Google Pixel 9 Series: A New Era of AI-Powered Smartphones

Google Pixel 9 initial review: Almost impossible to hate

The Google Pixel 9 undergoes operational changes over its predecessor, which was already a reliably good phone. This year, Tensor G4 adds even more AI power to a phone that has lays a promising foundation in its OS. Why an initial review? 9to5Google was granted seven days of early access to the Pixel 9 Pro ahead of today's review embargo, not nearly enough time to reach a final verdict, especially in regards to Tensor G4, battery, etc. However, with sales set to begin on August 22, we're sharing our experience so far and will have a full review in the coming weeks with further thoughts. The Pixel 9 doesn't just subtly take on a new design over the previous years in the way the Pixel 8 or Pixel 7 did before it. In those iterational adjustments, the Pixel series slowly refined a design that Google largely wanted to stick to. That included rounded edges and corners, as well as a camera bar that spans the entire back of the phone. This year, the change is immediately palpable. The Pixel 9, across the entire lineup, takes on a boxier design with slightly sharper corners and a camera island that almost touches the edges of the phone. In a big way, the Pixel 9 takes a step towards a more modern and rigid design. Some might compare it to an iPhone with its minimal design and generally very square look, though I genuinely feel this is a refinement towards a more pleasing and attractive phone all-around, even if it feels a little less like the Google phones of old. In my opinion, the entire market is moving towards minimal designs, and those are the devices that are seemingly selling the best. Take, for instance, the side rails of the phone. They're flat around the entire phone, but where the aluminum meets the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back, the metal is slightly radiused. This is simply for the benefit of the user. I think the Pixel 9 is actually more comfortable in the hand than the Pixel 8 without a case. The rounded edges were nice, but they were hard to maintain a grip on in iffy circumstances. The Pixel 9's prominent edges give me a little more confidence when I hold it throughout the day. The matte aluminum finish also goes a long way to contribute to a premium look and feel. That touch of cold metal when you pick it up for the first time every day goes a long way in making the phone feel well-built, even if it can be an illusion. In almost every way, the Pixel 9 feels much more premium than the Pixel 8. The matte aluminum doesn't fog up with your natural oils, and the clear disconnect of the camera and body feels more intentional and makes the array look more prominent. Additionally, the camera setup looks a lot more minimal, and it doesn't feel out of place. It's solid - built with purpose. Even the buttons on the side feel clickier, which goes a long way in playing up the feeling of the phone. Compared to the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL, there isn't much of a difference in superficial hardware. In fact, the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro can use the same cases, which cements the idea that the phones are visually identical. Though the non-Pro versions in years past have been considered the "small" phone, I really think the base size is the goldilocks for most people. Our own Damien Wilde would disagree, though he is a taller human man than the rest of the team. For my personal use, the Pixel 9 has been a refreshingly "normal phone," to the point where I may never consider the XL. Related: Pixel 9 Pro XL impressions: A week with its better battery life and Tensor G4 Color-wise, the Pixel 9 is also the more vibrant version of the series. It offers the generic Obsidian and Porcelain colors - Google nailed these, by the way - but they also offer a Peony and Wintergreen. The two latter options are vibrant, and I would not be mad if I were using the Peony version. The Wintergreen is a little too light for me, though. The Pixel Pro series, on the other hand, offers the same general hues with a much lower saturation. The Rose Quartz is just not as fun as Peony. I think one of the only dislikes I've come across on the Pixel 9 is the display. Even then, that might be exaggerating. The Pixel 9 houses an Actua display panel that comes in at around 1080p. It's technically Full HD, but in 2024, that barely feels like enough. Considering the phone costs just under $800 - $100 up from last year - I would have liked to see the equivalent of 1440p, even in a "base" model phone. This may be because the Pixel 9 houses Google's brighter Actua panel model, which peaks at 2,700 nits. That comes in handy for very sunny days, though it really doesn't feel like a step up from the previous year's panel. There are a few things to note regarding the Actua panel's quality as a whole, bearing in mind that this is Google's cheapest phone in the Pixel 9 lineup. First, the panel takes on slightly thicker bezels. At least, they look and feel bigger compared to the previous model. That may be because they're uniform throughout the entire edge of the display - a point of contention even on the Pixel 8 series. The punch-hole camera feels like it's bigger, as well. Not the camera itself, but the black circular bezel around it. That'll go unnoticed over a short period of time, though it's something that felt immediately different in the new version. Our Editor-in-chief, Abner Li, notes that the cutout (on the 9 Pro) gets even bigger in circumstances like YouTube's Ambient Mode, which just feels wrong. One of the biggest changes that Google made within the display's physical build is the fingerprint sensor. Gone is the optical sensor. It's been replaced with an ultrasonic sensor, identical to what Samsung uses in its devices. The switch is immediately noticeable. The margin of error that I saw on the Pixel 8 feels like a crevasse compared to the amount of successful readings I see with the Pixel 9. I can be a little less careful with how I place my finger. In testing, it'll correctly read my print 10 out of 10 times, so long as I'm not touching the extreme tips of my fingers. Google built the Pixel 9 around the Tensor G4 chip. It's the newest custom model that focuses on not only driving stock Android but also taking on AI tasks with more efficiency and effectiveness. Google rolled out a few AI features that showcase what the Tensor G4 is capable of, and it's pretty compelling - more on that in a little bit. Beyond that, though, the SoC does a fine job of running Android 14. Again, the Pixel 9 did not launch with Android 15 as initially expected. Still, the new processor does a great job of ensuring everything runs smoothly throughout the day. The funny thing about Pixel phones is that they never house a chip that blows any others out of the water on benchmark tests. However, I've almost never had a complaint about usability in day-to-day use. The Tensor G4 is snappy, as you'd expect, and I can't possibly fault it for not being the technical fastest available. It does its job well, and that's what's most important. When using the Pixel 9, I did not think, "If only Google went with Snapdragon..." You just can't reasonably get mad at its performance. What helps is a higher RAM amount than last year. Instead of the 8GB we saw in the Pixel 8, the Pixel 9 packs 12GB, though it seems some is partitioned specifically for AI. Either way, that task is offloaded and doesn't burden the amount of memory needed. This almost certainly gives the Tensor G4 a punch in daily tasks, and I'm not mad about it. The combination means I haven't experienced any stutters or lag throughout my use. Many of the AI functions that Google launched with the Pixel 9 run relatively smoothly. Take Gemini Live, for example. It's the newest way to communicate with Gemini that offers a selection of natural voices - maybe too natural. Instead of text-based prompts, you can speak to Gemini like you would another human. This back-and-forth method is fun to play around with, and it works well on the Pixel 9. It just needs to be refined. One issue I've had with it is constant interruptions. The model is set to stop talking if it hears you speak or interrupt it. I have a feeling that the mic is a little sensitive because there are plenty of times Gemini just stops responding mid-sentence. It doesn't stop because asking it what it said will get it to repeat its response. Still, it's a little frustrating when you're feeding it info and building up to a specific response, only for it to cut off halfway through. Beyond that, the new implementation of Gemini is promising and a lot more inviting than simply typing a response. In its early stages, I have found that it has some limitations. I'm not able to access my emails or other integrations, and if I do, the success rate is low. This is all fixable through OTA or server-side updates, so it isn't something I'd consider to be the fault of the Pixel 9. If there's anything Pixel phones are known for, it's the camera. By all counts, the sensors inside them aren't groundbreaking or proprietary. Rather, Google has mastered the art of post-processing, which allows unexciting hardware to shine incredibly bright. The Pixel 9 is hands-down the weakest of the three main phones this year in terms of camera. That isn't a negative thing, though. The main sensor comes in at 50MP (the same one as the Pro), while the ultrawide sensor takes a massive upgrade to 48MP. For normal shots, including portraits and anything a little constrained, you're getting the same camera as the Pixel 8. I've found the macro shots I'm getting to be astounding, as well as the everyday wide angles I look for in landscape photography and group shots thanks to this new, better sensor. Google just does such a good job with image processing that I've always had a hard time sticking to other devices. If a phone needs anything to stand out, it's a good camera. The Pixel 9 excels in that category, so long as you don't need/want telephoto capabilities. If you do, consider the more expensive Pro version with its 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. To add to the utility a little bit, Google is also introducing a new feature called "Add Me" on the Pixel 9. The feature essentially allows you to take a group shot without leaving anyone out. The first step involves taking a group shot with everyone but the photographer. The photographer then switches out with a different one and stands with the group. The software walks you through this very well, and the result is pretty cool. This isn't Photoshop, and it isn't an AI image generation. It's simply an AI process that places the live version of someone with an existing photo in the same exact spot. Within the Photos app, the Pixel 9 is also able to utilize the new Magic Editor feature - "Reimagine." Google's Reimagine is essentially just a more powerful precision tool in Magic Editor. It can take entire subjects or scenes and reimagine them as something else. For instance, a road can be turned into a river, or the background of a photo with your dog and boring apartments can be turned into a field of flowers. The image I took even took into account the action blur I used when taking the photo. The Pixel 9 isn't Google's most capable phone for taking photos, but it certainly doesn't lack in everyday and ultrawide shots, nor is it really held back on the software side. At 4,700mAh, the Pixel 9 beats its successor by quite a bit. On paper, that extra bit of power really doesn't guarantee much better performance. Essentially, I was expecting a slight increase in efficiency with an all-day battery I still needed to be conscious of. Instead, what I got is a heavy increase in efficiency with a battery I can't easily kill in 24 hours. With around four to six hours of active usage in a day, I'm seeing 40% or higher at night. That exceeds my expectations by a large margin. In very heavy use, I'm seeing a 20% battery level at around 6 p.m. As long as a charger is nearby, though, the new faster charging capabilities allow the Pixel 9 to get to around 50% in a little less than thirty minutes. At one point, the Pixel 9 was at 20%, and I plugged it into my car charger - not rated for fast charging - and I was at 50% the next time I looked at it. That, in combination with a better version of Extreme Battery Saver, means the Pixel 9 is much more reliable in the field. Now, I'm not sure how long that will keep up for, but with that starting point and adaptive charging on, it'll surely be a while before you'll notice a decline in performance. The performance boost has been a common theme across the board for our team, covering every Pixel 9 device Google introduced - not including the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, yet. It could likely have a lot to do with the Tensor G4's ability to handle tasks. In any case, the upgrade is tangible, and I've genuinely been surprised at how well the Pixel 9 has performed on battery life. I always thought I wanted the biggest phone. I really did. The Pixel 9 has changed my line of thinking a little bit. At $799, it's $100 more than last year's base model. It's also only $200 away from the Pro model, which has the same body and internal upgrades that may be worth it for some. Still, if I was ignorant of those versions and thought this was the only model Google released this year, I'd still be completely satisfied. Even in that context, though, it still holds up rather well across the board. No, it doesn't have a telephoto lens, and it doesn't come with a little more RAM, but that's totally okay. For the majority of users out there, the Pixel 9 is powerful enough, if not more powerful than they actually need. Tensor G4 puts in the work, and Android 14 performs very well. That doesn't even take into account the body change the series went through, which I appreciate. Now, if you're on the fence about upgrading, know that none of these changes are groundbreaking, and software releases have the potential of coming to users on older devices in the future. This is more of a heavy refinement than a massive upgrade - the theme of modern smartphones For everyone else, the Pixel 9 is the best Google can do this year, and it's rather good.

The Pixel 9 Pro Is Great (If You Ignore the AI)

Google's Pixel 9 Pro has a lot to live up to: It's the company's new flagship phone, coming in as AI competition starts to heat up. As Google faces monopoly charges, this is the company's chance to justify its unified ecosystem, a task that the Pixel 9 Pro sadly falls short of. And yet, on its own, it's an excellent product. While much of the front-and-center branding tries to sell you on tech that probably needs another 10 years in the oven, the Pixel 9 Pro does regular phone stuff better than any Pixel in recent memory. It has all the strengths of older models, but tuned up, with a sleek design that was long overdue. The big draw to the Pixel line of smartphones is usually unique software, but while the Pixel 9 has a few AI tricks up its sleeve to keep up with Apple Intelligence, my favorite change this year is to the phone itself. That's because the Pixel 9 Pro, for the first time, now comes in two sizes. There's the "new" Pixel 9 Pro XL, which is actually about the same size as past Pro models, and the regular Pixel 9 Pro, which when compared to past Pixel Pro models, functions more like a Pixel 9 Pro Mini. Despite having the same naming scheme as those past Pro models, it's easily the fresher option. While the XL is more in line with expectations, the regular Pixel 9 Pro finally gives us a Pro Pixel phone that's the exact same size as the base Pixel. That means no more choosing between pocketability and power. As someone who almost always opts for pro models but tries to get the smallest option I can, I'm ecstatic. To get the phone to that size, there's a few compromises -- namely, a slightly smaller battery and a predictably smaller screen with a smaller resolution. Everything still feels plenty luxurious, and to me, the tradeoffs are well worth it. It's also lightweight, too, at 7 oz compared to the iPhone 15 Pro's 6.6 oz. The biggest difference here is going to come from your case, which in a neat trick, will also fit a base Pixel 9. That's because both phones have the same basic layout, down to the size of the new, redesigned camera bar. Google made the camera bar smaller and more circular this year, and while it still sticks out just as much as the old one, the more minimal look is a bit easier on the eyes. Also easy on the eyes is the 9 Pro's matte surface, which is a lot less reflective and much less of a fingerprint magnet than the glossier back on the base Pixel 9. The Hazel color my phone came in is also a nice, deep white with a greenish tint, although you can get a black, white, or pink model if those are more your speed. I do miss the light blue option, called Bay, the Pixel 8 line had. Still, this is easily the most premium feeling and looking smartphone Google has made to date. There's also a foldable Pixel 9 Pro, called the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, set to ship next month. I saw a pre-release version of that phone, but haven't had many opportunities to test it. Pixels usually thrive on their unique software, like Live Transcribe or Call Assistant, but the Pixel 9's feature additions are more iterative than usual, with none of the new exclusives really standing out -- at least for anything good. The first you'll probably stumble across is Add Me, which you can swipe to while taking a picture. Add Me uses local processing to stitch two photos together so nobody has to miss out on being in a shot. Essentially, you take a photo of your friend or partner, then pass the phone off to them so they can take a photo of you. Add Me will then combine the photos to make it seem like you were both in frame at the same time. It's a clever idea, and one I was excited to try out on my upcoming honeymoon. Unfortunately, like Magic Editor on previous Pixels, it still feels like a demo. Google told me that Add Me doesn't use generative fill, which means you won't get any melty backgrounds like in Magic Editor, but it does still fall prey to some basic photoshop tells. Figures added into shots tend to look like they were cut out of a magazine and pasted in, with incorrect lighting and shadows being a clear giveaway. Sizing can also be an issue, with people looking smaller or larger than they might in real life. The same can be said for depth: My fiancé tried framing his arm behind where I was sitting so it would look like it was hugging me, and instead it just kind of blended into my shoulders. Add Me also only works with people, so don't think about getting clever with it. I tried it on some anime figures I have on hand, and it wouldn't recognize them. The new Screenshots app fares better, though I doubt many people will use it. The app uses locally processed AI to add titles and descriptions to your screenshots, helping you search through them more quickly. You could use this for things like concert tickets or hotel wifi cards, and the tool's descriptions were mostly accurate in my usage. It can also read and summarize any text that might be in your screenshots, which could be useful for school notes or boarding passes. The problem is, it's limited to screenshots, rather than photos. Even if you're taking a photo of a physical boarding pass, you'll have to remember to screenshot that photo to get any use out of Screenshots. I tend to screenshot a lot, but I feel that limitation is going to leave this app mostly buried with standard users. Google's upcoming Ask Photos feature should help more people, but there's still no word on a release date for it. Then, there's what's likely to be the most controversial app debuting with the Pixel 9: Pixel Studio. It's essentially an AI image generator with a basic editor thrown in, although you can also use it to touch up your own photos rather than AI-generated ones. Pixel Studio uses a combination of local processing and the Imagen 3 model that also powers Gemini, but something must have broken along the way. Gemini's safeguards tend to be pretty strict, but like X's Grok, Pixel Studio can give you some pretty unhinged results. There are still some safeguards in place: The bot will refuse to generate images of real people, from celebrities to something as generic as "a cashier at a grocery store." The issue is Pixel Studio seems to be more permissive of violence than Gemini, and has no issues with depicting copyrighted characters. I was able to get some almost dead-on images of Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Mickey Mouse, and while these alone might not raise their corporate owners' ire, here are some more compromising images I got of Mickey Mouse with just a bit of prompting: I was even able to get a version of Mickey depicted as a member of the KKK, although I'll hold off on posting it for your sake. Still, it's not a good look for a brand-new tool, and parents will want to be careful with their parental controls before handing their kid a Pixel 9. Using the tool more as intended, I found the images it created to be pretty boilerplate, and not really worth the carbon emissions. Unfortunately, I feel the same way about Gemini Assistant, which while not exclusive to the Pixel 9 series, got some upgrades to coincide with its release. It's supposed to be more context aware now, able to take information from your screen and use it in your responses, although I could never get this to work. More emphasized in ads is the new Gemini Live mode, which is exclusive to Gemini Advanced users and lets you carry on a conversation with a cloud-based and AI-powered voice. Pixel 9 Pro owners get a free year of Gemini Advanced with their purchase, so you'll be able to try Live right out of the box. I found Gemini Live to be friendly, but not that useful, since it mostly added an extra step between myself and information I could have found with a quick Google search. It needed frequent redirecting to keep it on the right track, and often cut out partway through talking, requiring another prompt before it continued. Hallucination was also rampant, with the bot saying things like "New Yorkers usually always carry an umbrella just in case" when I asked if it was going to rain today. Given that my friends and I got drenched twice this weekend, that's either not true or we're just a bunch of transplants in disguise. The conversational tone was also a bit off-putting, and while I didn't have any issues with the bot cutting me off, I didn't love the overly friendly, PR-adjacent voice it took with me. I felt like I was being handled, being given nonsensical responses like "the tech team has fixed the issue" or "sorry, I lost connection" on occasions where Live became unresponsive and needed to be rebooted. Issues persisted, despite whatever "tech team" was being referenced, and my wifi was stable throughout, so the connection was probably not the culprit. Overall, I'm still sad to hear that Google Assistant is on the way out, something Google emphasized during the Pixel 9 announcement. Gemini still can't do simple things like adjust phone settings or set reminders, which Google Assistant has been able to do with ease for years. For what I actually use my phone to do, the more lightweight and basic standard assistant is easily the better pick. As hinted towards by its name, photos are another category where the Pixel series stands out. Camera upgrades this year are a bit more subtle, with rear camera megapixel counts matching the Pixel 8 Pro (50 MP wide, 48 MP ultrawide, 48 MP telephoto), but with improvements to autofocus. The selfie camera did get a noticeable bump, from 10.5 MP to 42 MP, but in practice, taking photos feels a lot better across the board, with shots being near indistinguishable from those taken on my iPhone 15 Pro -- something I wasn't confident saying with the Pixel 8 Pro despite that phone technically having better ultrawide and telephoto lenses. To start, here's some daytime shots taken at 12 MP across various zoom and lighting levels. Your phone will default to this level of quality to save storage space. And here's some taken at 50 MP, which you can turn on by tapping the cog in the camera app's bottom-left corner, then the Pro tab, then the 50 MP icon under Resolution. Shots are vivid and detailed: Close ups especially benefit from Portrait mode, while Night Sight brightens up the night sky. I found the latter to be generally helpful, but a bit artificial at times. This can be frustrating, since Night Sight does turn on automatically by default, but you can disable Automatic Night Sight by tapping the cog in the bottom-left corner of the camera app, and tapping the circle with a diagonal line through it under More light. You'll still be able to use Night Sight manually by swiping to it in the camera app. For comparison, here are some similar shots with my iPhone 15 Pro, with night shots in particular coming out much darker -- although I am limited in how dark my testing can get by the general ambient light where I live. And here are a few taken with my Pixel 8 Pro. Overall, despite the mostly unchanged lens hardware, I found I had to do a lot less tweaking to get subjects to pop in frame this time around, likely due to this model's upgraded sensors. Performance is the Pixel 9 Pro's Achilles' heel. Boasting the brand new Google Tensor G4, it still falls behind competing pro phone models in non-Google apps. That's because the Tensor series is built to power Google AI and other Google-developed experiences like Magic Editor, and for those, it works great. It also doesn't get in the way of light tasks like browsing, but if you're a gamer, or you edit video on your phone, you might notice some slight hiccups. In the synthetic benchmark Geekbench 6, which gives a general idea of performance, I got a score of 1,924 on single-core tasks and 4,628 on multi-core tasks, which is just barely above the Pixel 8 Pro's numbers and far below the 2,938/7,250 I got on my iPhone 15 Pro. Synthetic benchmarks can't tell you everything, but it's not a promising start. To test out real world performance, I took the phone into Genshin Impact, a graphically demanding open-world game. Here, I was only able to get a smooth 60 fps when using the game's lowest settings, which make what should be sumptuous 3D anime graphics look like borderline pixel art. Bumping the settings up dropped the fps to about 45-60, but also caused the phone to heat up quite a bit, with the maximum settings pretty quickly making it too hot to handle. That's a shame, as these results are about on par with what I got on the Pixel 8a, a budget model running last year's chip. My iPhone 15 Pro, on the other hand, can play at high settings at 60 fps with little issue. While the Pixel 9 Pro is not a gaming phone, the numbers here don't paint a kind picture for other demanding apps. If you want to stay in the Android ecosystem but don't see yourself using Google's Pixel-exclusive software much, consider an alternate flagship like a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra instead. I haven't had the Pixel 9 Pro long enough to test its battery properly, so I'll update this section with more details when I have them. For now, Google promises an average 31 hours of battery life for non-constant mixed use and with the default battery-saving features turned on. Before wrapping up, it's worth touching on the slightly brighter display. While it still tops out at 120 Hz with the same HDR support and aspect ratio, its peak brightness has been upped from 2,400 nits to 3,000 nits, which I found I needed quite a bit. Maybe I'm getting older, but in direct sunlight, I had to put the brightness to about 93% before the screen really popped. Inside, I was able to get away with a more modest 65%. That's higher than I felt I needed on the Pixel 8a, so it's likely my standards have just risen. This screen is definitely better than on prior models, capable of displaying more vivid colors with its doubled contrast ratio. If not for the small size, I could see myself watching whole movies on this, as I was tempted to do while watching a scene from The Super Mario Bros Movie. Using the Pixel 9 Pro hardly feels different than using past models, but this is still a great way to get in on the Google flagship phone, which starts at the typical $999. Part of the reason I haven't picked up a Pixel for personal use is because of the size, as well as what I considered a pretty ugly camera bump. While the camera bump is definitely still noticeable, both of those issues are more-or-less solved now. The base Pixel 9 Pro feels like a massive improvement when just carrying the phone around in your pocket or having it out on a table. The camera also definitely makes the Pro model worth it, even without much of an improvement with app performance. The specs are better on paper than most phones from companies not named Samsung, and Google's post-processing takes the phone's lenses that extra mile. It's nice to finally have high-level Pixel cameras in a pocketable form factor. The one worry I have about this phone is the AI. Google really wants Gemini to take off, for obvious reasons, but it continues to falter when stress tested. There's some borderline irresponsible things you can do with the image generation, and as an assistant, Gemini still struggles with basics that Google Assistant had solved years ago. Longtime Pixel favorites like clear calling still work great here, but the Pixel 9's newest AI offerings are not worth upgrading for. That could put the Pixel 9 line in jeopardy with Apple Intelligence right around the corner, although even Apple doesn't seem quite comfortable with AI yet, as it'll reportedly be holding back several key features for next year. With that in mind, the Pixel 9 Pro is probably a safe upgrade, as it's likely to avoid being outclassed for a while. And if AI isn't your cup of tea -- I still can't find more than situational use cases for it -- this phone could work for you for years to come. It's stylish, functional, and finally compact: everything a little rectangle for your pocket should be.

Forget the Pro - The $799 Google Pixel 9 is one of my favorite smartphones of 2024

The hardware improvements over last year's model are relatively small,. I had a chance to attend the Made by Google event earlier this month, and after the keynote wrapped up, I was more excited to go hands-on with the baseline version of the Pixel 9 than the Pro or the Pro XL. Why? Because the Pixel 9's accessibility makes it a fascinating device, and one I recommend for a handful of reasons. I'm spoiling this review right at the top, but it's true. Google's new entry-level flagship, the Pixel 9, starts at $799 ($100 more than last year's version) and even though its hardware is a minor improvement over the Pixel 8, it's an impressive phone overall. It offers a new design, slightly upgraded performance, slightly better cameras, a slightly bigger battery, and a host of new AI features. Google has positioned the Pixel 9 as the default Android alternative to the iPhone 15 (soon to be the iPhone 16), partly because it looks like one. Google gave the entire Pixel 9 family flat sides with rounded corners, which makes it look like something from a design lab in Cupertino. The good news is that it makes these phones look and feel great. Also: Everything announced at Made by Google 2024: Pixel 9 Pro, Fold, Gemini, Watch 3, and more In fact, they're my favorite-looking Pixel phones yet. The Pixel 9 feels especially unique while still offering a premium feel that's blissfully cold to the touch when you pick it up. The sides are aluminum, while the front and back feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The whole thing is IP68-rated for water and dust resistance, and it's just the right size for use with one hand. Another characteristic of the Pixel is its nice display, and the Pixel 9 definitely has one. It features a 6.3-inch Actua display a tenth of an inch bigger than the Pixel 8. The sharp 2424x1080 resolution, OLED panel, and 120Hz dynamic refresh rate give the Pixel 9 exceptional visuals whether you're just reading email or watching your favorite movie. This year, the screen can reach way up to 2,700 nits of brightness, making it one of the brightest Android phones you can buy. Also: I replaced my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with the Pixel 9 Pro XL for a week - and didn't regret it Also, its performance feels better. Powered by the new Tensor G4 processor, 12GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of storage, the Pixel 9 is a screamer. It's one of the most responsive Android phones I've used all year, and that's just with the standard version of this phone. The cameras are also impressive. Google kept the same 50MP main camera as last year but swapped the old 12MP ultra-wide for a new 48MP 123-degree camera. Photos are simply stunning on this phone, and Google's post-processing algorithms do a great job of retaining details and contrast. Video quality is also very good, especially with the company's Video Boost technology. This phone can easily rival any device that costs $200+ more. If there's a downside to the hardware, it's the inclusion of the lower-quality 10.5MP selfie camera, whereas the Pro phones get a new 42MP camera. There's also an extra telephoto camera on the Pros, so you won't get the same zoom quality on the regular Pixel 9. Regarding this phone's AI features, Google has jammed quite a bit into the Pixel 9. Not only does it ship with the company's Gemini chatbot out of the box, but thanks to the Tensor G4 processor, it also comes with Gemini Live, so you can have real-life conversations with it. Also: Android 15's Gemini overlay feature can answer questions about anything on your screen It requires a Google One AI Premium plan, but you'll get one for free if you buy a Pixel 9. I've asked it numerous questions that were similar to web queries ("What's the best place to live near New York City that's relatively affordable," "How many stars are in the sky-wait, in the galaxy?") and it answered them all with ease -- even with speech interruptions. It's in the early stages, but it's exciting technology that could change how we use our phones. You also get features like Add Me, which allows you to take a picture of your friends, then have them take a picture of you in the same place, and merge the two so no one's left out. I've played around with it during my testing, which worked surprisingly well. There are also some nice updates to Magic Editor for framing your photos. Google also included two new AI-powered apps on the Pixel 9 series: Pixel Screenshots and Pixel Studio. With the former, you can organize your screenshots and search through them with AI prompts, allowing you to easily reference information like Wi-Fi passwords or recipes. Meanwhile, the latter lets you generate images on the fly and customize them with text, stickers, and other effects. I've enjoyed using both apps in my limited testing time, but I'll need to play with them over the long run to see whether they're worth it. Also: The Pixel phone camera was already the best, but these new features make it even better I found battery life to be quite good. There's a 4,700mAh cell inside that can last all day on a charge and then some, which means you won't need to worry about this phone's battery after a long day. Google includes 45W charging support on the Pixel 9 series, which is awesome, but you'll need to buy a separate wall adapter to take advantage of it. In addition, there's 15W wireless charging (not Qi2, notably) and 5W reverse wireless charging called "Battery Share." If your budget is $800, it's hard not to recommend Google's Pixel 9. Sure, the Samsung Galaxy S24 is a tough competitor, but I actually think this is the better buy. It gives you access to some useful new AI features, and you get all the perks of the Pixel experience, like excellent software, display quality, and cameras. The Pixel 9's Pro and Pro XL versions might be flashier, but the baseline version of Google's flagship phone should not be overlooked.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Review

The Pixel 9 Pro does everything the flagship Pixel 9 Pro XL can but in a smaller package for $100 less. It earns top marks for design and build quality, screen brightness, wireless speeds, battery life, and camera performance. As with the larger Pro XL, the 9 Pro's Gemini AI features are somewhat undercooked at launch but still entertaining to use. If you want all the latest AI capabilities in a compact Android phone with no compromises, the Pixel 9 Pro makes a lot of sense at $999. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is an attractive upgrade if you prefer a bigger screen, but we recommend the Editors' Choice-winning Pixel 9 (starting at $799) for most people because it offers nearly all the same features in an equally compelling package for $200 less. Design: The Pinnacle of Pixel The Pixel 9 Pro is a new model in the Pixel family. Last year's options included the smaller, lower-cost, and less-capable Pixel 8 along with the larger, pricier, full-featured Pixel 8 Pro, which was effectively the Pixel 8 Pro XL. The Pixel 9 Pro slots between the $799 Pixel 9 and the $1,099 Pixel 9 Pro XL. Google says it wanted to offer a version of the Pixel that has all the power of the top model but in a smaller form factor. The simplicity of Google's design philosophy has given way to an increase in elegance. The Pixel 9 Pro is as finely crafted as the other Pixel 9 models, with great attention to detail. Google has simplified the camera module from a long bar to a shorter pill shape, modernizing the lineup to better compete with the design of other top-tier phones. These are the best phones Google has designed, and it shows. Available in Hazel (gray/green), Obsidian (black), Porcelain (white), or Rose Quartz, the phone looks attractive no matter what shade you choose. The 9 Pro is comfortable to hold and use thanks to the frame's rounded edges and seamless transition between materials. The 9 Pro measures 6.0 by 2.8 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 7.0 ounces, which are the same dimensions and weight as the Pixel 9, but smaller than the 6.4 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches and 7.8 ounces of the Pro XL. Comparatively, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro ($999) is smaller at 5.8 by 2.8 by 0.3 inches and 6.6 ounces, while the Samsung Galaxy S24+ ($999) is taller and wider at 6.2 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches, but barely lighter at 6.95 ounces. Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects the 9 Pro's screen and back panel from scratches and breakage. Samsung uses the same glass for the S24+, while Apple uses its in-house Ceramic Shield. The frame is made of polished aluminum, while the back panel is matte for contrast. Google applies the same look to the camera module, with reflective edges and a matte finish surrounding the triple camera array. A power button and volume rocker are located on the right side of the phone; these buttons are clicky, with a comfortable amount of travel. The bottom edge contains a down-firing speaker, a USB-C (v3.2) port, and a SIM tray that houses one physical SIM. The phone also supports one eSIM. Otherwise, the remainder of the frame is bare save for antenna lines and mic holes. As for durability, the Pixel 9 Pro is rated IP68, meaning it is protected against dust and fresh water. This rating matches those of the iPhone 15 Pro and the Galaxy S24+ (and the other Pixel 9s). Uniform bezels frame the display, and the front-facing camera is visible between the screen and the aluminum frame. Google has upgraded its Face Unlock feature, which uses the front camera, and it is now secure enough to be used with banking and finance apps. An ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is located under the display. Both of these biometric options worked reliably in testing. The Pixel 9 Pro shares every design detail with the 9 Pro XL except size and weight. If the smaller build of the 9 Pro isn't quite enough phone for you, you may enjoy the larger footprint of the 9 Pro XL. While the Pixel 9 shares the same size as the 9 Pro, it is available in a slightly different selection of colors and drops several features to reach its lower price. The 9 Pro just might be the Goldilocks option for many. Display: Bright and Clear The 9 Pro features a radiant 6.3-inch OLED display with 2,856 by 1,280 pixels and a density of 495ppi. Everything on the screen is crisp and sharp. The brightness is quite good at 2,000 nits (typ) and 3,000 nits (peak). This means the screen is visible even in harsh lighting conditions like outdoor sunlight. It has a variable refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz to balance power efficiency and performance. The 9 Pro XL's display is larger at 6.8 inches and has a resolution of 2,992 by 1,344 pixels. Otherwise, the larger phone shares the same display specs and performance. The Pixel 9 also has a 6.3-inch screen, but it has a resolution of 2,424 by 1,080 pixels at a density of 422ppi and a refresh rate that ranges from 60Hz to 120Hz. The iPhone 15 Pro has a smaller screen at 6.1 inches at a resolution of 2,556 by 1,179 pixels at 460ppi, while the Galaxy S24+ has a somewhat larger 6.7-inch panel with 3,120 by 1,440 pixels at 513ppi. Performance: A Reliable Workhorse Google's Tensor G4 processor and Titan M2 coprocessor power the Pixel 9 Pro, the same as the other two Pixel 9 devices. The model we tested came with 16GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Stepped-up models with more storage include 256GB for $1,099, 512GB for $1,219, and 1TB for $1,449. While the base iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy S24+ also feature 128GB of storage, we think this simply isn't enough internal storage at these price points. The Tensor family of processors has historically not fared well on artificial benchmarks; it is tuned more for machine learning and AI applications. Google says the G4 makes app launches 17% faster and web browsing up to 20% quicker than last year's Pixels. Overall, the 9 Pro easily handled everything we threw at it. Apps launched quickly, response times were speed, and multitasking was seamless. The Pixel 9 Pro would not run some of our standard benchmarks, like Geekbench 6, though we were able to sideload PCMark and GFXBench. On the PCMark Work 3.0 test, the Pixel 9 Pro scored 13,049, which is a little better than the Pixel 9 Pro XL (12,634) and noticeably better than the Pixel 9 (10,468). The Galaxy S24+ and its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy is on another level, reaching 18,776 on the same test. To gauge graphics performance, we ran the GFXBench Aztec Ruins test at 1440p, and the 9 Pro reached 43 frames per second (fps), which is the same as the 9 Pro XL and a notch higher than the Pixel 9 (41fps). Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24+ fared better than the rest at 58fps. Benchmarks are not the full story. The resource-intensive game Genshin Impact played smoothly at the highest graphics settings, with fluid animations and no slowdown. The back of the device became lukewarm but remained comfortable. The Pixel line has long lagged competitors in benchmarks while delivering solid everyday performance, so benchmark numbers shouldn't be a major deterrent. Battery Life: The Longest-Lasting Pixel The Pixel 9 Pro packs a 4,700mAh battery, the same as the Pixel 9. In our battery test, in which we stream HD video over Wi-Fi while the screen is set to full brightness, the Pixel 9 Pro lasted an outstanding 17 hours and 25 minutes. For comparison, the Pixel 9 reached 11 hours and 45 minutes, while the 9 Pro XL and its 5,060mAh cell lasted 12 hours and 25 minutes. The iPhone 15, with its 3,274mAh battery, managed 16 hours and 45 minutes, while the 4,900mAh Samsung S24+ lasted 14 hours and 10 minutes. No matter what you compare it with, the Pixel 9 Pro's battery life is impressive. Wired charging tops out at 27W, but there's no charger in the box. Wireless charging reaches 12W using a standard Qi charger or 21W using the optional second-generation Pixel Stand. The Pixel 9 Pro also features reverse wireless charging. For comparison, the iPhone 15 charges at 20W wired, and the S24+ peaks at 45W wired. Using a fast charger, charging the 9 Pro from 0% to 100% took approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. A 15-minute charge session brought the phone up to 27%, while 30 minutes yielded a 55% charge. Connectivity: Fast 5G and Wi-Fi All Pixel 9 phones support 5G (sub-6GHz and mmWave), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC. These are on par with other flagship phones sold in the US, and the phone should work well on all three major carriers. On T-Mobile's 5G UC network in New York City, the Pixel 9 Pro achieved a download speed of 686Mbps and an upload speed of 96.1Mbps. In comparison, a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 managed 596Mbps down and 32.7Mbps up when tested on T-Mobile in the same spot. When connected to a Wi-Fi 6 router at close range, the Pixel 9 Pro reached 449Mbps down and 16.0Mbps up. The Z Fold 6 performed similarly, with a download speed of 456Mbps and an upload speed of 13.6Mbps. When I took both phones to the edge of the Wi-Fi network's range, the Pixel 9 Pro remained fast, with a download speed of 321Mbps and an upload speed of 11.7Mbps. The Z Fold 6 registered slightly slower speeds at 306Mbps down and 9.80Mbps up. Overall, the 9 Pro's wireless performance is superb. Call quality is good. In a voicemail test, my voice sounded clear and understandable. When I played loud background music, the noise was entirely absent in the recording, and my voice remained consistent. For calls, the earpiece speaker reached a maximum of 69.9dB while the speakerphone was a drop quieter at 69.7dB. I find volumes around or above 70dB to be easily audible in noisy areas, so the Pixel is right on the edge. Audio for media is played through two speakers: the earpiece and the down-firing speaker. When I played Metallica's "Enter Sandman," the Pixel 9 Pro reached 98.1dB, which can easily fill a small room. Low bass notes like those in The Knife's "Silent Shout" aren't easy to discern, however, so I suggest getting a pair of Bluetooth headphones to experience fuller audio. Cameras: Moving Pixel Photography Forward The Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL feature the same camera setup. Both have a 50MP main shooter with an aperture of f/1.6 and an 82-degree field of view, a 48MP f/1.7 ultra-wide camera with a 123-degree field of view, and a 48MP telephoto camera at f/2.8 and a 22-degree field of view. The telephoto camera supports 5x optical zoom and 30x Super Res Zoom. The main and ultra-wide cameras also have optical image stabilization (OIS). The Pixel 9 includes the same main and ultra-wide cameras, though it drops the telephoto camera. Overall, the Pixel 9 Pro delivers exceptional photos with natural colors, just like the 9 Pro XL. Details are crisp, and image quality is maintained across all of its cameras. By default, the 50MP main camera produces 12.5MP images. You can change this by going into the Pro settings, which also provide you with manual control over parameters like focus and shutter speed. 12.5MP images feature slightly richer colors, while 50MP shots preserve more detail. However, it's a small trade-off as images look nearly identical, and you have to examine closely to really see the differences. The 48MP ultra-wide camera delivers the same quality images as the main shooter. By default, it produces 12.5MP images. Interestingly, full-resolution images are upscaled to 50MP. Google says this is to mirror the main camera. Distortion correction is applied to final images; it is good at straightening out inanimate objects, but barrel distortion is noticeable when the subject is a person or a pet. The 48MP telephoto camera follows the ultra-wide's lead with 12.5MP images by default and upscaled 50MP pictures. Colors are excellent, with well-preserved details. Focusing on distant objects is a snap thanks to the long reach of both the optical and hybrid zoom. Google has significantly upgraded the front-facing camera to a 42MP f/f.2 shooter with a 103-degree field of view. Images show realistic color, with shadows appearing slightly darker than in reality. The portrait effect typically produces a natural-looking bokeh, though it sometimes blurs out the wrong areas, like glasses. Low-light photography remains a strong point for the Pixel series. In a nearly pitch-black room, the Pixel 9 Pro captured colors that the eye could not see, though those colors were on the splotchy side. Video capture reaches 4K60 for both the rear and front cameras. All the footage I shot had accurate color with sharp details. Rear camera footage appeared smooth, removing any shakiness and reaching gimbal-like stability thanks to OIS. Selfie camera footage showed more hand movement, but video stability was solid. The Pro and Pro XL both support a cloud-based tool called Video Boost, wherein Google will upscale your 4K60 footage to 8K30. The Pixel 9 doesn't support this feature. Both Pixel Pro phones share the same suite of AI photography tools. For an in-depth look at each feature, see my Pixel 9 Pro XL review. Here, I'll provide a general overview. Add Me is a new feature in the camera app that allows the photographer to join the group photo. When activated, the app provides detailed instructions on how to take the photos. Add Me then places you into the picture after taking two separate shots. The resulting images are impressive, creating a realistic-looking group shot without any visible inconsistencies in the background. Magic Editor includes some new features. As the name implies, Auto Frame can automatically reframe an existing image. Sometimes, it zooms in, and other times, it zooms out and then relies on AI to fill in unphotographed areas. As with a lot of generative AI images, some weirdness can appear. Reimagine is another new feature within Magic Editor. It lets you select an area within a photo and then change or add to it by writing a prompt. In the example below, I put myself in a mountainous landscape. It is impressive how Magic Editor preserves fine details like hair while generating and merging the background behind it. All of these features are available on the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro XL as well. Software: Hello, Gemini Every Pixel 9 device runs Android 14, and Google promises seven years of OS updates, security patches, and feature drops. Samsung also offers a seven-year support window for its premium devices like the Galaxy S24 series. Usually, Google ships the Pixel with the latest version of Android; with Android 15 ready to launch, the choice to ship with Android 14 instead is a bit confusing. Gemini is at the heart of the Pixel 9 Pro experience. This AI assistant can handle long, complex conversations and keeps a memory of each individual session. The conversations are transcribed and organized within the Gemini app. Thanks to extensions, Gemini can hook into Google Assistant to execute smart home commands. Unfortunately, Gemini doesn't have a persistent memory from one session to another. There is no ability to search through conversations in the Gemini app, either, which seems like a missed opportunity. Further, Gemini requires an internet connection to operate. Google Assistant, also on board the Pixel 9 Pro, does not need to be online to work. The fact that these two assistants have different feature sets can be frustrating at times. Google preinstalls two apps on the Pixel 9 Pro: Pixel Studio and Pixel Screenshots. Pixel Studio generates images through a prompt. Below is an example of a dynamic labrador dressed as a superhero flying over a city. The image on the left is in a Video Game style, and the one on the right is in a Cinematic style. Pixel Screenshots is a new organizational tool that takes your screenshots, analyzes them, and annotates the images to better identify the contents. Its search function is impressive, and it often finds things that Google Lens misses. Screenshots are also still available in Google Photos. Gemini Live allows you to hold an ongoing voice conversation with Gemini. Conversations feel natural, and Gemini Live handles interruptions well. Unfortunately, it cannot access extensions, so smart home commands will not work here. Gemini Live is a part of Gemini Advanced, which is behind a paywall that costs $19.99 per month. Gemini Advanced cannot be added to any other existing plan. On the plus side, Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL buyers receive one year of Gemini Advanced for free, but Pixel 9 buyers do not. Verdict: A Welcome Addition to the Pixel Family The Google Pixel 9 Pro features a refined design, outstanding cameras, a stunning display, and reliable day-to-day performance. It serves as a good alternative to the Pixel 9 or the Pixel 9 Pro XL, with the compact size of the Pixel 9 but all the power of the Pro XL. So, if you're seeking a compact powerhouse with leading AI features, the Pixel 9 Pro is the model to get. That said, most people will be plenty satisfied with the standard Pixel 9, which offers less battery life and camera prowess, but also saves you $200, earning it our Editors' Choice award.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Google's AI gateway device

If you feel like new Pixel phones arrived sooner this year, you're right. Google's August Pixel hardware event gave us not a duo, but a quartet of new phones; starting at one end with the new baseline Pixel 9, and freshly topped with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Into larger phones? Then the 'XL' nomenclature should tip you off as to where you might want to spend your money. This is the direct successor to last year's 6.7-inch Pixel 8 Pro. It's the biggest (flat) Pixel yet and it sports a new design that marks a relatively significant shift in the series' aesthetic; the camera bar introduced with the Pixel 6 series is gone and instead we have the camera 'pill.' The fit and finish have unquestionably been elevated, with the phone's polished frame adopting a much flatter form that's decidedly iPhone-like in its execution, and Google says new construction methods and material choices make it twice as durable as its predecessor. In reality, the Pixel 9 Pro XL feels great, with the best build quality I've seen from Google to date; not to mention it looks superb, thanks to an updated Super Actua Display that boasts higher peak brightness than anything Apple or Samsung has to offer. The move to an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is welcome too, delivering on Google's promised speed improvement. The same seven-year commitment to OS and security updates helps the Pixel 9 series stand apart from rivals from Apple and Motorola. The phones' earlier-than-usual arrival in the calendar year means that this is the first generation of Pixel in a long time that doesn't debut with a new build of Android. It will benefit from the same future releases of Android as the Pixel 8 line, and likely no more. Beyond the usual fare of a clean Pixel experience, AI is all Google is talking about. With an updated Gemini Nano model that is multi-modal and three times more capable running on-device, you'll find AI-generated features throughout the user experience. Most notably, there are three new apps to play with: a new Weather app that's richer and more customizable, with AI-generated weather reports; a new Screenshots app that - as well as helping organize your captures - allows for semantic search; and Pixel Studio, which allows for on-device text-to-image generative AI that Google pitches as a new creative tool. Feel free to reconcile your feelings about using AI-generated imagery in your own time. The cost of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL also includes a year's access to Google One AI Premium with Gemini Advanced and its new Gemini Live feature. Gemini Live is a decidedly ChatGPT 4o-like conversational experience with Google's off-device AI. It works well for things like how-to guidance and recipe help, but still comes with limitations surrounding how it can actually action on-device tasks for you. All the on-device AI experiences are powered by Google's new Tensor G4 SoC, paired with a new higher RAM ceiling of 16GB. Previous Pixels already felt fast in day-to-day use, but existing users will notice speed improvements for things like image processing and app load times; even if these gains are seemingly slight. Benchmarks only put the Tensor G4 about 10% ahead of the G3, in terms of CPU performance, with more noticeable graphical gains and, of course, NPU gains for AI tasks. The other big aspect of any modern, AI-enhanced Pixel phone is the camera experience. The hardware looks, for the most part, similar to the Pixel 8 Pro, albeit with a much higher resolution selfie snapper and a tweaked ultrawide on the back. However, Google claims to have reworked its HDR+ pipeline end-to-end, meaning more true-to-life imagery. In daylight, I had few complaints, and the Pixel 9 Pro delivers great detail and accurate colors and with dynamic range. Night Sight ensures low-light shooting is almost always rescued from unusable to usable, even if it can still be a little heavy-handed in its post-processing. The expansion of that HDR+ pipeline to panoramas (paired with a new capture UI), means much better results, especially as Night Sight is now supported here too, although I do wonder whether this upgrade will simply manifest as a Feature Drop update for previous Pixel models in the near future. Another Pixel 9 Pro exclusive is Video Boost, which can now scale 4K footage up to 8K and proves particularly useful when zooming up to the phone's 20x limit. There's another side to the imaging experience on recent Pixels: Magic Editor. Beyond moving elements around in a shot or turning a blue sky to golden hour, the new Reimagine button lets you enter text to generate completely new elements in a shot. It's unquestionably fun and creative, but it also throws out any semblance of authenticity to shots you've captured yourself. Unlike Samsung, there's no AI watermarking going on with edited images, either. Although that Tensor G4 chipset doesn't mark a huge leap forward in raw horsepower, it certainly has helped with power efficiency, with the Pixel 9 Pro XL serving up almost 70% more screen-on time compared to the Pixel 8 Pro. The jump from 30W to 37W wired fast charging speeds is a small but welcome bump too, although it looks like you'll have to grab Google's 45W charger for the absolute quickest recharge times, based on my testing with similar chargers. Perhaps the biggest benefit the Pixel 9 Pro line offers is that - beyond the XL's larger screen and physically bigger battery - there's no compromise across both sizes. If you're happy with the premium, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the most unapologetic, bombastic Pixel experience you can have right now, outside of foldable land. Even if the jump from the Pixel 8 Pro isn't as significant as I would have liked, and it feels like this is more a means for Google to cultivate new Gemini Advanced subscribers, I can't help but appreciate the Pixel 9 Pro XL for being greater than the sum of its parts. It may only be just enough of an upgrade, but it is enough. While Google announced four phones at its August 2024 event, the standard Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro XL are the two that hit the market first, on August 22. Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold arrive on the scene September 4. In the UK, you can pick up the Pixel 9 Pro XL directly from Google, with double the storage at no extra charge on purchases made before September 5. US buyers can nab $200 in-store credit if ordering before August 28, and Australian buyers can pick up a limited edition poster with purchases made before August 25 (tough break, Australia). The addition of the new smaller Pro model this year (which starts at a similar launch price to the larger Pixel 8 Pro), helps Google justify its decision to render the Pixel 9 Pro XL the most expensive candy bar Pixel to date: it starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849. It's practically like for like, when compared to equivalent storage options of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, truly putting an end to the notion that the Pixels are the 'affordable' flagship option. For the asking price, you also get a year's access to a Google One AI Premium (2TB) plan which, as well as granting access to Gemini Advanced (which leverages the Gemini Pro 1.5 model) and Gemini Live, includes more general Google benefits like Fitbit Premium access, Nest Aware, 10% back on Google Store purchases, and unlimited Magic Editor saves in Google Photos. A Pixel in iPhone font - that's the shorthand I keep coming back to with the new Pixel 9 series' design language. The size and feel of the XL's new squared aluminum frame immediately reminds me of Apple's current iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max in the hand. Does that polished metal attract fingerprints? Absolutely, but not anywhere near as badly as expected. This new squared form, paired with the heaviest build of any candy bar Pixel yet (221 grams, the same as an iPhone 15 Pro Max), leads to a more premium look and feel overall. This is helped further by the Pixel 9 Pro XL's slimmer profile compared to the Pixel 8 Pro, and side by side with my wife's old Pixel 6 Pro, the jump in build quality is truly impressive. One update I'm not sure I love quite so much is the loss of the camera bar, which is replaced in this generation with a camera 'pill' that protrudes out of the phone's rear panel at 90 degrees. It makes for a more bold and confident aesthetic, but it's not as quickly identifiable as the bar. As well as the cosmetic changes, Google also claims that the Pixel 9 Pro XL's new mid-frame design, not to mention its 100%-recycled aluminum outer frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and rear panels, and IP68-certified protection against dust and water ingress, make the new phone twice as durable as its predecessor. In my time with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, by trying to keep it out of harm's way as much as possible, the finish has remained unscathed, but whether it'll age as gracefully as its titanium-clad competition from Apple and Samsung remains to be seen. Both sizes of Pixel 9 Pro come in four colorways, with Obsidian pictured most prominently in this review. The Hazel finish most closely apes the iPhone 15 Pro's Natural Titanium look and the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Titanium Gray, while Porcelain and Rose Quartz offer decidedly more vivacious options. The Pixel 8 Pro's Super Actua Display felt like a noteworthy upgrade from the panel on its predecessor and while not as earth-shattering an improvement this generation, the Pixel 9 Pro XL's screen is a great refinement, yet again. Although it sports the same resolution as the Pixel 8 Pro's panel (technically not as sharp as the Pixel 9 Pro), both high brightness and peak brightness levels have been cranked up to 2,000 and 3,000nits, respectively, meeting or beating key rivals in a spec-for-spec comparison. Add to that the panel's flat design, its thin, equally-proportioned bezels on all sides, and its excellent viewing angles, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL's Super Actua display is a thing to behold. As before, the use of an LTPO OLED panel facilitates a dynamic refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz, making it ideal for always-on display functionality, thanks to the implied power saving benefits, while also still serving up a snappy user experience when swiping around the UI. One of the more prominent changes you might not immediately notice is the fingerprint sensor. Instead of the optical module used since the Pixel 6 series, Google has gone the way of Samsung and instead kitted the Pixel 9 Pro XL's display with an ultrasonic sensor. I didn't notice a huge difference when making the switch from my Pixel 7 Pro, but in side by side comparison is lives up to the promise of a 2x speed improvement. Perhaps more useful is the greater reliability, especially with damp fingers or when used in the rain. One side effect of this latest-generation Pixel launch happening earlier than usual is that the whole series runs Android 14. Typically, Google times the arrival of its latest smartphones to coincide with the release of the next Android, but the Pixel 9 debuts on the same Android 14 foundation as the Pixel 8. At least the company's ever-impressive commitment to seven years of updates persists, meaning the phone's price tag includes excellent long-term support for both future releases of Android and subsequent security patches, an area where many rivals still fall short. As a long-time Pixel user, the look and feel of Android on the Pixel 9 Pro XL is characteristically clean, easily navigable, pleasantly customizable (without being overwhelming), and dressed with helpful everyday features that aren't guaranteed on other phones. That said, the Pixel 9 Pro XL does get some Pixel-exclusive additions that up the ante, all of which lean on Gemini AI. There's a new dedicated Weather app that generates dynamic weather reports to make insights into each day's weather more digestible than ever. The ability to drag and drop the various in-app widgets for things like UV index, ten-day forecast, and air quality is a nice perk too. Next up is the new Pixel Screenshots app, which seems like an odd addition at first, but for list-makers, students, and journalists (like yours truly), it offers surprising depth. You can add notes to individual screenshots and group them into Collections, too. The app can index screenshot content across text and images, making it searchable. This allows for semantic search and object recognition, as well as recognizing WiFi passwords and QR-code information. Pixel Studio uses an on-device variant of Imagen 3's diffusion-based text-to-image generative AI, allowing you to create imagery seemingly from scratch. You can remix results using pre-defined style prompts, or sculpt a completely original prompt if you prefer. At launch, Pixel Studio won't render people, but it's fine with objects and animals. It also managed to render legible text without much artifacting, a challenging test that I've seen other image generators fail. Right now, the application proves novel enough but there's scope for everything from messaging to graphic design work, depending on your feeling towards the use of AI-generated imagery. The price of the Pixel 9 Pro XL also includes a year's access to Gemini Advanced, meaning you can interact with its latest off-device model in Gemini 1.5 Pro and gain access to Gemini Live: Google's conversational AI experience. My family tested it's abilities on a bean salad recipe - including suggestions on preparation and accompaniments - all without any obvious breaks in conversation or AI hallucinations. I also had it explain how to change various Gemini and Android settings, although its inability to take actions on many features feels like a missed opportunity, or at least an area that Google should focus on as its expands the assistant's functionality. A couple of other sprinkles of AI magic on the Pixel 9 Pro XL include text-based summaries of YouTube videos that I didn't have time to watch and Zoom Enhance image upscaling (although results were mixed). I'm also intrigued by the Call Notes feature shown off at launch, that'll summarize phone calls, however, this wasn't ready during review. The most obvious criticism of Gemini on the Pixel 9 Pro is that it feels consistently slower when asked to carry out the same tasks I would have previously asked of Google Assistant. The trade-off is much richer results and more insight, provided you trust the source data Gemini's pulling from. Nowhere is AI more prevalent across the Pixel 9 Pro XL's user experience than the camera. While it might have gone by 'machine learning' in the early days of the Pixel camera experience, AI-powered post-processing has been the secret sauce that has helped elevate the reputation of the Pixel cameras over the past four years, to the point where they regularly sit among the best camera phones. As Google has focused its efforts on AI more directly, the proposition of a Pixel camera has changed somewhat, with capture and editing becoming two distinct facets of the experience. If you're looking for a great all-round camera phone, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is right up there. A revised HDR+ pipeline puts into practice the company's learnings from previous entries, paired with new training data to create images with a more true-to-life appearance, better exposure, dynamic range, detail, contrast and color. There's a little inconsistency when shooting between the updated ultra-wide's macro mode and macro shots taken on the main 50MP wide sensor, for example, but results remain consistent in how appealing and usable they are. I'd have also liked a lighter hand with the default simulated bokeh when shooting portrait mode shots (something the likes of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra nails), but these are minor grievances and fixable on-device. Night Sight continues to impress in low light, while support has now been expanded to include the oft-overlooked panorama mode. Led by a new UI that ensures you hold the phone still enough for each shot it stitches together, the results generated are far more impressive than anything capable by previous entries; delivering much better detail and color capture than ever before. Video Boost is another Pro Pixel-exclusive feature worth shouting about, thanks to the addition of 8K upscaling on 4K footage, the results of which can be quite staggering; especially when zooming in on the phone's 20x magnification. Even if you don't see the need for 4K or 8K footage natively, the extra wiggle room those added pixels afford you makes the experience of creating and editing content far more flexible. Add Me is a great new addition this generation that solves the problem of getting a group shot, when there's no wall to rest your camera on or passer-by to accost and entrust with taking a photo with you and your friends in. If, like me, you're serially the photographer of your friendship group, this could prove to be a game-changer. There was certainly trial and error involved, but once we and the phone both understood the goal, results improved until we had a usable shot seemingly taken by a fourth unseen photographer who was never there. Even more so than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra's/ Galaxy Z Fold 6's Sketch to Image feature, the generative image tools on the Pixel 9 series unashamedly barge passed the line of authentic photography. At least personally, I'm fine with automated HDR bracketing and tone mapping, in order to produce a photo that's better than I could muster, even if I had full manual control. However, I start to feel uncomfortable with the idea of sharing images shot on the Pixel that have used the full might of the newly-enhanced Magic Editor. The ability to change a blue sky to that of golden hour and remove unwanted people from the background were novelties that challenged my comfort level, but the new Reimagine feature within Magic Editor doesn't hold back in letting you endlessly rework a shot until it's something entirely different. In one shot (above), I surrounded my friends and I with sunflowers and then added a scarecrow for good measure. The results don't hold up to close scrutiny, but like most AI-manipulated images, if you don't have prior context, you're less likely to question its authenticity. A more subtle edit that really impressed/unnerved me was Reimagine's ability to change the ground on a pebbled beach into more ocean (below); creating a rippled mirror surface with an accurate reflection of the clouds in the sky above. Your mileage with Magic Editor will vary, depending on how scrupulous you feel about using its image-doctoring abilities and whether or not you feel the need to contextualize the results when you share them. While the Pixel 9 Pro XL feels more than equipped for everything you throw at in right now, including high-fidelity mobile games, there's no getting around the fact that Tensor chips continue to lag behind Apple's iPhone chips and Qualcomm's top-tier Snapdragons in terms of raw processing and graphical grunt. Whether it's a matter of the shorter turnaround between generations of Pixel, or the fact that it's not Google's focus, the new Tensor G4 chipset powering all of the Pixel 9 series doesn't pack that much more horsepower, even compared to the Tensor G3. It's built on a similar 4nm process as the Tensor G3, but with new core architecture and one fewer high efficiency cores than its predecessor. The switch from an Immortalis to a Mali GPU means no more ray tracing, a small but notable loss for mobile gamers. In testing, the Tensor G4 processor produced a 10% bump to CPU performance, a 15% graphical performance improvement and a 16% uptick in NPU performance over the last generation, however, the biggest gains look to be in power efficiency (more on that later). As with its predecessor, the Pixel 9 Pro XL can be had in four storage variants, however, the 1TB ceiling appears to be a US exclusive, while other markets, including the UK and Australia, top out at 512GB. Its 16GB of RAM is a range-wide upgrade, likely driven by the phone's newfound AI capabilities, but spec-heads will note that Google isn't using the latest available standards of either LPDDR memory or UFS storage, compared to Samsung's Galaxy S24. Google has propelled the Pixel 9 Pro XL from a one to a two-day phone. While Pixel batteries have gotten larger over the years, battery life has never really been a positive talking point for the line. Through presumed optimization led by the new Tensor G4, however, the Pixel 9 Pro XL serves up superb longevity by comparison; significantly longer than any previous Pixel we've tested. The Pixel 9 Pro XL got 9.5 hours of screen-on time, which clocks in at around 65% longer than the 5.75 hours the Pixel 8 Pro was able to muster, despite packing a battery that's around 10mAh smaller (5,050mAh). Google hasn't stopped there, with faster 37W charging, promising up to 70% charge in just 30 minutes. The company has introduced a new 45W Pixel charger to facilitate the 9 Pro XL's new top charging speed (which is faster than the smaller 9 Pro's 27W charging), however, this was unavailable during review. Instead, I tried Google's previous 30W wired charger - which pushed the Pixel 9 Pro XL to 55% charge in 30 minutes, while a 65W PD PPS charger got closer to Google's quoted speeds, with 65% charge in 30 minutes, and a full charge in 1 hour 20 minutes. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is a superb large-screened Android phone with a great camera and decent battery life (finally), but its AI-heavy blend won't suit everyone. I received the Pixel 9 Pro XL sample directly from Google, the day after the August Pixel hardware event concluded and was testing it as my daily driver everyday since. I kept track of battery usage each day and run several benchmarking apps for comparison to other devices, but otherwise used the phone as I would my own, in addition to taking time to test all of the key new features of the device. As a reviewer with 13 years experience, and having reviewed numerous Pixels, not to mention mainlining a Pixel 7 Pro since its launch in late 2022, I felt confident assessing and scoring the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, both relative to other Pixels, and in the context of the wider smartphone market in which it competes.

Pixel 9 Pro review: Smartphone gone smarter

The best applications of AI on the Pixel 9 Pro let people benefit from what large language models (LLMs) are good at -- summarization, natural language/multimodal understanding, classification, etc. -- without having to enter a prompt. The fact that Google identified this best practice is promising as the underlying hardware admirably provides premium hardware in a compact form factor. Why an initial review? 9to5Google was granted seven days of early access to the Pixel 9 Pro ahead of today's review embargo, not nearly enough time to reach a final verdict, especially in regards to Tensor G4, battery, etc. But with sales set to begin on August 22, we're sharing our experience so far and will have a full review in the coming weeks with further thoughts. With the Pixel 9 series, Google has reset the progress it made on refining the design language that started with Pixel 6. This comes with ups and downs. Starting with size, let's paraphrase a similar sentiment: "big screen wins." That is what the market has decided, with people understandably tempted by wanting big displays on the device they spend the most time on. But I'm not a fan. The last time I used a big phone for a year was with the Pixel 6 Pro. I regretted that decision as it was not the most comfortable to hold or easy to pocket. Meanwhile, I personally didn't feel like I benefited from the extra real estate. In going back to the Pixel 7 a year later, I longed for a return to the Pixel 1-4 where the hardware gap between the sizes was more minimal. The 6.3-inch Pixel 9 Pro is bigger than the 6.2-inch Pixel 8 I adored for being small. It's taller (by 2.3 mm), wider (1.2 mm), and heavier (12 g). As such, I cannot call the Pixel 9 Pro a small phone. Compact and comfortable is the most fitting description (I typed a quarter of this review on the Pixel 9 Pro while walking outdoors.). I'm a manual screen brightness person that lives at three increments. It's 50% when indoors and 1% just before bed, while it goes to 100% outside. When in bright sunlight, I see no appreciable difference between last year's Actua and the Pixel 9 Pro's Super Actua (on paper, it's 1,400 vs. 2,000 nits for HDR and 2,000 vs. 3,000 nits for peak brightness). Pixel 9 Pro vs. Pixel 8 Related to the display is the cutout for the 42MP front-facing camera. It's obviously not noticeable when the status bar is black, but in every other color scenario that selfie lens is noticeably bigger. The other issue is that this cutout is lower on the screen and almost escapes the status bar. It's distracting when YouTube's Ambient Mode is enabled because there's barely any clearance. If it's a lighter background color, you might be wondering why the video window has this random black circle connected to it. But with this long-awaited size option, Google has also taken a step backwards on its unique, comfortable and rounded design. It's a shame since the Pixel 8 was one of the most comfortable phones Google has made, with the Pixel 3 and 4a rounding out my top three. The flat rails are sufficiently curved as they merge into the flat display and lovely "silky matte glass" rear panel so as to not cut into your palm. I still greatly prefer last year's feel, but sharp edges were my biggest concern going in and it's not an issue. One upside is how it's so much more stable to hold the phone when you're laying on your side because of the flatness. Similarly, you can rest the Pixel 9 Pro on its long left edge, though I'd be paranoid about it tipping over. Another positive with this new shape is how the phone feels more like a solid brick with heft. I did not have issues with the structural integrity of Tensor Pixel phones that came before, but they are akin to slivers of glass, though you might personally enjoy that. The rails on the Pixel 9 Pro are the exact opposite of that and provide new rigidity. I do not appreciate the polished frame from a fingerprint, visual, or tactile perspective. It does not feel particularly premium to me. A matte finish feels nicer and is more practical, with the regular Pixel 9 easier to firmly grip as a result. That said, the Pixel 9 Pro is not slippery, though I'd mostly credit the smaller size for that. With this rail design, you get an equally flat power button and volume rocker. I love this small change for the larger surface area and stability it provides your fingers, though I could see others not liking how it's not elevated enough and thus slightly harder to find. My complaint is that the power button is not large enough, especially if Google wants you to press and hold for Gemini. One minor observation is how the Pixel 9 Pro's bottom surface is not symmetrical. Instead of two cutouts, there's only one for the speaker at the left. The microphone is now a circle to the right of the USB-C port, with the SIM card tray - which is ever so slightly curved on the right side to match the corner radius - taking up the remaining space. People will absolutely insert an ejection tool/paperclip into the mic and I hope that won't damage anything. That being said, I think we're still one or two generations away from going eSIM only. This year's camera bar is tall. Like last year, that thickness translates into being able to use the sidewalls - which are also polished - as a grip for your forefinger in portrait orientation. A bigger deal, literally, is holding the phone in landscape and with the short side in your palm and resting your pinkie, ring, middle, and forefinger on the corner of the bar. It's somewhat nice for watching videos. Finally, I really wish Google would share the same fun colors across the regular and Pro series. This year's Hazel is somehow even more gray than last year, where the base Pixel 9 gets all of the fun and vibrant colors. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is way more accurate than the optical version, and I've had significantly less unlock failures that require another tap. I'd say it's gone down from a handful of times per day on the Pixel 8 to once or twice on the 9 Pro. However, the set-up process would benefit from more visual or haptic feedback since there's no longer a (blinding) light. Google introduced a vapor chamber for the Pixel 9 series, but I haven't noticed this phone (Tensor G4) perform any cooler than what came before. Checking in with the rest of the team, they concur Tensor G4 still runs warm on average, mostly unchanged from last year, but it no longer unexpectedly or further ramps up the heat, like when playing games compared to last year's Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. With 12 GB of RAM (on the Pixel Fold), I definitely benefited from more apps staying in memory for longer periods compared to 8 GB. The 16 GB on the Pixel 9 Pro continues that, but that addition is for AI and a dedicated carve out rather than anything end users can truly perceive. The law of diminishing returns would prevent the extra 4GB from being particularly noticeable anyway. From notifications to wait messages, you'll notice when something is being processed by the on-device models. This is just an observation and not a complaint, but it's far from instantaneous, though cloud AI isn't either. In the case of Pixel Screenshots, it's an "Adding to Screenshots" progress bar, especially if you take multiple captures in quick succession. For first-party apps, I think Android should hide it from the user -- even if it's still going on in the background -- for a more seamless experience. As for battery life, my weekdays usually span 16-17 hours with around 5 hours of Pixel 9 Pro screen time. The AOD was always enabled (no Battery Saver) with a Pixel Watch paired and 2-3 hours of playing audio through the Pixel Buds Pro and Beats Pill. On a single charge, I've ended the day near 20% ± 5% with the caveat being that this past week hasn't seen normal usage given review-related stress testing. Towards the end of my time with the Pixel 8, it'd hover below 20% by the time I go to bed. More testing is required there. The Thermometer, which picks up a live camera view when measuring objects, doesn't negatively impact the overall experience, so its inclusion remains fine. Google deserves some props for being opinionated and sticking with this sensor for another generation. (The app would benefit from a Quick Settings Tile for speedier access.) Lastly, on the hardware, it would be nice if the double-tap gesture on the rear panel would work consistently. I was hopeful that the new design would contribute to improved accuracy, but nope. The recognition rate is south of 50% for me. I'd roughly classify half the AI features available today as being pure regurgitators of text, images, or videos where the primary input method is a prompt. To greatly simplify the landscape, everything else is closer to applied AI where you don't have to click "summarize," "generate," or do anything else before getting the benefits of this new generative technology. My favorite example of that is the AI Weather Report in Pixel Weather. Gemini Nano is leveraged to summarize various data points into a simple and actionable sentence that you can expand for more details (in the form of bullet points). It saves me from having to scroll through the app with one card conveying everything I need to know and move on. I find myself unexpectedly ascribing a personality to that summary that I enjoy for reasons I cannot fully encapsulate. A bigger application of what I consider applied AI is Pixel Screenshots. After Recorder, I think this is one of the best apps outside of Google in recent years. First of all, the underlying premise of a dedicated place for your screenshots is a great one even before any of the AI aspects. It's so much better and faster to access than my usual Google Photos workflow of starring a capture and later finding it by going to the Favorites album in a different tab, or making an image note in Google Keep. Pixel Screenshots lets you easily add notes, group into collections, and even assign reminders. Google attaches the page link when you screenshot something in Chrome for a quick return. This alone is reason enough for me to use it. Then you have the AI aspect that summarizes screenshots and makes them searchable. The natural language queries are fantastic and speedy. That processing takes a few seconds with a notification briefing appearing in the shade that I again think should be more hidden. All this is made possible by Gemini Nano with Multimodality. Meanwhile, Google positions Gemini Live as letting you naturally talk to something that's an expert in every domain. I do find the two-way conversational capability to be more natural than voice experiences that came before. You don't have to contort yourself into a specific command style, with naturally queries working best. Gemini Live allows you to interject and ask follow-ups or add information in a very human way. The mechanics of Gemini Live are good and can be clearly applied to other tasks, but I just don't see myself using the current functionality of a talking encyclopedia in my life. It seems more like an educational tool than something you'd invoke in day-to-day life. The responses are delivered too slowly and still feel on the long side, even though Google worked to make Live more concise. I wish there was a real-time transcript for faster digestion, especially several sentences in. As beautiful as the Gemini Live waveform animation is, it doesn't hold my attention and I find myself exiting the app immediately to use it in the background or with the screen off. Live will be useful when it adds support for Gemini Extensions that let you talk about your Gmail, Drive files, etc. The ability to control phone functionality with your voice will be very useful, and I wish Google started there. Meanwhile, in the Gemini app or floating overlay, the Live icon appears in the bottom-right corner. There's also still a microphone at the center for regular text input. There's a clear difference between speech-to-text and full-featured conversational experience, but it's getting a tiny bit confusing. I've set the power button to activate Gemini after years of using the swipe. I still prefer the bottom corner swipe and will probably return to that, while I mistakenly find myself pressing the microphone in the search bar at the bottom of the Pixel Launcher so often these days. A voice assistant for your phone should help you use that mobile device. The Gemini team was rightly panned in February for thinking version 1.0 of the Gemini app was able to replace Google Assistant on Android in any manner. Gemini Live on the Pixel 9 Pro is still not there yet. It does not yet fulfill the core hands-free control of your phone use case, but there's a path there with Extensions. I see Gemini Live's biggest advancement being two-way conversational interactions as the utility of having a talkative expert is not that handy. Again, Google has laid the foundation for a good assistant. It just needs to add the functionality. Outside of Live, I think too much AI functionality is offloaded to the Gemini app. For example, summarizing your unread emails should be done in the Gmail app -- though that's changing -- rather than Gemini. Ditto on webpages and Chrome needing to add a summary capability. Meanwhile, the new floating Gemini overlay that doesn't take you to a fullscreen UI for responses is nice and reminiscent of 2019's new Google Assistant. This makes Gemini feel lighter and better suited for quick commands. As long as call recording is disclosed and agreed upon, I don't think there's anything wrong with the practice. That said, in the real world, I'm absolutely asking the person I'm talking with if they're okay with the call being recorded before initiating Call Notes. Personally, I don't think the automated -- "Google Call Notes is on. Your call is being recorded. " -- message that plays is enough. The real value of Call Notes -- which is officially in "Preview" -- is that recording and transcription, which Google says might take a few minutes to appear depending on the length of the call and even device battery level. The accuracy of the AI summaries are a bit hit or miss for wide-ranging conversations that are not topic-based. But again, what some people have long wanted is call recording and transcription that leverages Google's excellent speech-to-text accuracy. AI for summaries here is an ignorable bonus. As for Pixel Studio, in general, I think image generation is a slippery slope where the downsides outweigh the positives. You can absolutely make it output questionable content and I don't think any amount of guardrails can stop that. That said, my colleague Kyle aptly described Pixel Studio (which has a nice icon) as a meme generator for quick editing and sharing of existing pictures. Tap the button next to "Create" to browse your gallery and skip the main image generation part of the app. Besides overlaying captions, you can create stickers and select objects in a scene to move, enlarge, or delete. It's similar to Magic Editor but with less of a focus on fidelity. You can save stickers and add them to other Pixel Studio edits. As such, this aspect of PS - I'm sure having the same initials as Photoshop is accidental - is another example of generative AI without the prompting. What you end up with is a pretty useful AI-powered editor where the quality of the edits -- shared among friends -- doesn't really matter. I've been happy to use Magic Editor (and Eraser) in Google Photos for deleting objects to make a scene perfect, but this addition of generative AI where you can drastically alter parts of an image is a step too far. In fact, I no longer think it's a photo. To me, it borders a rendering. Additionally, while I can appreciate that a prompt-based approach allows people to describe what I want in a natural manner, I think a blank field is so much more daunting than a guided UI that has suggestions. Android 14 on the Pixel 9 Pro is fine. Running an August build, it's more polished than what's running on the base Pixel 9 (July, initially). Google has a pass this cycle on not launching with the new version of Android since the phones launched earlier and the division merger happened in April, but it cannot happen again. We miss out on Private space, but Google did backport some things from 15 to 14, like the new pill-shaped tray for screenshot previews. In separating the rectangular preview, Google has added a delightful glow to signify Pixel Screenshots. Overall, Android 15 is not a big update - the new Material You volume panel is great though - and you aren't missing out much, but it's the principle of the matter. It also comes down to whether the Pixel 9 Pro will get seven or eight major Android updates depending on whether Android 21 in 2031 is released before August. I'm glad that VPN by Google remains a perk on Pixel phones as an extra layer of security that causes no slowdowns. AI aside, Pixel Weather is a beautifully designed experience that I enjoy opening throughout the day. The Pixel teams working on software are one of the better arbiters of Material You. Unfortunately, reviewers won't have a chance to access Satellite SOS until tomorrow's retail launch. Joining Car Crash Detection, Safety Check, and Emergency SOS, it makes Pixel a Swiss Army Knife for safety, and speaks to how there are still one or two gadgets that can still be consolidated into a phone. I will never hand my phone to a stranger for a solo picture or a group photo. I have suffered through awkwardly stretching out my hand as far as possible while using the rear camera (to get the best possible quality) at the expense of not being able to frame. So much so, that I had somebody ask if I wanted them to take the photo. Sure, you can first lock it then relaunch the camera via a double-tap of the power button, but what if you forget? The best practice is to just never do that. In that sense, Add Me is a perfect feature for me. I do have qualms about that combined scene not actually existing, but I'll take the simulacrum of that group moment over handing over my phone, a possession so critical to daily life, to a complete stranger. Besides the small cover screen, my favorite part of using the Pixel Fold this past year has been the telephoto lens. In my life, being able to zoom in from afar is so much more powerful than an ultra-wide angle lens, with the regular wide one sufficient. Having a zoom lens on a compact device has been fantastic: Also of note is having a new dedicated Night Sight video mode in Pixel Camera. My colleague Jordan Floyd has more on the Pixel 9 Pro camera in his video. But in summary, we've noticed the Pixel 9 Pro being a little bit less vibrant, so there appear to be changes in color reproduction. Shadows are also a bit more detailed for dynamic range improvements, while the new 48 MP ultra-wide is cooler. In Night Sight, highlight control is marginally better as seen with less pronounced lens flare in the street lights. In all, the Pixel 9 Pro doesn't offer any earth-shattering camera improvements, merely more tuning, minor enhancements, and a little extra Google tweaking." Stay tuned for our Pixel 9 Pro XL that goes more in-depth on the changes. If you want a "premium" phone in a compact package, Google answered that call with the Pixel 9 Pro. This modern day "small" phone is 90% of what I want, and it's comfortable enough size-wise that it doesn't feel like settling. If you want the company to make more, I don't think you'll have any regrets buying this one to signal market demand. As much as I like last year's look and feel, this new design language contributes to the Pixel 9 Pro feeling like a significantly different phone than what Google has made in the past. If you want a change, I think it's an easy upgrade given the telephoto lens and AI features, especially if you have any non-Pro Pixel. Pixel Screenshots is so promising as a productivity, if not life organization, tool that I think it should be "Google Screenshots" for every single Android device to serve as a competitive advantage against the iPhone. As for Gemini Live, Extensions support cannot come soon enough. Overall, if this is what software looks like now that Gemini and its underlying models are fully available to the hardware team, I think Google will do a good job at thoughtfully integrating AI into the Pixel with the goal of making the smartphone smarter.

Review: Google's Pixel 9 Pro is the iPhone Pro of Android

With top cameras, top hardware, a top price, and many AI features, Google has made the iPhone Pro equivalent for Android. Nobody needs to buy a flagship smartphone. The mid-range is so competitive at this point, with great software, design, cameras, and support, that the average person doesn't need to dish out top dollar to get a great phone. If you want something small with incredible cameras, buy the Pixel 8a; or if you want something more premium and larger, buy a Nothing Phone (2). Each of these is for under $500; and if you pump up to $650 or so, you can buy the last-generation Google Pixel 8 Pro, which was -- until today with the launch of the new Pixel 9 Pro -- probably the best smartphone on the market. My review was a rave, as its few flaws were made up for by its excellent quality and now steeply reduced price. But just because you don't need to spend top dollar on a phone, that doesn't mean you get nothing for it. And with the new Pixel 9 Pro, Google has shown how relatively small improvements over a prior generation add up to a big impression. To start: the looks. Whereas the Pixel 8 Pro had a soft curved design with a subtly curved back and side rails, the 9 Pro has gone for a boxier aesthetic in line with the new iPhone style, with flat gloss rails and a flat, soft-touch matte back. The 8 Pro was a far more distinct design language, and I think its style will age better, whereas the 9 Pro feels like Google's take on iPhone, but that's hardly a negative. It feels effortlessly premium, particularly in its new, smaller size. If you want the larger 6.8-inch screen, you can still get that in the new $1,100 Pixel 9 Pro XL, but the suffix-less Pixel 9 Pro is down to 6.3 inches. Though I will have a follow-up review of the XL, my time with the standard Pro has reminded me of just how great a smaller high-end phone can be. The combination of these flat, marginally taller rails, its smaller size, and lighter weight just makes for such a confident, comfortable phone to hold in hand; be that typing one-handed or while making a phone call. Beyond the design, there are a ton of technical improvements too, and though they're minor upgrades on paper, they add up in the total performance of the phone. The new screen is brighter, has more vibrant color tuning and HDR, and has even bezels and doesn't have the inconsistent peak brightness adjustment I experienced on the 8 Pro. The charging is also slightly faster, particularly on wireless; the haptics are a little more pleasant when typing; and though I never was bothered by the previous optical under-screen fingerprint scanner, the new ultrasonic unit is definitely faster and more reliable. For the Pixel 10 series, I would like Google to introduce genuine fast charging -- 50 or 60 watts should be a standard by now -- and secure face unlock rather than the ordinary optical kind, but both are totally fine. The only downgrade from the 8 Pro has been that double-tapping on the back of the phone to take a screenshot is a lot less consistent and requires more effort, but this hopefully can be sorted with a software update. Battery life on the Pixel 8 Pro is solid but unremarkable, and despite its smaller size, the Pixel 9 Pro has been as good as it or marginally better. The Pixel 9 line is powered by their fourth generation of in-house Tensor chip and though it's theoretically more powerful, you won't notice this at all. The only performance difference I noticed between the 8 Pro and 9 Pro is that whereas the 8 Pro will get warm when used heavily, the 9 Pro gets less hot less often. The cameras have improved tuning -- but the same hardware -- with faster shutter reactions, better HDR, and tuning toward detail. Whereas some phones are leaning toward a more natural, subtle photo style, the Pixel's photos still have that bold, processed look, but that's what you want for social media and capturing the world around you as you live. The lenses have a more consistent color tuning too, which is particularly noticeable when swapping between them while you record a video. At this point, Pixels clearly have the best cameras you can get on a phone for photos and are closer than ever to matching the iPhone for video quality, albeit with a very different style. The Add-Me camera feature -- which I explained further in my Pixel 9 preview piece -- is relatively reliable when used by people who are good at taking photos on phones, but your random friend shouldn't be the person to use it. I am curious whether this will be widely used or just an occasional gimmick -- like the Thermometer app -- but it's nice to have. The other AI tools are a bit more hit and miss. The Pixel Studio app lets you generate cartoonish AI images extremely quickly, but I don't see what you'd use them for; just as I don't see why you'd use their AI photo editing features to add unicorns, volcanoes, etc., to your photos. The dedicated smart screenshots app is pretty great in concept, but the search needs further improvement, and this ultimately should just be rolled into the Google Photos rather than be a separate app; and the Weather app is utterly fantastic, clearly and pleasantly displaying all the information that you want, but AI has almost nothing to do with that. The only AI thing about it is the short weather forecast summary at the top, which isn't very new. Pixel 9 Pro is not a major upgrade over the 8 Pro, and if you are happy with a slightly less premium feel and losing out on some of these small upgrades, I would save the $350 and find a discounted 8 Pro. With a category as mature as smartphones, generational and price upgrades have diminishing returns, and you'll get 95% of the experience for 65% of the price. But that doesn't mean the 9 Pro is disappointing, or that the final 5% is nothing. It's chic, feels great in hand, has the best screen I've tried on a phone, and in a sea of large phones, a smaller top-range model is a refreshing change. If you're looking to spend $1,000 on a new premium phone -- particularly if you're an iPhone user considering swapping to Android -- the 9 Pro is impossible to beat.

Pixel 9 family: The "just hardware" review (no AI)

Google's AI says you can use Pixel 9 without AI. Is that a reason to upgrade? I asked Google's Gemini Live chatbot, running on a new Pixel 9 Pro, how easy it was to use the Pixel 9 without all the Gemini AI features? "It's definitely possible to use a Pixel 9 without Gemini," the bot responded in a remarkably casual voice. "While Gemini adds some cool features, your phone will still work pretty much the same as any other Android phone. You'll still have access to all the basic stuff like making calls, texting, taking photos, and all your favorite apps." "But," I followed up, "didn't Google emphasize the Pixel 9 as a Gemini phone?" "Yeah, Google highlights Gemini as a selling point," the bot replied. "It's a smart assistant, so it makes your phone a bit more helpful. But it's not necessary for your phone to work." So what are the best features of a Pixel 9 without Gemini? "A fantastic camera that takes amazing photos, a smooth display, and solid battery life. Plus, it'll get software updates straight from Google for a few years," the chatbot said. After a week with the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, I have some initial impressions of them as handheld devices. As for all the things that Gemini can do on a Pixel 9, we will cover that in a separate review. Look and feel SPECS AT A GLANCE Pixel 9 Pixel 9 Pro/XL SCREEN 6.3-inch, 60-120 Hz, 2424×1080 OLED (422 PPI) 6.3-inch (6.8 XL), 1-120 Hz, 2856x1280 OLED (495 PPI) (2992x1344, 486PPI XL) OS Android 14 CPU Google Tensor G4 One 3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 core Three 2.6 GHz Cortex-A720 cores Four 1.92 GHz Cortex-A520 Cores GPU ARM Mali-G715 MP7 RAM 12GB 16GB STORAGE 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0 BATTERY 4700 mAh 4700 mAh (5060 mAh XL) NETWORKING Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, 5G mmWave & Sub-6 GHz Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, 5G mmWave & Sub-6 GHz, UWB, GPS/GLONASS/Galileo PORTS USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1 with 45 W USB-PD 3.0 charging REAR CAMERA 50 MP wide 48 MP ultrawide 50 MP wide 48 MP ultrawide 48 MP 5x telephoto FRONT CAMERA 10.5 MP 42 MP SIZE 152.8 x 71.9 x 8.5 mm (Pro same as 9; XL is 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm) WEIGHT 198 g (Pro 199 g; XL is 221 g) STARTING PRICE $799 $999 ($1,099 XL) The two big new features of the Pixel 9 lineup, as hardware devices, are 1) that their camera bars have a new design and shape, and 2) that Google says the phones are "twice as durable" as their Pixel 8 predecessors. The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro also share the same 6.3-inch screen size, have the same battery and processor, and look identical. But the Pro comes with 4 GB more RAM, an additional camera, and more of Google's Gemini offerings. In other words, you can go Pro without having to be "XL." All three of the devices have Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front, and they sport a frame that's even more squared off than the prior generation's already impressive return to right angles. The Pixel 9 has a matte finish on its sides and a polished glass back, while the Pro and Pro XL have matte glass backs and polished sides. The pill-ish camera bar looks quite pronounced in pictures -- because it is. After a few days of use, I was more used to it than I thought I would be; using Google's own case helped quite a bit, as it rounds off the bump-out angle and makes you feel a bit less nervous about smashing that thing on a tabletop. I like the look of the camera bar, too. If you're going to go wide with your camera array instead of tucking it into a corner, why not go wide and big? It feels like finishing the job that the Pixel 6 started. It's also a convenient place to put a support finger when you're holding the phone. The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro are not a wild design departure from the Pixel 8, apart from the camera bar shape and width. As with the 8, the entire front of the screen is usable and touchable. The glass finish on the back of the Pro and XL still catches scratches, the mirrored sides have fingerprint gravity, and the cost-boosting mmWave antenna cut-out remains in place. It's probably just a personal preference, but I find the 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL a bit big, even with fairly big hands. The issue is more about weight and balance for me than about size, though I also explored using one-handed mode with the XL model more than I did with the Pro.

Pixel 9 Pro XL impressions: A week with its better battery life and Tensor G4

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is not Google's highest-end device, nor its most exciting in the 2024 lineup. But after a week using it, I'm convinced it might be the best Pixel of the Tensor era, and that's just based on first impressions. Much of the attention on the Pixel 9 lineup this year is on the smaller Pixel 9 Pro, the 6.3-inch device that's got all of the same hardware as the larger "XL." And I get the hype, but I'm also one who tends to stick with bigger phones on the whole (with the exception of foldables), so I was certainly curious to see Google's improvements to the Pixel 9 Pro XL. I felt those right out of the box. Google's hardware this year is rather stunning. While the boxy design strays away from the "Google-y" design that I loved on the Pixel 4 series and still felt like it lived on even through the Pixel 8 series, this new look is striking, even if it does look and feel like an iPhone. But, to that point, I still think Google's hardware strikes a better balance between sharp corners and rounded edges compared to the iPhone 15 Pro's titanium design, and also feels drastically nicer than the cold and industrial Galaxy S24 Ultra. One thing I do wish Google would get over already, though, is the polished frame. Matte all the things! I'm also a huge fan of the new camera design Google has settled on here. It feels like a perfect evolution of the Pixel's most iconic design trait. The improved hardware also extends up to the display, which is gorgeous. Google's updated panel is not leaps and bounds better than the one in the Pixel 8 Pro, but especially at higher brightness levels, it looks sharper and more "real" compared to the last generation. For lack of a better comparison, it has the same "printed" look to my eyes as only the iPhone 15 Pro has, probably because the display panel in the Pixel 9 Pro XL is supposedly the same one Apple selected for the iPhone 16 Pro. The added brightness of this panel hasn't made a massive difference to my eyes, but it is just a tad easier to see in direct sunlight. The standout of my week with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, though, has easily been the battery life. Every single Tensor-powered Pixel has struggled with battery life, and I expected the Pixel 9 series to be no different. But, really, it's been quite excellent. I've been easily pulling upwards of 5 hrs of screen time on my Pixel 9 Pro XL over the course of 13-15 hours of use, all before battery saver even kicked in. Compared to the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Fold I was using previously, this is simply excellent battery life. Dare I say, I think this might be the best a Pixel has ever had, not just the Tensor-powered models. There's still plenty of room for improvement, as Google's competition continues to benefit from more power efficient Qualcomm and MediaTek chips, but the Pixel this year feels like it's doing more than contending with "good enough," it's actually stepping into the realm where I don't have to think about the battery at all. But of course, that's based on just a few days of use. Check back for a longer review to come for more on that. Tensor G4 as a whole has impressed me, not just on battery life. Despite being a minor upgrade on paper, Tensor G4 feels as though it has more breathing room. The software is noticeably snappier (perhaps with the added memory headroom or chip optimizations) while it doesn't run nearly as hot. To be clear, it still runs quite warm, but it doesn't have the same highs and lows as even Tensor G3 still struggled with. The phone ramps up heat over a few minutes especially of heavier use, then hits a cap and stays there. There can be some throttling, as some claim to have found, but it never bothered me through normal use or even playing games. I suspect this may be related to the new vapor chamber cooling, which seems to help dissipate the heat. On average, I never felt as though the Pixel 9 Pro XL was running any warmer than my Galaxy Z Fold 6 has been, despite the Samsung device running atop a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip from Qualcomm. Of course, a foldable is always going to run way hotter anyway due to the nature of its thin design, but I think Google has made some genuine improvements this year. We're not going to dive into benchmarks here - Google doesn't care about winning those anyway - but a week in, I think we're set for a good year for Tensor. The second one in a row, unbelievably. There's more on the horizon for Tensor, but as far as a stop-gap goes, Tensor G4 seems promising to say the least. That's all for now from me on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, though. In terms of software, you can check out Abner's full review of the Pixel 9 Pro which dives into Google's new suite of AI features. We'll also have a full Pixel 9 Pro XL review coming up very soon which will especially take a look at Google's updated camera and how AI is playing a role in improving the camera experience (spoiler: the new features are really cool). If there's anything else you want to know about Pixel 9 Pro XL, let us know in the comments below!