Google’s got an XL-size hole in its Pixel 9 lineup

Google’s heard the cries of the vocal minority calling for high-end small phones, and this year, the Pixel 9 Pro comes in two sizes: a 6.3″ version and a 6.8″ 9 Pro XL. It’s been years since Google offered two sizes of phone that have all the same features (shout-out to the Pixel 4), and I’m excited to get a Pro Pixel that doesn’t feel like a tablet in my pocket.

But the regular Pixel 9 only comes in one size. It’s the same 6.3″ as the smaller Pro model, with no larger model available. I think there’s room here for a Pixel 9 XL for people who want a big phone, but don’t necessarily need the bells and whistles that come with the $1,100 9 Pro XL.

Covering all the bases

Give us phones at all the price points

I recognize that this year’s Pixel launch is already stacked. Between the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold — not to mention new earbuds, a new watch, new thermostat, and new set-top streaming box — fans of Google hardware are eating well this summer. But at the same time, a Pixel 9 XL would slot so neatly into this lineup.

The Pixel 9 starts at $799; the 9 Pro and Pro XL are $999 and $1,099, respectively. There’s nothing at the $899 mark — that space is wide open for a larger Pixel 9, without the telephoto camera or the extra RAM. There are plenty of people out there who prefer a bigger display, but who don’t demand the absolute best experience in a phone. I also think that, in a weird way, it could get more people to go for the top-end 9 Pro XL.

It stands to reason that a Pixel 9 XL at $899 would pull some sales from the $1,099 Pro XL, but hear me out. An $899 offering could bridge the gap for shoppers who might initially balk at spending four figures on a phone. The Pro XL is a $300 upsell from the existing Pixel 9, but from a $899 Pixel 9 XL, the smaller 9 Pro would only cost $100 more — and hey, since you were interested in that 6.8″ screen on the 9 XL, you might as well spend the extra $100 to get the big fancy one while you’re here.

Apple takes a similar approach with its iPhone 15 lineup. You can get an iPhone 15 for $799, or an iPhone 15 Plus for $899. The iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999 — though the larger 15 Pro Max goes for $1,199, $100 more than the equivalent Pixel 9 Pro XL.

Maybe for the Pixel 10

For once, people who like big phones are missing out

This year’s packed release schedule shows Google’s hardware teams have been busy, and another phone on top of the four that are already launching in the next few weeks might not have been feasible. There’s also the fact that the iPhone 15 Plus accounted for just nine percent of Apple’s smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2024, lagging well behind both iPhone 15 Pro models, the standard iPhone 15, and even last year’s base-model iPhone 14.

Still, now that Pixel Pro users have two size options, giving the base-model Pixel the same treatment could be a worthwhile experiment. In the same quarter the iPhone 15 Plus “underperformed,” Apple shipped 48.7 million phones, and a little back-of-the-envelope math shows that about four million of those were 15 Plus units.

That doesn’t necessarily mean much for Google, which sold about two million phones total in the same period, but it shows there’s at least some interest in the kind of phone we’re talking about. Apple’s reportedly considering dropping the Plus from its 2025 smartphone line, but a larger non-Pro iPhone 17 is apparently still planned in some form — and you can bet it’ll be priced somewhere between the base iPhone 17 and the smaller 17 Pro.

I don’t think we’re going to get a surprise Pixel 9 XL; I have to assume what we’ve seen is what we’re going to get until a mid-cycle color refresh or a future Pixel 9a (if there is one). But if Google sticks to the strategy we’re seeing with the Pixel 9 series for its 2025 slate, I think a larger, sub-Pro model could be an appealing addition for a lot of users who want a big phone, but don’t want to spend $1,100 or more to get it.

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  Google Pixel 9

  The Pixel 9 is Google’s most affordable 2024 flagship, making a few compromises when compared to the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL while retaining the Google smarts the lineup has become known for. An upgraded 48MP ultra-wide camera is paired with a 50MP main shooter, and the selfie cam added autofocus. All of this comes with new Gemini AI features and a 2,700-nit Actua display for exceptional value at its price point.

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  Google Pixel 9 Pro

  The Pixel 9 Pro is a new addition to Google’s lineup, slotting in as a smaller premium flagship to pair with the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The latter is the direct successor to 2023’s Pixel 8 Pro despite its new XL moniker, whereas the Pixel 9 Pro brings a new form-factor to Google’s high-end offerings, sporting the same dimensions as the standard Pixel 9 model while packing all the AI and camera prowess we’ve grown accustomed to from Google’s Pro lineup.

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  Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

  The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a new name, but it fills the same slot as 2023’s Pixel 8 Pro, having similar specs with roughly the same footprint. The non-XL Pixel 9 Pro is new to the lineup as a smaller premium flagship offering. With the 9 Pro XL, however, you get Google’s fastest charging, a bigger screen and battery, and all of the camera and Gemini AI smarts you’d get in the smaller 9 Pro.