Google adds a foldable, smaller Pro model to its Pixel smartphone line-up
By Tim Biggs
Google unveiled its largest selection of Pixel smartphones, including a first foldable to launch in Australia, at its annual Made By Google event in California overnight.
The technology giant also showed off a new smartwatch that comes in two sizes, and a second iteration of its Pixel Buds Pro earbuds.
All four Pixel 9 phones are powered by Google’s new Tensor G4 chip, while the earbuds have the first in a new family of chips called Tensor A1, with the company continuing to roll out generative artificial intelligence features across its devices. Its Gemini chatbot features throughout and is the default assistant for its new phones, replacing Google Assistant.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be the first Google foldable launched in Australia.
While flagship Pixel phones have typically come in pairs – a standard model and a larger, more powerful variant – the Pixel 9 line-up has a few extra options, with one standard phone and three Pros.
The standard phone has a 6.3-inch HD+ screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, plus a 50MP main camera and 48MP ultrawide with macro focus.
The Pixel 9 Pro is the same size and weight – making it smaller than most previous Pixel Pros – but adds a sharper and brighter LTPO screen, more RAM and a 48MP telephoto lens at 5x zoom.
The Pixel 9 Pro comes in a standard and an XL size.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL has the same specs as the Pro but has a bigger 6.8-inch screen.
As happened last year, the American-designed gadgets come with a substantial price increase in Australian dollars. The phones are due to go on sale on August 22 at $1350, $1700 and $1850, respectively. Just two years ago, the Pixel 7 was $1000.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a similar camera set-up to the 9 Pro and, unlike some book-style foldable phones which have a narrow display on the outside, its cover screen is the same as the display on the standard Pixel 9 in terms of size, shape and specifications.
Google said that since the Pro Fold is only about 10mm thick when closed, it can be used as a standard-sized phone when the larger internal display isn’t needed. Notably, Google is not making a flip-style folding phone like Samsung’s Z Flip6, or the rumoured 2026 folding iPhone.
Google’s folding device is the size of a regular phone when closed.
When opened, the Pro Fold has an 8-inch LTPO display and is about 5mm thick. The company showed several uses for its screens, including propping up the phone at an angle, running a full-screen app alongside a Gemini chat tab, and playing funny animations to make a baby smile on the cover screen while taking photos on the main.
Google said that compared with the first Pixel Fold, which was released last year but did not officially come to Australia, this model has been redesigned with a stainless-steel hinge covered in an aerospace grade alloy. It has an IPX8 water resistance rating and is set for release on September 2, with a price tag starting at $2700.
The company showed off several new AI features for its phones, including a system that analyses the screenshots you take so you can ask questions about them later. It is a similar feature to Microsoft’s withdrawn Recall for Windows PCs, except it only works for things for which you intentionally take screenshots, rather than everything that appears on your screen. Google said the feature works entirely on the phone and does not upload information.
New AI photography features include Add Me, which lets you take a group photo, pass the phone to a friend and have them take a photo of you in the same setting, mashing the images together so it looks like you were part of the group.
Google’s new buds and watch have a focus on fitness and AI.
A new “auto frame” setting in Magic Editor recentres images and fills in the edges to fix askew photos. And a “reimagine” option lets you type in prompts to replace or add to the background in images, with results that look a little like those of a green screen photo booth.
As with last year’s Pixel 8 line-up, the Pixel 9s are guaranteed seven years of Android, security and feature updates. Google said all four phones should last more than 24 hours on a single battery charge, and the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL should exceed 100 hours with their Extreme Battery Saver turned on. The 9 Pro Fold should exceed 72 hours.
Google’s new Pixel Watch 3 features an upgraded screen that is brighter, more power efficient and has smaller bezels. The device comes in the familiar 41mm size as well as a new larger 45mm.
The device’s software has been improved with new smart home and TV remote capabilities, as well as a new “run coach” mode that lets you program workouts and have the watch prompt you on the screen and through earbuds when it is time to change pace or activity.
Google said further upgrades had been made to its workout insights and recommendation features, but these require a paid Fitbit Premium subscription. The watch starts at $579 and is due for release on September 10.
Finally, Google said its Pixel Buds Pro 2 were lighter and 27 per cent smaller than the previous model, but also performed better, lasted longer and fit securely in more differently shaped ears. The buds have a round design with a stabiliser fin that you can rotate to lock them in place in your ear.
Thanks to the A1 chip, Google said noise cancellation is improved, with a larger spectrum of external sound silenced, and twice as much sound in the mid-band frequencies being cancelled. They buds start at $379 and will be released on September 26.
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