While the Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro only launched months ago, new leaks have surfaced that show what Google may be up to for the Google Pixel 9 series. And it looks like big changes are coming.
We don’t expect to see the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro until the fall season, which isn’t surprising. But new renders from OnLeaks and MySmartPrice are giving us a first look at what to expect later this year. These are 5K renders of the top-of-the-line Pixel 9 Pro, and there is even a 360-degree video for an even better look.
According to these renders, it looks like the Google Pixel 9 Pro will have a smaller 6.5-inch, flat display. This could be good news for those who like smaller phones, as the current Pixel 8 Pro has a 6.7-inch display. It also looks like the smaller display will feature a centered punch-hole cutout, which houses the selfie camera, and there will be thin bezels on all four sides of the screen.
The bigger change, however, involves the frame. The Pixel 8 series currently has a rounded frame, but the leaks indicate that this will change to a flat frame. This is similar to the iPhone 15 series and, more recently, the Samsung Galaxy S24. The power button and volume rockers will be on the right edge of the Pixel 9 Pro, leaving the left edge clean, aside from the antenna lines.
On the top of the device looks to be the mmWave antenna and a microphone. From the renders, the Pixel 9 Pro dimensions will be 162.7 x 76.6 x 8.5mm, but that will be 12.0mm with the camera bump.
Speaking of cameras, the Pixel 9 Pro may also have a new design for the rear cameras. This change will move the telephoto sensor apart from the main sensor, and it’s likely that Google will add a periscope telephoto sensor. And from the renders, the large sensor on the camera bar suggests that it will support variable aperture.
I think these new design renders, at least for the Pixel 9 Pro, are exciting. The Pixel series has had the same overall look for a few years, and I think a design change is long overdue. I also like the flat edges that more smartphones are adopting, as it feels a bit more comfortable to hold, in my opinion. However, it’s also a double-edged sword, as now every phone looks more and more like each other. Plus, that camera bump looks freaking gigantic!
It’s still early, and the final product may or may not look like these renders. But at least we have an idea of what’s to come.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.