Google Has a Plan to Turn the Pixel 9 Into a Threat to iPhone 16 Pro: Use the Same Screen

I don’t want to get excited, but I am. The Google Pixel has been in the second tier of high-end phones for generations. They’ve never had the best processor, the best screen, or the most innovative hardware. But leaks and rumors about the Pixel 9 reveal a potentially new Google philosophy: It wants to compete directly with the iPhone.

The latest rumor comes from ET News and appears to confirm previous speculation. This year, users will reportedly see a top-of-the-line phone from Google. It's said that Samsung Display will be responsible for distributing the M14 panel in models of the Pixel 9 series. The key to this new theory? It has the same codename as the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max panels.

The best screen on a Pixel. Since last year, Google has taken the display issue more seriously. The 2,000 nits on the Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8, and 8a are proof. Yes, some phones have more nits, but as someone who has tested all three, I can guarantee you that the devices with the best displays don’t necessarily have that many nits.

South Korean sources have previously stated that “Samsung Display has placed orders with companies for M14 materials and has begun preparations for production. Google and Apple smartphones are subject to this application.”

Samsung’s M series refers to the South Korean manufacturer’s highest-quality panels, which are outstanding in maximum brightness and lifespan.

Why it’s relevant (although it might not be enough). A panel at the level of the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra—both of which at the moment maintain their alliance with Corning that provides them with panels with the least amount light reflection on the market—is vital for Google to make a meaningful statement. It boils down to the following: Pixel apparently wants to compete toe-to-toe with the most expensive phones on the market.

It won’t be the only novelty of these phones. If the leaks are true, its processor will be the Google Tensor G4, an SoC that aims to be faster, although not as fast as the Snapdragon. For this upcoming generation, rumors suggest that the Pixel won’t say goodbye to the Samsung manufacturing process and will move to TSMC until 2025.

Nevertheless, if this is the last Tensor manufactured by Samsung, and Google bets on top components in the rest of the device, it will be a phone with many advantages in the high-end segment.

A change in strategy. Today, the latest Google phones on the U.S. market are the Pixel 7a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8a, Pixel 8, and Pixel 8 Pro. However, rumors point to these upcoming Pixel 9 models:

• Pixel 9 Pro XL
• Pixel 9 Pro
• Pixel 9

The more modest Pixel 9 model and two Pro variants reportedly are different only in size, which is the same as the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Image | Xataka On

Related | Google Pixel 9: Release Date, Price, Models and Everything We Think It’s Coming