at $1,000 in the US, with the Pixel 9 Pro XL at $1,200.
Google is also introducing the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, a sequel to the original Pixel Fold, but its US pricing wasn’t revealed in this leak.

We knew Google’s Pixel 9 Pro models wouldn’t come cheap — after all, the Pixel 8 Pro started at a thousand dollars in the US. But this year, Google is making some changes to its Pro lineup, adding a smaller variant that now takes over as the standard Pro model, with the larger one getting a new “Pro XL” designation. That’s not even mentioning the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which is Google’s sequel to the original Pixel Fold.

Now, a pricing leak gives us an idea of just how expensive some of these Pro models will be in the US.

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A poster on Reddit has shared what appears to be T-Mobile’s pricing for the Google Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL in multiple storage variants. According to the leak, the Pixel 9 Pro will start at $1,000, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL will carry a $1,200 starting price.

Notably, the 512GB storage variants are listed with the same pricing as their 256GB counterparts. This is likely due to promotional pricing at the carrier that would potentially offer a free storage upgrade.

This would effectively be a $200 price hike for the bigger Pro model

At first glance, that might seem to be par for the course, considering last year’s Pro model also started at $1,000. But the Pixel 9 Pro XL will be the direct sequel to the Pixel 8 Pro, and that is said to be getting a $1,200 starting price. In essence, Google is hiding a price hike for the series by sliding the smaller Pixel 9 Pro into the slot that used to be reserved for its largest, most expensive phone.

A person holding the Pixel 9 Pro next to the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

Source: Pixophone / TikTok

The Pixel 9 Pro XL (left) next to the standard Pixel 9 (right), which is roughly the size of the Pixel 9 Pro.

These numbers line up with the European Pixel 9 pricing leak we had seen earlier — while the prices won’t match perfectly due to local tariffs and other factors, that leak also had the Pixel 9 Pro matching the Pixel 8 Pro’s MSRP, with the 9 Pro XL costing a bit more than that.

For reference, the European pricing leak pegged the Pixel 9 Pro Fold at the same price point as the original Pixel Fold, which retailed for $1,800 in the US.

While the Pixel 9 Pro dealing with a case of shrinkflation would be disappointing, there’s plenty to be excited about for Google’s August 13 event. In less than a week, the rumor phase comes to an end and Google’s new phones will be revealed on a livestream for all to see.