Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold

 Giant Pixel 9 leak gives first real-world look at the Fold

Google doesn’t seem to have much luck keeping its latest Pixel under wraps. First, photos of the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold leaked back in February, and we’ve seen at least three more major real-life leaks of the upcoming phones since. The upcoming Pixels leak yet again, this time giving us a real life look at the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Google’s luck has not gotten any better as we approach the launch. The entire Pixel 9 series has just leaked through the NCC regulatory agency (essentially the Taiwanese version of the FCC), revealing photos, including the first clear photos of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (with a good look at its crease), battery sizes, new charging speeds and more.

Now we have a very clear real-world look at Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but this one looks like it’s going in a better direction. There have been leaks aplenty in recent weeks showing every angle of Google’s Pixel 9, 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL. But so far, the company’s second-generation foldable phone has managed to keep better cover ahead of next month’s product event. As reported, new regulatory photos from Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC) have fully revealed the Pixel Fold 2 Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The images confirm that Google is moving away from the short and squat passport-style design that helped the original Pixel Fold stand out from Samsung’s tall, narrow Galaxy Fold. Now, we’re getting something closer to the OnePlus Open. The outer display still looks very usable in terms of how much screen real estate you’ve got to work with, but it’s definitely taller than before.

All four Pixel 9 models showed up at the NCC: the Pixel 9 (model number GUR25), Pixel 9 Pro (GEC77), Pixel 9 Pro XL (GZC4K), and Pixel 9 Pro Fold (GGH2X). Additionally, the NCC has photos of the internals of the phones. The photos confirm Google is moving the inner selfie camera to the corner of the screen, which was already hinted at by the earlier renders. The new square camera arrangement which appeared in previous renders is also confirmed, replacing the Pixel series’ iconic long camera bar. Earlier, these photos also confirm that the 9 Pro Fold will ditch the camera bar, which has become one of Google’s signature hardware elements. This time, it’ll be, what you’d call this style of camera housing. It looks big enough to prevent the phone from having an annoying wobble when laid down on a table at least. As for the inner display, again, the screen ratio is noticeably taller and narrower compared to the original Fold, and it looks as though Google has managed to shave down the bezels some.

The 9 Pro Fold also appears to have slimmer top and bottom bezels on the inside display compared to the original Pixel Fold. The display crease also seems somewhat reduced, although we can’t be sure of that until we get some hands-on time. The phone is also lying completely flat in these pictures; the first-gen Fold couldn’t be opened all the way. The tradeoff there is that the inner camera is now a cutout on the upper-left part of the display, whereas, last time, it was part of the bezel, giving you an uninterrupted display. 

Another thing that has me a little wary is the battery. Apparently Google is going with a slightly smaller capacity (4,560mAh) this time, and the first Pixel Fold (4,727mAh) wasn’t exactly what I’d call a longevity champ. Maybe the company’s latest Tensor processor will help make up for that with some efficiency gains. The NCC reports also reveal new charging speeds, which are measured as a part of the Taiwanese regulatory process. Unfortunately, the tests only reveal an approximate charging speed, not an exact value, so while we know it will be faster, we don’t know how much exactly. The value that stands out the most is 32.67W for the Pixel 9 Pro XL. It is safe to assume the device will support at least 35W, which would make it a modest yet nice upgrade over the Pixel 8 Pro, which only supports up to 30W. The original Pixel Fold’s short, squat display make it such a good one-handed phone. But it’s a damn heavy one. The new 45W charger looks quite a bit different than Google’s current wall plug. Aside from yet more photos of the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL, the regulatory images also showcase a new 45-watt USB-C charger that is likely to ship with at least some of these devices. It’s much more rounded than the charger that Google has been including alongside Pixel phones for several years.

There’s just something about it that continues to feel special. Sure, it quickly got lapped in screen brightness by the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, the speakers sound pretty bad, and many app developers never really bothered optimizing their software for the device. Here’s hoping the second try can correct a few of those downsides for a better overall package, even if it’s still likely to cost upward of $2,000. 

Pixel 9

24.12 W

Pixel 9 Pro

25.20 W

Pixel 9 Pro XL

32.67 W

Pixel 9 Pro Fold

20.25 W

Pixel 8

24.66 W

27 W

Pixel 8 Pro

26.91 W

30 W

Pixel Fold

22.5 W

23 W

The NCC reports also reveal a brand-new 45 W Google-branded charging brick (model GW8L7). The listings reveal the battery sizes for all the upcoming Pixel 9 devices. A table along with the values from their predecessors is given below:-

Battery size (typical)

Pixel 9

4558 mAh

Pixel 9 Pro

4558 mAh

Pixel 9 Pro XL

4942 mAh

Pixel 9 Pro Fold

4560 mAh (1183 mAh + 3377 mAh)

Pixel 8

4485 mAh

Pixel 8 Pro

4950 mAh

Pixel Fold

4727 mAh (1460 mAh + 3267 mAh)

Lastly, the reports list the radio support on the Google Pixel 9 series, all models are certified for Thread, while the base Pixel 9 doesn’t have UWB, unlike all the other variants. The Google Pixel 9 series is expected to launch at the Made by Google event on August 13th.