The Google Pixel 9 comes with a new modem inside – here’s why it matters
Sometimes it takes a while for all the specs of a new phone to be identified and confirmed. Such is the case with the Google Pixel 9 phones that Google unveiled on August 13. We now know that they feature a major modem upgrade.
As noted by Android Authority Diagnostic tests have revealed that the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold all come equipped with the Exynos Modem 5400, which is a significant improvement over previous models.
While few of us will buy a phone based on the modem it comes with, the improved hardware should mean that the Pixel 9s will have more reliable cellular service and be more power efficient, too. That’s good news for battery life.
It also enables the new emergency satellite connectivity feature that Google announced at its event earlier this week, and brings faster data transfer speeds as well. All in all, a pretty significant upgrade for Google’s flagship smartphones.
No more signal loss?
As the name Exynos already reveals, this modem is produced by Samsung and can already be found working in the Galaxy S24 series. Samsung describes the modem as “amazingly fast and impressively stable”.
Of course, the speeds you see will also depend on your cellular or Wi-Fi signal, but the Exynos Modem 5400 can move data at 14.79 Gbps. That’s up from the 10 Gbps of the previous Exynos Modem 5300.
We’re hoping that the connectivity issues that plagued older Pixel models, including the Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 8, are a thing of the past. But only time will tell how the modem performs in real-world conditions.
We’ve already posted our hands-on initial impressions of the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold , with full reviews of the phones in the pipeline. Next up is the iPhone 16, which is expected to debut sometime in September.
