Assuming Google sticks to its normal smartphone release schedule, we're roughly nine months away from the next Pixel flagship updates. But leaked renders of the upcoming phones have just emerged, and they suggest Google could be planning big changes to the Pixel 9 Pro in particular.
The leaked renders were posted by MySmartPrice and created in collaboration with established leaker @OnLeaks, and they show off a flat edge design for the upcoming Google phone. That's a departure from the Pixel 8 Pro, which has a curvier edge.
However, the most notable change could be to horizontal camera bar that's stretched across the back of the Pixel smartphones for the past few years. The new renders still have a bar, but it features a pill-shaped design that doesn't quite extend edge-to-edge.
There are some other changes visible in the renders, too. For instance, the SIM card tray is now next to the USB-C port at the bottom edge of the handset. Still, it's the flat edges and the retooled camera bar that represent the biggest departure from recent Pixel models.
You can take a gander for yourself in a 360-degree video MySmartPrice posted of the renders.
Google has reportedly been working on a major Pixel 9 lineup change for quite some time. Rumors have suggested that Google wants to shake up its smartphone offerings and follow an Apple-like strategy of delivering a handful of options, including two Pro versions that would deliver different screen sizes. Currently, the Pixel 8 Pro comes in just a single, 6.7-inch model. If you want a smaller phone, you have to go with the Pixel 8, but that 6.2-inch model lacks a telephoto lens.
Of course, Google hasn’t divulged any of its plans and likely won’t say much about them until its next-generation smartphones hit store shelves later this year — most likely in October, if Google sticks to its usual schedule. But while the renderings published on Tuesday haven’t been confirmed by Google, they come from leakers who have a strong track record of accuracy.
However, there are some strange revelations from the leak. For one, the leakers say the Pixel 9 Pro will ship with a 6.5-inch screen, down from the 6.7-inch display in the Pixel 8 Pro. That could reflect Google's unconfirmed plans to produce multiple Pro models, though.
Whatever the case, the leaked renders give us a sense of what Google may be planning when it launches the Pixel 9 Pro later this year. We're still waiting to hear about critical details like under-the-hood changes, though you can probably count on a new Tensor chipset to introduce AI features that compete with the newly launched Galaxy S24 models.
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