Google’s Pixel 8 Pro (2023)
Google may have teased the Pixel 9 family of phones, but two weeks before the handset is fully revealed, we have our best look yet at Google’s Pixel 9 Pro XL.
The details come in a new video from the team at Andro-news. they display an engineering sample model of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, allowing us a closer look at the upcoming smartphone’s design and key physical features.
One thing to note is that Google’s move to three models means that the Pixel 9 Pro is not the direct replacement for the Pixel 8 Pro. The 9 Pro will carry higher specs than the Pixel 9 but come with the same screen size. The Pixel 9 Pro XL has higher specs and a larger screen reminiscent of last year’s 8 Pro.
One thing that we don’t see here is the phone actually running. Given the pre-release nature of the software, the host decided not to demonstrate the new look for Android or the device’s display.
Nevertheless, the Pixel 9 Pro XL display is the part of the design that consumers will see the most of. The bezels are thinner than last year’s Pixel 8 Pro, although we won’t see the full benefit of this until the display is active and the eyes can pick out how much border is present.
The design of the 9 Pro XL has far more curves than last year’s model; with the smartphone in hand, it’s possible to see a direct comparison between Pixel and the competition. At one extreme is the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which has similar curves and ergonomics. The other extreme is the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which is a far more angular and boxy affair—a trend that is expected to change for next year’s Galaxy S25 family, bringing it closer to the curved approach favoured by many manufacturers.
Given the sample was passed to Andro-news from Ukrainian manufacturer Pixophone, the final details published are the three Pixel 9 Pro XL SKUs that will be offered: 256 GB of storage backed up by 12 GB of memory, 512 GB storage again with 12 GB of memory, and a 1 TB model that ups the memory to 16 GB.
Google’s Pixel launch event is scheduled for August 13th.
Now read more about the design of the smaller Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro handsets…