Google Pixel 9 Series Camera Details Leaked Ahead of Expected August Launch

Google Pixel 9 series is expected to be unveiled at the Made by Google event scheduled for August 13. The lineup is rumoured to include four models — the base Google Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro, the Pixel 9 Pro XL and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Details including key features and the expected price range of the handsets have done rounds of the rumour mill over the last few weeks. A report has now shared leaked camera information about the upcoming Pixel 9 series smartphones.

Google Pixel 9 series camera details (expected)

The vanilla Google Pixel 9 will retain the Pixel 8's 50-megapixel Samsung GNK primary rear sensor but feature an upgraded ultrawide camera, according to an Android Authority report. It is expected to get a 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 sensor for the ultrawide shooter. Notably, the Google Pixel 8 carries a 12-megapixel Sony IMX386 ultrawide camera.

The upcoming base Pixel 9 model is also tipped to retain the 10.5-megapixel Samsung 3J1 front camera sensor of the preceding handset but is likely to include the autofocus feature, which may offer clearer images.

The report also claimed that the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL will come with identical camera setups. While these models are expected to carry the same 50-megapixel Samsung GNK sensor that we see in the Pixel 8 Pro, the ultrawide, telephoto and selfie cameras are likely to get some major upgrades.

Both the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL are said to use the 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 sensor for their ultrawide, telephoto and selfie shooters. For comparison, the Google Pixel 8 Pro has a 48-megapixel Sony IMX787 sensor paired with an ultrawide lens, a 48-megapixel Samsung GM5 sensor with a telephoto lens and a 10.5-megapixel Samsung 3J1 sensor in the front camera.

The telephoto cameras of the Pixel 9 Pro phones will reportedly come with optical image stabilisation (OIS) support, while the front cameras will likely get autofocus, similar to the Pixel 8 Pro handset.

Meanwhile, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is expected to feature the 48-megapixel Sony IMX787 primary rear sensor and the 10.5-megapixel OIS-supported Samsung 3J1 telephoto shooter, similar to the existing Google Pixel Fold. However, the purported book-style foldable is expected to carry a 12-megapixel Samsung 3LU sensor with an ultrawide lens and 10-megapixel Samsung 3K1 sensors for both its inner and outer selfie cameras.

These rumoured changes can be perceived as a downgrade from the camera system of the current Pixel Fold model. The present foldable handset includes a 12-megapixel Sony IMX386 ultrawide shooter, an 8-megapixel Sony IMX355 inner selfie camera and a 10.5-megapixel Samsung 3J1 outer selfie camera. 

The report suggests that these downgrades could be caused by the Pixel 9 Pro Fold being thinner. It is expected to be 2mm thinner than the Google Pixel Fold.

The Google Pixel 9 series handsets are also expected to support 8K (7,680 x 4,320 pixels) video recording at 30 frames per second, the report added. It is not clear if all or select models will support this feature, but a future version of the Pixel Camera app is tipped to support 8K recording.