Google tends to keep its camera hardware around for a while and refine it rather than upgrading every year. As the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro both benefited from a new 50-megapixel main sensor that the company claims has 21% more light sensitivity than the Pixel 7 series, it could be software where any strides are made in the Pixel 9 cameras. 

The Pixel 8 Pro did get a few more upgrades this time around, with a 48-megapixel ultrawide sensor that was 105% more light sensitive, plus a 48-megapixel telephoto sensor that’s 56% more sensitive to light, so late night photographs should look spectacular. 

Before the launch of the Pixel 8 series, 9to5 Google published a breakdown of some cool new features that it found in the code of a Google APK, which suggested it might appear in the new phones. They didn’t, but that could be because Google is perfecting them to launch with the Pixel 9 models. These include Video Unblur, which works in the same way as Photo Unblur but for video. This would allow you to sharpen footage where it isn’t quite in focus. There’s also overlay filters for video, which appear to be filters for film-style effects. 

Of course, there’s no guarantee that the features and hardware mentioned here will appear, but as these and other details become clearer we’ll be sure to update this article so you’ll know what to expect when October 2024 rolls around.