Google Pixel 9 Pro XL could receive a key hardware upgrade to help with AI features

Pixel 9 Pro renders
(Image credit: OnLeaks / MySmartPrice)

Expect the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL to offer impressive AI capabilities when it arrives later this year. That's because a recently discovered Geekbench CPU benchmark result (via MySmartPrice and AndroidCentral) shows what changes Google could be making to boost the whole Pixel 9 series.

Looking at the main results at the top of the listing, we see that the Pixel 9 Pro XL beats what the Pixel 8 Pro got during our own testing. The CPU information also reveals that the Pixel 9 Pro XL's chip (assumed to be named Tensor G4) has one fewer CPU core than the Pixel 8 Pro's Tensor G3, but a faster base clock speed to make up for it.

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Row 0 - Cell 0 Geekbench 6 single-core scoreGeekbench multi-core scoreRAMCPU base clock speed
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (alleged)1950465516GB1.95GHz
Google Pixel 8 Pro1758444712GB1.7GHz

More interestingly is that we can see this device is running with 16GB RAM, up from the 12GB offered in the Pixel 8 Pro and previous Pro Pixels.

That's quite a lot of RAM for Google to use, since the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra offers 12GB RAM, and the iPhone 15 Pro a mere 8GB. This would put the new Pixel in the company of OnePlus 12's highest-spec model and several gaming-focused phones like the ROG Phone 8 Pro, which offer 16GB or even 24GB of RAM.

While this is likely good news for gaming on the Pixel 9 Pro, the extra RAM is likely there to help with AI features, something which became the Pixel family's focus as of the Pixel 8 series. With Samsung's Galaxy AI and Apple Intelligence now also around to provide competition, Google's likely looking for ways to get an edge, be that with new features or with improved hardware.

The Pixel 9 series is also believed to be expanding to three models this year, rather than two as in the past three years. The Pixel 9 Pro XL will be the same 6.7-inch size as the Pixel 8 Pro, with the Google Pixel 9 Pro transforming into a new 6.1-inch handset size. The basic Google Pixel 9 should be 6.0 inches, a little smaller than prior basic Pixel models.

As Google normally launches flagship Pixel phones every October, the new phones are still a few months away from their expected debut, so final performance could different from what we see here. However, it is also possible to fool the Geekbench browser into mis-identifying a device, so keep in mind that these results may not be genuine, despite how well they fit with other rumors.

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Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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