The Google Pixel series of smartphones is growing, and a reported leak may show how. New photos purportedly of the expected Pixel 9 lineup were published by Russian blog Rozetked, which said its source told the publication that Google intends to announce a smaller Pixel 9 Pro to go along with its Pixel 9 entry-level phone and Pixel 9 Pro XL larger-screened device.
The photos come ahead of Google's annual I/O developer conference on Tuesday morning, where the tech giant is expected to unveil Android 15, some artificial intelligence updates and more about its upcoming Pixel 8A.
The Rozetked Pixel 9 Pro report, previously written about by GSMArena and The Verge, showed off seemingly new designs for the Pixel phones, too. The devices appear to have a flatter back and boxier corners. Their cameras are also notably configured in a horizontal bump on the back of the device, rather than in Google's signature "camera bar" that stretched across the full width of previous devices.
Google representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. You can see images published by Rozetked on X.
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The photos are the latest in a series of purported leaks that have also touched on Samsung and Apple devices, potentially giving us a better sense of the devices the companies plan to pitch over the next few months.Â
For Samsung, the purported leaks have been about refinements to the expected Galaxy Fold 6 in July, while for Apple they've been about the iPhone 16 likely arriving sometime after Labor Day. For Google, they've been about the company's evolving strategy to take attention away from its much-better-selling competitors.
What's less well known is how the software inside each of these devices will change. Artificial intelligence has reshaped the tech industry over the past two years since OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot was released to the public. Today, companies are touting AI in nearly everything, from web searches to photo editing.Â
On May 14, OpenAI launched its latest iteration of ChatGPT, called GPT-4o, which was designed to be easier to use through text, audio or video. AI is also expected to be a major theme for Google I/O today, and Apple's annual WWDC event in June.
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As for the Pixel 9 phones, Google likely won't discuss much about their features during the summer. But the devices often serve as testing grounds for AI features the company ultimately makes available to the public. This year, Google announced it was making its "magic" photo editing tools available to the public after initially launching them as key features for Pixel devices.