The Pixel 9 Pro XL may come with a RAM upgrade

Google’s Pixel 9 series is due to be revealed officially in August, and ahead of the event, a new leak of the Pixel 9 Pro XL suggests it may be coming with a RAM upgrade. This isn’t the first time it was rumored that Google’s upcoming device would have more RAM than previous models. But since this is an additional leak, it adds more evidence to the possibility that the Pixel 9 series, or at least the Pixel 9 Pro XL model, will have more RAM than say, the Pixel 8 Pro.

Google’s Pixel phones have never really been at the forefront of phone specs. For the last few generations, the Pro model has come with 12GB of RAM. That is, the Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel 8 Pro have all had 12GB of RAM while the non-Pro models have had 8GB. The phones have performed just fine but more RAM does help to make them run smoother. And it’s just an interesting change to see from Google in an age where many phone manufacturers have been using 16GB of RAM in their flagships for at least a year.

This is of course all assuming the leaks are accurate, which so far does seem likely.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL may be the only model to come with 16GB of RAM

It’s not entirely clear if Google is upping the RAM amount on any other models. So for now, it’s reasonable to assume that only the Pixel 9 Pro XL is getting the bump to its memory. However, it is possible that Google could increase the RAM size of the standard Pixel 9 from 8GB to 12GB, to keep it more in line with the Pixel 9 Pro. Then again, it’s also just as likely that the Pixel 9 will stay at 8GB, while the Pixel 9 Pro sticks with 12GB, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL goes with 16GB. Thus giving each device a clear difference when it comes to specs to be more reflective of their differing price tags.

This is all speculative, of course. The leak, which was spotted by 9To5Google, comes from a post on XDA Forums. The leak contains a trio of images, one of which shows the phone’s bootloader. In it you can clearly see the phone is using 16GB of Samsung LPDDR5 RAM. It also shows 256GB of storage. Potentially suggesting the base amount for the XL model?

On top of the RAM, it’s also shown that the phone is using a new modem, specifically the Exynos 5400. This is a step up from the Exynos 5300 that the Pixel 8 series is using. And it would seem to suggest, or perhaps confirm, the rumors that Google is positioning the Pixel 9 Pro XL to offer Satellite support.

This would go well with a recent rumor that Google is looking to offer 2 years of satellite SOS support. The leaks also show off the phone’s design, but this is nothing we haven’t seen already at this point thanks to all the recent leaks.