Google Pixel 9: all of the leaks and rumors so far

Google’s upcoming Pixel 9 lineup will reportedly feature a faster, more reliable ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, according to Android Authority. It would replace the optical under-display fingerprint sensor that Google introduced on the Pixel 6 with the newer technology that’s capable of reading even wet or oily fingerprints.

The switch could also address some of the widespread issues that users have experienced when trying to unlock their Pixel devices, with some people saying that light levels and finger dryness can impact the reliability of the previous optical reader. Optical scanners are the oldest method of reading fingerprints. They work by flashing light against the user’s finger and then visually detecting patterns and ridges on the surface — meaning any changes like dirt or blemishes can interfere with the process.

The next generation of Pixel phones could come with new “Google AI” features, including one that sounds a little like Microsoft’s controversial Recall tool. As reported by Android Authority, Google is working on a “Pixel Screenshots” feature that can “save and process helpful details” from your screenshots, allowing you to search through them.

However, unlike Microsoft Recall, which automatically captures what you’re doing on your device, Google’s version would only process the screenshots taken manually — which should immediately make it less creepy-feeling than Recall. Microsoft delayed the rollout of Recall on Windows 11 after security experts raised concerns about the feature. Even though Google AI may only use the screenshots you take, it could raise similar concerns based on how the information is processed and stored.

If you’re waiting to see the Pixel 9, Pixel Watch 3, or other new Google hardware, then August 13th could be a big day for you because look what just hit our inboxes:

And this teaser posted by Google titled “AI… meet IX at Made by Google” makes the event’s purpose even clearer.

It’s a day that ends in Y, so naturally, we’re dealing with yet another Google Pixel hardware leak. This time, the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL can be seen side by side in new images from Rozetked — a full five months before Google’s typical October release timeframe.

I have many questions about how and why these units are out in the world so early, but here we are. And I know a lot of you are no doubt eyeing that regular 9 Pro, which will finally put Google’s very best camera chops into a normal-sized phone. Meanwhile, the 9 Pro XL looks a fair bit taller than Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Google could be adding a feature very similar to Apple’s Emergency SOS feature to the Pixel 9 and the next Pixel Fold. That’s according to leaker Kamila Wojciechowska, who writes for Android Authority that the company would partner with T-Mobile to offer the feature but may add other providers later.

Just like Apple’s system, Google’s SOS feature would reportedly present future Pixel owners with a series of questions to ascertain what’s happening, rather than let users thumb one out. A video in the Android Authority article features the animation Google will display to users to help them get the phone aligned with a satellite.

Google plans to shake up its smartphone strategy in 2024 by releasing three different models of the upcoming Pixel 9. That’s according to 91mobiles, with the site now claiming that the renders published earlier this year (created by OnLeaks) were in fact of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro “XL” — and not the regular Pixel 9, which it’s sharing for the first time in new images today.

Google used the XL branding for its bigger Pixels until around 2019, but it went away with the one-size Pixel 5 and stayed gone when the company pivoted to the “Pro” name starting in 2021. Now it sounds like Google will follow more of an iPhone strategy and split the Pro tier into two different sizes, and resurrecting the XL moniker makes sense in that case.