Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is already shipping to first customers ahead of reviews

Two of four of the new Pixel 9 phones will be in your hands this week, just days after the Made By Google launch event

Google Pixel 9 and 9 Pro will be ready to take your Add Me photo this week (Image credit: Google)

• 📦 Google Pixel 9 & Pixel 9 Pro XL are on their way to first customers

• 📆 The Pixel 9 Pro & 9 Pro Fold will release later, on September 4

• ⌚ Google’s Pixel Watch 3 ships deeper into September on the 10th

• 🏷️ Stores are offering $100, $200 & $350 gift card pre-order incentives

• 😮 There’s a chance early shipments will arrive before the first reviews

You won’t have to wait long to get the new Google Pixel 9 smartphones if you ordered them on launch day, according to shipping notifications from customers. Two of the four flagship Android phones are already on their way to the earliest early adopters.

People are getting shipping notifications just after days we published our hands-on Google Pixel 9 review and hands-on Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review. The phones are currently on sale for $799 and $1,099, respectively, from The Google Store, Best Buy and Amazon. The ETA for the first phones is on time – August 22 – and could arrive early before the full reviews of each go live, something we’ve seen before.

All four colors of the new Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pro Xl phones (Image credit: Max Buondonno / The Shortcut)

Earliest ever Google Pixel release date

The August arrival date for the Google Pixel 9 series is a switch for the phone brand. Every single Pixel phone release since 2016 has been in October (and I reviewed all of them and the Google Nexus before that which had similar shipment dates).

Eight years later, Google boldly decided to leapfrog Apple’s expected iPhone 16 release date in September and launched its first set of phones for 2024 on the tail end of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 launch window.

There’s a good reason for this stepped-up timeframe and 10-month turnaround time for new Pixel phones. In my estimation, the Google Pixel 9 has the best AI on any smartphone to date. It’s better than Galaxy AI first seen in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and what we’ve seen so far from Apple’s AI software, which was delayed to October in iOS 18.1. Plus, the Apple Intelligence compatibility list is rather narrow, requiring new hardware for most people. It’s a smart move by Google.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold launches a bit later (Image credit: Max Buondonno / The Shortcut)

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pro 9 Fold release date

As I said, only two of four Google Pixel 9 phones are shipping right now – the 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL and the standard 6.3-inch Google Pixel 9. If you ordered the 6.3-inch Google Pixel Pro or the foldable Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, you’ll wait to wait two weeks.

As mentioned in our hands-on Google Pixel 9 Pro review and hands-on Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review, the release date for these phones is September 4. If you haven’t already placed an order, though, most Pixel 9 Pro colors and storage sizes have been slightly delayed from that date – demand spiked for these two versions.

The Google Pixel Watch 3 in its new 45mm and returning 41mm sizes (Image credit: Matt Swider / The Shortcut)

Google Pixel Watch 3 release date

Even further out is our hands-on Google Pixel Watch 3 review turning into a full review. That’s because the release date is deeper into September. Google plans to ship its new smartwatch on September 10, which just so happens to be the rumored iPhone 16 launch event date. Apple hasn’t confirmed that date yet, but it appears to be on track. We’re already seeing iPhone 16 colors leak and an iPhone 16 Pro in a new Bronze color, so it seems ready to go.

The actual release date for the new iPhone 16 series is likely to be Friday, September 20, 2024. Funny enough, just days later, we’ll likely see PS5 Pro pre-orders launch, if Sony’s usual timetable holds up. Everyone in tech is vying for your money this season.