Google’s folding phone will be part of the new Pixel 9 range for Aus

The US tech giant is bringing its folding phone to Australia to crank up the competition with Samsung, Oppo and Microsoft, launching a new Pixel 9 range with the Fold, Pro, Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Watch 3.

Google's new Pixel 9 Pro Fold is coming to Australia.

Google will finally bring its folding smartphone to Australia, with the $2699 device announced on Wednesday alongside its 2024 line-up of Pixel phones.

The US tech giant has followed competitor Samsung by releasing a new phone range which looks very similar to Apple’s iPhone.

The new Google Pixel 9 Pro looks so similar you’d be forgiven for not telling them apart from a distance. But catch a glimpse of that camera casing and it’ll leave no room for doubt.

This year’s line-up includes three variations of the Pixel 9 – the base (160mm, 198g), the 9 Pro (161mm, 199g) and the 9 Pro XL (171mm, 221g) which is 1mm longer and 1mm narrower than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Google hasn’t raised the price this year, and its Pixel 9 Pro starts at $1699 for the 128GB option.

Google's new Pixel 9 range has the Fold, Pro, Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Watch 3

The Pixel 9 begins at $1349 for 128GB, the Pixel 9 Pro XL begins at $1849 and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will set buyers back $2699 for the 256GB model.

Also introduced was the next generation of buds, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 for $379, and the Pixel Watch 2, which now comes in two sizes, setting buyers back $749 for the 41mm and $839 for the 45mm.

What’s new?

This year’s Pixel 9 Pro arrives with the Tensor G4 processor and 16 GB of RAM, which Google said was enough to power a series of new AI features. It also has one year of Google One AI – a new plan which gives users access to Google’s AI tool, Gemini Advanced, gets Gemini features across Gmail and Google Docs, and provides 2TB of cloud storage – all of which would usually cost the user $32.99.

The Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL has a 42MP front camera, and if that’s not enough to make selfies shine then there’s some impressive features including “video boost” which enhances videos up to 8K.

The device has a new “super actua” display which Google said was bright enough to not be affected by the sun and can project colours in a way that looks almost real.

The new Pixel range comes with new features from Gemini, including the ability to pull information from screenshots.

Google thinks the 9 Pro Fold will be a hit after witnessing the popularity of Samsung’s Galaxy device.

The Pixel 9 Pro is 257g – not much heavier than the 9 Pro XL and just 10.5mm thick or a bit more than 1cm when folded. Unfolded, it’s almost 3mm thinner than the 9 Pro XL.

Google’s new Pixel Watch 3

Another view of Google’s Pixel Watch 3.

Like any good folding phone it has split screen functionality, allowing the multi-taskers, or perhaps those with a tendency not to finish a single task, to use multiple apps at once.

The Fold packs a 4650mAh battery, slightly smaller than the Pro XL’s 5060mAh, and promises up to 72 hours’ use in extreme battery saver mode.

Google’s third watch also has new features, including a small bezel, a different 45mm face option with a 35 per cent larger battery, a brighter screen and better sensors.

Google maps will now work offline, Pixel’s AI-powered recording and transcription app is coming and it chargers 20 per cent faster.

Google's new Pixel Buds Pro 2

For the fitness junkies, there’s a new Fitbit dashboard, better sensors for understanding their heart rate under stress and the watch will leverage some of Google’s AI capabilities to build workouts on device.

As for the new Buds Pro 2, these are 27 per cent smaller, 24 per cent lighter and can now access Gemini.

Pre-orders begin Wednesday and devices will arrive in store from August 22.

Originally published as Google’s folding phone will be part of the new Pixel 9 range for Aus