Google Pixel 9: price, release date, camera, and everything you need to know

Every spec for the standard Pixel 9

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TheGooglePixel 9 has landed, alongside theGoogle Pixel 9 Pro, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, and theGoogle Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It’s a wider selection of devices than we’re used to from Google, but the Pixel 9 itself should be at least somewhat familiar, since it’s a direct successor to thePixel 8.

That said, Google has made some big changes here, including a new design and various upgraded specs. Check out our hands-onGoogle Pixel 9 reviewfor our first impressions.

So below, you’ll find details of all the upgrades and features in the Pixel 9, along with its price and when you’ll be able to buy it.

A test suggeststhe Tensor G4 chipset in the Pixel 9 struggles to maintain performancewhen being throttled.

Google Pixel 9: specs

Here’s an overview of the key specs you’ll find on the Pixel 9, and how they compare to those of the Pixel 9 Pro, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Google Pixel 9: release date and price

The Google Pixel 9 was announced on August 13 and goes on sale on August 22, with pre-orders live right now. For a look at the available deals, check out our dedicatedGoogle Pixel 9 pre-order dealspage.

It starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,349, which gets you a model with 128GB of storage. The price rises to $899 / £899 / AU$1,499 for 256GB.

For comparison, the Pixel 8 started at $699 / £699 / AU$1,199, so the Pixel 9 is a bit more expensive than last year’s model.

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Google Pixel 9: design and display

The Pixel 9 has a new design, with a flat back and a camera block that doesn’t quite meet the edges of the phone, unlike on the Pixel 8.

It has durable Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the front and back, a polished glass rear, and a metal frame, which along with the camera block has a satin finish.

The Pixel 9 is 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.5mm and 198g, making it slimmer but slightly heavier than the 150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9mm and 187g Pixel 8.

The Pixel 9 also has an IP68 rating, making it dust and water resistant, and it’s available in a choice of four colors: Obsidian (black), Porcelain (off white), Wintergreen (green), and Peony (pink).

As for the screen, the Google Pixel 9 has a 6.3-inch 1080 x 2424OLEDscreen with a pixel density of 422 pixels per inch. It has a 20:9 aspect ratio, and can move from 60 to 120Hz according to how high the refresh rate needs to be. It also has a peak brightness of 2,700 nits, which makes it 35% brighter than the Pixel 8.

Google Pixel 9: cameras

The Pixel 9 has a dual-lens camera on the back, including a 50MP f/1.68 main camera and a 48MP f/1.7 ultra-wide one, with a 123-degree field of view. The main sensor also sports both optical and electronic image stabilization to keep shots steady, and it supports up to 8x Super Res Zoom (though this is a digital zoom rather than an optical one).

On the front, there’s a 10.5MP f/2.2 selfie camera with a 95-degree field of view.

Of these though only the ultra-wide is a real upgrade on last year’s, as the 48MP sensor replaces a 12MP one on the Pixel 8. That said, the front-facing camera has at least gained auto-focus this year, for sharper selfies.

The Pixel 9 also has all sorts of camera modes such as Night Sight, Astrophotography, Macro Focus, and more. This being a Google phone there are numerous AI tools too, such as the Pixel 9’s new Add Me feature, which lets you add the photographer to group shots.

There’s also returning features like Best Take, to combine similar photos for a perfect group image, and Magic Editor, which lets you adjust the background, move or remove objects, and more.

Google Pixel 9: performance and software

The Google Pixel 9 has a Tensor G4 chipset, which is faster and more power efficient than the Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8.

That’s joined by 12GB of RAM (up from 8GB in the Pixel 8), so the Pixel 9 should be noticeably more powerful than its predecessor, but may still not match up to the likes of theSamsung Galaxy S24or theiPhone 15 Pro, as Google’s Tensor chipsets don’t typically match rivals for power.

Plus, a benchmark suggests thatthe Tensor G4 struggles to maintain its performancewhen being throttled.

Where Google does excel is software, and in the case of the Pixel 9, the company has gone big on AI. We’ve detailed some of its AI features in the camera section above, but the Pixel 9 also hasGoogle Geminibuilt in, allowing you to do things like snapping a photo to get help with what’s shown – such as saving a dying plant or finding a recipe for the ingredients in your fridge.

There’s also a Pixel Screenshots feature, which uses AI to save and organize key information in any screenshots you take.

It also has some new non-AI features of note, such as the ability to create a password-protected private space for apps and content that you want to keep private.

It runsAndroid 14at launch (with an update toAndroid 15expected soon), and comes with the promise of seven years of software updates.

Google Pixel 9: battery

The Pixel 9 has a 4,700mAh battery, which is a slight upgrade on the 4,575mAh one in the Pixel 8. Google claims it will last for 24 hours or more, or for up to 100 hours if you activate Extreme Battery Saver mode.

It charges at 27W, which is fast enough for it to power up to 55% in 30 minutes, and it also supports 15W wireless charging with the Google Pixel Stand (2nd gen) or 12W with a Qi-certified charger.

And it supports reverse wireless charging, so you can use the Pixel 9 as a wireless charger for other devices.

Google Pixel 9: outlook

The Google Pixel 9 has a number of key upgrades over its predecessor, including a new design, a new ultra-wide camera, more power, and a slightly bigger battery.

On paper it’s a fairly substantial improvement, but it’s also priced higher, so it remains to be seen whether all these improved specs will make enough difference to justify the inflated price tag.

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James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

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