• The company will look to these new flagships to drive sales and Gemini mindshare among consumers.
• A key Gemini enhancement is Gemini Live, which will allow users to hold a conversation with the AI assistant, instead of using limited prompts only.
• The balancing act between driving innovation for the Android ecosystem and delivering unique Pixel features remains a key challenge for Google.

Google has unveiled its latest smartphones – the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro/XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, its first set of devices with Gemini AI at the core from launch. Despite Google’s considerable marketing efforts, its share of the smartphone market remains modest. The company will look to these new flagships to drive sales and Gemini mindshare among consumers. The new Pixels are premium devices with refined design, and price tags to match. With its second-generation foldable, Google looks to improve on last year’s model with refinements to the display and overall build quality.

Pixel 9 series: Specifications and features

The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are designed to cater to different segments of the market while maintaining a consistent focus on performance and AI. The Pixel 9, starting at $799 in the US, offers a 6.3-inch “Actua” display, powered by the new Tensor G4 processor and 12 GB of RAM. Its 50 MP main camera and 48 MP ultrawide lens ensure stunning photos and videos, even in challenging conditions. The device also boasts improved durability, with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both sides.

The Pixel 9 Pro, starting at $999, is the more premium option, available in two sizes (6.3-inch and 6.8-inch “Super Actua” displays). It features 16 GB of RAM, a triple rear camera system and a 42 MP front camera, a significant upgrade to the Pixel 8 Pro’s 10.5 MP selfie lens.

New this year is the addition of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which shares many of the Pixel 9 Pro’s features but has a larger 6.8-inch display, as well as a slightly larger battery.

The flagship of the series is the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, priced at $1,799, the same price as last year’s Fold entry price. It features an 8-inch Super Actua Flex inner display and 6.3-inch external display. In addition to GenAI capabilities, Google is also positioning the phone as one of the thinnest in the market – competing with Chinese OEMs like Xiaomi and HONOR which have made the thinness of their book-type foldables a key differentiator.

The latest camera enhancements, including Video Boost, Night Sight Video and Super Res Zoom for Video, are reserved for the Pixel 9 Pro/Fold, creating hardware differentiation between the base model and the Pro variants, similar to Apple’s strategy.

A key Gemini enhancement is Gemini Live, which will allow users to hold a conversation with the AI assistant, instead of using limited prompts only. Gemini Live should go a long way in reducing friction for users engaging with advanced AI capabilities on their phones, and, in turn, making the benefits of Google’s GenAI features a bigger part of everyday usage.

Market implications and challenges

Google’s presentation of the new phone hardware illustrates the balancing act the company tries to achieve between its own phone business and creating traction for Gemini AI for the Android platform.

The first half of the presentation was dedicated to talking about AI features, some of which will remain Pixel-exclusive, like Call Assist enhancements, while other features are going to be available on other Android devices in the future. Built into each Google phone launch is also a call to buy future phones from the competition.

Google faces significant challenges in expanding its market share. Despite heavy investments in marketing, Google’s presence in the US smartphone market is still relatively small and is predicted to plateau, according to Counterpoint’s shipment forecasts. The company is also facing an uphill battle as the Pixel 8 (-48% YoY) and Pixel 8 Pro (-28% YoY) trail the Pixel 7 series significantly in the US (Counterpoint Market Share Tracker, July 2024)  in sell-through launch-to-date. It will take significant marketing to reverse this trend in a key market for flagship smartphones.

In other regions, expansion has been a work in progress. Japan remains a key market for Google. However, recent share gains have come with the Pixel A series mid-range devices, not the flagship series. In Europe, on the other hand, increased competition from Chinese OEMs like Xiaomi and HONOR remains a key challenge.

The foldable segment, where Google has made a bold move with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, remains niche. Although foldables represent a growing trend, they still account for a small fraction of the overall smartphone market and are not expected to grow beyond a 3% share of total smartphone shipments over the next few years, according to Counterpoint Research.

ASPs for foldables in Western markets remain stable at super-premium levels. Samsung launched its latest foldables with a $100 price increase compared to last year’s generation. Motorola is most aggressive with its Razr (2024) pricing and strategy to reach buyers in the MVNO segment. For foldables to gain more momentum with mainstream users, pricing will remain a critical aspect. Hardware features are becoming more comparable to slab flagship phones, especially in camera tech, eliminating some user pain points.

Other announcements

In addition to new smartphones, Google has also announced an update to its Pixel Watch portfolio, most notably enhanced fitness features and health tracking and a larger second size.

Google is also launching new earbuds. Along with the usual hardware iteration improvements, the new buds are also the first non-phone devices to feature Gemini Live, Google’s conversational assistant.

Conclusion

Google’s Pixel 9 series showcases a host of new features powered by its Gemini AI platform. However, the balancing act between driving innovation for the Android ecosystem and delivering unique Pixel features remains a key challenge for Google.

Besides, a lot of momentum in international markets recently has come from the mid-range Pixel A series devices. Google is aiming to shift some of these buyers to its flagship series, and in general further flesh out a complete smartphone portfolio across key price segments.

The Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro/XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold are equipped with the features and innovations needed to turn heads, but their success will ultimately depend on how well Google can overcome the hurdles of market penetration and consumer adoption.