The umpteenth Google Pixel 9 Pro leak puts the spotlight (again) on AI and the phone's snazzy design
Just when you thought you already knew all there is to know about Google's unreleased Pixel 9 handset family, an undoubtedly legit promotional video has surfaced on social media to provide even more information on the search giant's vision for the Android-powered and AI-controlled future.
This 40-second clip curiously seems to leave out the Pixel 9 Pro XL model we all know is coming, specifically promoting the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro with a predictable focus on the real-life applicability of some of the two handsets' AI skills and their "Pro-level" camera capabilities.
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Now that looks like some very useful AI magic!
If you've felt like many of the artificial intelligence tools unveiled by Google, Samsung, and so many other mobile industry heavyweights over the last year or so haven't exactly improved your user experience in significant ways, something tells us you'll look at the "Add Me" feature a little differently once it's rolled out... if it works as advertised.
Basically, you'll be able to insert yourself in an existing photograph by using this tool, which does sound a tad creepy, but could also come in handy when you're out with your family or a group of friends and don't want anyone to feel left out. With Add Me, you'll no longer have to settle for the mediocre quality of your phone's front-facing camera, being instead able to always leverage the "Pro-level" skills of the Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro's rear-facing imaging system.
Pixel 9 Pro pic.twitter.com/htze22yrsg
— Arsène Lupin (@MysteryLupin) August 6, 2024
That's not detailed in many ways in this short leaked video, supporting "Super Res Zoom Video" technology... and presumably a bunch of other super-advanced capabilities Google will reveal in full next week.
Gemini is of course also expected to gain a lot of extra super-powers with the introduction of the Pixel 9 series, one of which is neatly demonstrated in today's promo video as well. We're not sure if this particular skill has any catchy name, but apparently, Google's state-of-the-art AI chatbot will be able to detect ingredients in snapshots and instantly propose recipes you could prepare with said ingredients.
That sounds and looks a little bit gimmicky in the honest opinion of this writer, but given the huge popularity of cooking shows like "Top Chef", "Hell's Kitchen", and yes, "The Bear" all around the world in recent years, it could be something that certain Pixel 9 users will find convenient and useful.
Because not much else of substance is revealed in the video, we're certainly delighted to see the always reliable "Arsène Lupin" on X also throw a massive slew of ultra-high-res product images at us.
Behold the Pixel 9 Pro in all its colorful glory!
These are by no means the first depictions of an upcoming member of the Pixel 9 family leaked on the interwebs these last few weeks, but they may well be the most revealing, clear, sharp, and pretty ones yet.
The Pixel 9 Pro (hold the XL) is showcased in a grand total of four decidedly eye-catching paint jobs from every possible angle, giving us yet another look (or 20) at its distinctive new rear camera module, rounded corners, relatively thick waist, and not-very-thin screen bezels.
In case you're wondering, the Pixel 9 Pro spec sheet is not exactly the tech world's best-kept secret either, almost surely being composed of the following bits and pieces:
- 6.34-inch LTPO OLED screen with 2856 x 1280 pixel resolution and 120Hz refresh rate technology;
- Google Tensor G4 processor;
- Android 15;
- 50 + 48 + 48MP triple rear-facing camera system;
- 42MP front-facing camera;
- 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options;
- 12/16GB RAM;
- 4,600mAh battery.
Last but certainly not least, we have strong reasons to believe that the Pixel 9 Pro will start at a price of around $1,000 in the US, with the "vanilla" Pixel 9 reportedly set to cost $800 in an entry-level configuration and the most affordable Pixel 9 Pro XL model likely to set you back a whopping $1,100 or so.
That's definitely an... ambitious pricing structure that Google will need to back up with a lot more than just a few potentially useful but also gimmicky-looking new AI capabilities.
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