Google Leak Reveals Much-Needed Pixel 9 Pro Upgrade

Updated July 7 with video on a the pink variant of the Pixel 9.

Google’s next Pixel smartphones are due to be launched next month, and new details suggest that a much-needed upgrade will make an appearance.

The team at Android Authority, quoting sources familiar with the matter, are reporting that the three Pixel 9 devices (the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL) will all feature an ultrasonic fingerprint reader.

This should improve the responsiveness and accuracy of the biometric sensor in the upcoming handsets. The fingerprint readers on the last few Pixel devices have not been well received, with Google’s support pages littered with complaints about the sensors, wondering why it can be unresponsive and inaccurate.

The current (and older) Pixels use an optical sensor, which can be weak in exactly the way that many users have discovered and, by their nature, are limited to scanning in 2D. A move to an ultrasonic sensor should allow for more fidelity when reading the fingerprint, more security in unlocking the device, and more accuracy when dealing with a wet display or finger.

The new sensor is not the only upgrade that Google is expected to make to the core hardware of the Pixel 9 series. An improved display has been spotted in the supply chain. Google could be preparing to use dual-stack technology, which will offer the Pixel 9 a brighter display with a longer life and reduced power consumption.

Update: Sunday July 7: Following on from the latest display details, two new videos online have shown a new variant of the Pixel 9 sporting a deep pink colour. The videos from stockists in Algeria show the vanilla Pixel 9 model.

The reworked camera bar is clear to see. Rather than stretching across the full length of the smartphone’s rear case—as the Pixel 6, 7, and 8 models—the camera bar stops short of the edges with wide round corners, and matches leaked renders from earlier this year.

This camera bar echoes a design cue on last year’s Pixel Fold. You can also see the dual lenses in the bar, along with an LED flash. The larger Pixel 9 Pro is expected to ship with three lenses, adding an x5 telephoto lens with periscope zoom.

Google is holding a launch event on August 9th, where the three Pixel 9 handsets will launch, along with the next generation of Google AI.

Now read the latest smartphone headlines in Forbes’ weekly Android Circuit news digest…