Google Pixel 9 Pro XL appears online for first time – shaping up to be a beast

There's going to be a change coming with the launch of the next Pixel phones. We've known for some time that the Pixel 9 family will consist of three models, but exactly how these phones would be named has remained a mystery. Until now, that is.

Thanks to a Geekbench report, discovered by MySmartPrice, we now know that the largest Pixel will be known as the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

There's going to be a slight shuffling of the Pixel devices, with the Pixel 9 being a smaller model (as with the Pixel 8); the Pixel 9 Pro will effectively be new, as this remains a compact device, but gets all the Pro power; while the Pixel 9 Pro XL sits in the position of the Pixel 8 Pro – with the larger display and all the features.

While it's the name of the larger device that's changing, it's actually the Pixel 9 Pro that will be the new model. We've previously seen dummy handsets leaking giving us an idea of what the family of phones will look like.

So what do we learn from the Geekbench listing? It looks as though the Pixel 9 Pro XL will have 16GB RAM, while it will be powered by the eight-core Google Tensor G4 hardware. That hardware hasn't actually been announced by Google, but it is expected to take a step forward from the Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8 Pro.

If these details prove to be correct, it would suggest that Google is moving from nine cores in the Tensor G3, to eight cores – but with the main performance core being clocked to a higher speed. The results need to be taken with a pinch of salt, because hardware in development often isn't optimised and delivering the final performance offered on release.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL expected specs

From previous leaks we've pulled together quite a list of specs for the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

First of all, we're expecting the Tensor G4 hardware with 16GB RAM to power it, as mentioned here. It should launch on Android 15, with the new Google OS expected to launch in August or September 2024.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is expected to have a 6.73-inch OLED display, with a 120Hz refresh rate. It's expected to be flat and I'd expect a bump in peak brightness too. The move to 2,400 nits made a big difference and it would be great if that continued.

On the camera front, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is expected to have a 5x optical telephoto lens and rumour has said that all three cameras on the back will have 50-megapixel sensors. That potentially points to a change in sensors, but currently the Pixel 8 Pro has a 50-megapixel main camera and two 48-megapixel sensors behind the other lenses.

We're also expecting deep AI integration with Gemini at the core of the phone and I suspect that the messaging will focus on personalised performance empowered by AI, rather than the core hardware itself, with Google looking to offer the best Android phone experience.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is expected to launch in October 2024.