For years, Google’s Pixel phones have carved a unique niche in the smartphone market, celebrated for their intelligent software and innovative AI capabilities. However, they haven't always been without their flaws. Now, the Google Pixel 9 Pro has arrived, promising to be the most refined and compelling Pixel yet. After extensive use and analysis, here’s a comprehensive look at what this phone offers and whether it lives up to the hype.
A Design Evolution: Premium Feel and Familiar Inspirations
The Pixel 9 Pro marks a significant step forward in Google's design language. The device boasts a best-ever build quality, feeling remarkably similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max with its similar dimensions, flat sides with a slight curve, and identical weight. This intentional similarity aims to attract Apple enthusiasts, and it’s a compliment to the Pixel's newfound premium feel. The sides are now grippier than previous models, contributing to a classy in-hand feel, further enhanced by thinner and completely even screen bezels. The solid construction is evident, with the phone showing no flex in durability tests.
The updated camera bar, now more of a "shelf island" with a matte finish on the Pro (matching the non-Pro model), is a welcome change from the easily scratched glossy bars of previous Pixel Pro devices. While the edges of the camera bar on the Pro remain glossy, the overall aesthetic is more refined. The completely flat display is another positive change, abandoning any curved screen elements.
However, Google’s design choices aren’t universally praised. The Pixel 9 Pro features glossy side rails with a matte back, a reversal of the standard Pixel 9's matte sides and glossy back. Some find the matte sides to look and feel superior, wishing for a matte-on-matte option.
Display Excellence: Bright, Smooth, and Energy Efficient
The Pixel 9 Pro sports a vibrant 6.3-inch LTPO OLED display with high resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. This display supports HDR10+ video and can showcase Ultra HDR compliant images with boosted highlights. A key improvement is the significantly enhanced brightness compared to previous Pixel generations, reaching nearly 1300 nits with the manual slider and boosting to an impressive 2300 nits in auto mode, ensuring excellent outdoor visibility.
The LTPO technology allows the 120Hz refresh rate to dynamically scale down to as low as 1Hz when the phone is idle, contributing to better energy efficiency. While the display reaches impressive peak brightness, it might not sustain this level for extended periods in very hot conditions, potentially dipping after around 30 seconds.
Performance and Power: Tensor G4 and AI Focus
At the heart of the Pixel 9 Pro lies Google's new Tensor G4 chipset paired with 16GB of RAM by default. While the Tensor G4 isn't a massive leap in raw processing power compared to its predecessor, it features a significantly more powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU) dedicated to AI tasks. A substantial portion of the RAM is also specifically reserved for AI operations.
In real-world use, the Pixel 9 Pro generally runs smoothly without noticeable slowdowns. Apps open quickly, and navigating the operating system feels fluid. However, when it comes to benchmark performance, the Pixel 9 Pro falls noticeably behind flagship competitors equipped with the latest Snapdragon chipsets. Actions like fully loading high-resolution images when zooming can take a split second longer, potentially linked to the phone's slower storage speeds compared to Samsung. Sequential read and write speeds are significantly lower than competitors, which could explain the slightly longer loading times.
Despite the chip's relative lack of raw power, it excels in AI-related tasks, showing up to 50% faster performance compared to previous generations. Gaming performance is surprisingly capable, with demanding titles running smoothly on maxed-out settings, although the side rails can get a bit toasty during extended play. Thermal management, however, has been reported as rather poor, with aggressive thermal throttling observed during prolonged stress tests. The inclusion of a vapor chamber is a welcome addition, helping to mitigate overheating issues that plagued past Pixels, leading to benefits like sustained screen brightness and uninterrupted camera recording.
Camera Capabilities: Familiar Strengths with AI Enhancements
The Pixel 9 Pro features a versatile triple rear camera system, largely retaining the hardware from the previous generation: a 50MP main camera, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 48MP 5x optical zoom telephoto lens. This setup delivers familiar Pixel camera strengths, including good color reproduction, a strong ability to handle high dynamic range scenarios, and comparable levels of detail to top competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Night mode remains good but slightly softer than Samsung's, and portrait mode is considered to fall behind in edge detection. Zooming in and out can still feel laggy, and the transition between lenses can be jumpy, which feels somewhat unpolished. There are also limitations, such as the inability to use the 5x zoom lens for portraits or slow-motion video, with the phone opting for lower-quality digital zoom instead.
A significant upgrade is the new 42MP front-facing camera with autofocus, offering a wider field of view for group selfies and delivering impressive detail and solid 4K video recording. Video quality has seen improvements, bringing it more in line with competitors.
Where the Pixel 9 Pro truly shines is in its AI-powered camera features:
- Video Boost: This unique feature allows users to upload largely unprocessed video footage to Google's cloud for enhanced processing. This results in improved colors, dynamic range, stabilization, and even the rescue of grainy low-light footage, potentially upgrading the resolution to 8K. However, this comes with a significant cost in terms of cloud storage (around 800MB per minute for 8K boosted video) and the potential for accidental data usage on unmetered Wi-Fi hotspots. The processing can also take a considerable amount of time.
- Zoom Enhance: Building upon Google's already impressive Super Res Zoom, this AI feature aims to invent detail in zoomed-in photos. While the results can be subjectively better, it involves creating detail that isn't necessarily real, opening up questions about image authenticity.
- Magic Editor (Reimagine): This feature allows users to highlight parts of an image and use text prompts to transform them. While it can produce interesting results for backgrounds and objects, it reportedly refuses more dramatic edits, particularly those involving people.
- Add Me: This feature enables the merging of individual photos of people into a single group shot, useful when no one is available to take the picture. While technically impressive, its practical use case might be limited, as many users might still prefer a traditionally taken group photo.
- Best Take: Within Google Photos, this AI feature allows swapping faces or objects in a photo with better versions from other shots.
The Pixel 9 Pro also continues Google's tradition of excellent panorama mode, making it easy to capture detailed and seamlessly stitched panoramic shots.
Software and AI: Gemini Takes Center Stage
The Pixel 9 Pro launches with Android 14. While this is the second latest version at launch, Pixel devices are always among the first to receive updates, including the promised 7 years of complete software support. This long-term support is a significant advantage, ensuring the phone remains up-to-date with the latest features and security patches for an extended period.
The software experience on Pixel phones is known for its clean, stock Android interface and unique, useful features:
- Gemini Integration: The Pixel 9 Pro heavily integrates Gemini, Google's latest AI assistant. Gemini is presented as more intelligent and conversational than the previous Google Assistant. However, at launch, it had limitations in interacting with apps and performing basic tasks that Google Assistant could handle. Google has since been updating Gemini to address these shortcomings, allowing it to set timers and alarms, identify playing songs, and control smart home devices. Interestingly, some of these new capabilities still trigger a Google Assistant logo, indicating an ongoing transition. Gemini also offers "extensions" that allow it to access information from other Google apps like Docs, Drive, and Calendar, making it more contextually aware and useful. Gemini Live provides a more free-flowing, conversational interaction with the AI, allowing for natural dialogue without the need for trigger words.
- Call Notes: This new feature can record, transcribe, and summarize phone calls, providing a convenient way to review conversations.
- Now Playing: This beloved Pixel feature ambiently identifies songs playing in the background.
- Pixel Weather App: The redesigned weather app features a visually appealing UI with rearrangeable tiles and AI-generated weather summaries. While sometimes useful, the accuracy and depth of the AI summaries might not always be comprehensive.
- Pixel Screenshots App: A dedicated app for managing screenshots allows for organization into collections, searching, reminders, and linking back to the original webpage. While functional, some argue that this functionality could have been integrated into Google Photos.
While many of the AI features are impressive, some have been described as feeling "half-baked" or like "gimmicks". Features like Zoom Enhance and the Pixel Studio app for image generation, while technically capable, might not find widespread practical use beyond experimentation.
It's important to note that while the Pixel 9 Pro boasts enhanced NPU power for AI tasks, many of the Gemini features are not exclusive to Pixel and are available on other Android devices.
Battery Life and Charging: Solid Endurance, Slower Charging
The Pixel 9 Pro features a 4700mAh battery, offering respectable battery life. Many users report comfortably getting through a full day of moderate to heavy use. Screen-on time averages around 6.5 to 7 hours on the Pro models. However, battery life has reportedly become more of a concern for some users after updating to Android 15.
Charging speeds remain a point of criticism. The Pixel 9 Pro supports 27W wired charging, which is considerably slower than many competitors. Charging from 0 to 56% takes around 30 minutes, and a full charge takes nearly 1.5 hours. Wireless charging is also supported. The lack of support for the newer Qi2 wireless charging standard with magnetic attachment is a frustration for some, especially those invested in MagSafe ecosystems.
Value and Conclusion: A Compelling but Pricey Proposition
The Google Pixel 9 Pro represents a significant leap forward for Google's flagship smartphone line. It boasts a premium design, a vibrant and efficient display, capable performance with a strong focus on AI, and a versatile camera system enhanced by innovative AI features. The promise of 7 years of software updates is a major draw, ensuring longevity and continued improvement. The deep integration of Gemini offers a glimpse into the future of AI-powered mobile experiences.
However, the Pixel 9 Pro isn't without its drawbacks. The raw processing power still lags behind some competitors, charging speeds are relatively slow, and some of the touted AI features might not resonate with all users. Starting at a higher price point with only 128GB of base storage feels limiting in 2024.
Ultimately, the Pixel 9 Pro is the best Pixel Google has ever made. It has addressed many of the long-standing criticisms and offers a unique and compelling smartphone experience centered around intelligent software and AI. If you value a clean Android experience, cutting-edge AI features, and a strong camera with computational photography prowess, the Pixel 9 Pro is a solid flagship contender worth considering. However, potential buyers should weigh its strengths against its weaknesses, particularly its performance relative to the competition and its pricing strategy.