Launch

Google has returned to its 'XL' naming scheme after a five-year gap. Succeeding the Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers various improvements over its predecessor, not least a larger and brighter display that can now reach 3,000 nits.

Google has finally announced the Pixel 9 family of smartphones, and, while the Pixel 9 may look quite different on the outside, the new benchmark Android phone only received a minor upgrade to its internals. Chief among those are an upgraded ultrawide camera, a new, brighter, 6.3-inch Actua OLED display, a slightly larger battery, and Google's new Tensor G4 SoC with 50% more RAM.

Google has stolen a march on Apple by releasing the Pixel 9 Pro, its attempt at creating a compact flagship smartphone. While Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi's equivalents still ship with 3x telephoto cameras, Google has equipped the Pixel 9 Pro with the same 5x telephoto found in the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL.

Google has now opened pre-orders for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, its second-generation foldable. Arriving alongside a slew of other new Pixel devices, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is 10.5 mm thick, has a 5x telephoto camera and a pair of 120 Hz displays, among other features.