The Pixel 9 Pro is here in Google’s latest official teaser

Summary

• Google just released its first official look at the Pixel 9 Pro.
• Google’s teaser video confirms, unsurprisingly, a full focus on AI tools, promising a phone for the “Gemini era.”
• The Pixel 9 Pro’s design includes a new look for the camera bar, flat edges around the frame of the phone, and the return of the thermometer.

We’re officially less than a month out from Google’s unexpectedly early Pixel 9 event in Mountain View, and the leaks just can’t stop coming. We’ve seen all three of Google’s upcoming slabs — not to mention the newly-renamed Pixel 9 Pro Fold — in action over the last couple of weeks. Perhaps reading the room, the company’s seen fit to unveil the Pixel 9 Pro’s new design in a new teaser video, giving us our first official look at the redesigned camera bar and flat edges.

Unsurprisingly, today’s reveal video starts with Google’s current infatuation, Gemini, before twisting and turning around to reveal its upcoming flagship smartphone. The prompt, cheeky as always, hints at using Gemini to write a breakup letter for their current phone — presumably a fruit-themed device, if we’re being honest — before spinning around to reveal the new design, alongside a simple tagline: “Oh hi, AI.”

This is our first official look at Google’s new Pixel design

Just pretend these last few months of leaks didn’t happen

As with most of Google’s Pixel teasers, we don’t get a complete glimpse of the phone from front to back — half of it is cut off by the frame — but it does confirm what we’ve long expected about this year’s crop of hardware. In addition to a curvier overall shape with flat edges (very iPhone-esque, if we’re being perfectly honest), the camera bar now looks inspired by last year’s Pixel Fold, completely detached from the frame of the phone and floating independently on the back of the device. It looks like the most premium Pixel we’ve seen yet, and considering just how good last year’s Pixel 8 Pro felt in the hand, that’s saying something.

A few other observations worth noting from this limited teaser. First, Google hasn’t seen fit to replicate Apple’s Action Button — it’s still simply the power and volume buttons along the right side of the phone. The thermometer is here for another generation, located directly below the flash on the camera module. I was pleasantly surprised with how accurate and easy to use the Pixel 8 Pro’s thermometer was once it achieved FDA clearance last year, and I’ll admit, I’m happy to see it back for another generation.

We’re also seeing the phone in an off-white color here, while the camera island appears to sport a slight touch of gold as an accent shade when the light hits it just right. It looks nice, though I’m personally hoping for some more colorful shades come next month’s reveal. Google also updated its Pixel 9 store page today, adding another teaser image of its new design and promising everything will be unveiled next month.

Overall, this looks like what we’ve expected to see for months. The real secrets, I’m willing to bet, lie in all sorts of new AI-based software tricks, something we’re only going to see once Google takes the stage in Mountain View on August 13th. After all, the YouTube description describes the Pixel 9 Pro as “a phone built for the Gemini era.” If there was any doubt left that Google is, first and foremost, an AI company in 2024, it’s finally time to bury it.