All four rumored Google Pixel 9 models have been photographed by a regulatory agency
This is the most 'official' look yet at the Pixel 9 line
We’re still almost a month away from when the Google Pixel 9 line will probably launch, but you can already get a somewhat official look at all four expected models – namely the Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (which is thought to be the launch name of the Pixel Fold 2).
This is thanks to the NCC (a Taiwanese regulatory agency), which – via Android Authority – has published photos of all four of these devices.
As this is an official government agency, it’s likely that the images and accompanying details are accurate, though things could still be subject to change until Google announces them.
In any case, the images – some of which you can see above – line up with previous leaks, showing a new camera block design for the non-foldables, which doesn’t run quite to the edges of the back.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has bigger changes, with a square camera block on the back, while the selfie camera for the foldable screen has been moved into a punch-hole cut-out, rather than being in the bezel as it was with the original Google Pixel Fold.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s bezels also appear to be smaller than its predecessor’s, and the crease looks like it might be smaller too, so Google’s second foldable could be a significant visual upgrade on its first.
From designs to batteries
As well as photos, the NCC also published battery capacities for the four phones, listing the Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro as having 4,558mAh batteries, the Pixel 9 Pro XL as having a 4,942mAh one, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as having a 4,560mAh one.
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These are likely the rated capacities (which are the minimum you can expect) rather than the typical capacities (which is what companies tend to advertise). For comparison though, the Pixel 8 has a 4,485mAh rated capacity and a 4,575mAh typical one, the Pixel 8 Pro has 4,950mAh rated capacity and a 5,050mAh typical one, and the Pixel Fold has a 4,727mAh rated capacity and a 4,821mAh typical one.
So based on this the Pixel 9 might have a slightly larger battery than its predecessor, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL probably has a similar capacity to the Pixel 8 Pro (which it’s expected to be more comparable to than the Pixel 9 Pro is), and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold could have a slightly smaller battery than the Pixel Fold.
Finally, the NCC tests reveal approximate charging speeds for the four phones. Sadly this doesn’t reveal the maximum speeds on offer. But with the Pixel 9 Pro XL achieving a speed of 32.67W, it’s likely that it will officially support at least 35W charging, which would be slightly higher than the 30W of the Pixel 8 Pro.
As for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, that achieves 20.25W here, though as Google never got specific about the maximum charging speed of the Pixel Fold, we don’t have anything to compare it to here.
The other phones are in line with their predecessors, suggesting the Pixel 9 could have an advertised charging speed of 27W, and the Pixel 9 Pro of 30W.
We should know for sure soon, as the Pixel 9 series is expected to be unveiled on August 13.
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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.