Google Pixel 9 Pro review: Leaps and bounds ahead

Google Pixel 9 Pro

Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL step things up in a serious way, offering a far improved build-quality and tons of new AI features.

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Rating: 4.5 Stars

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Pros

• Stunning build
• Sleek design
• Excellent camera
• Helpful AI features
• Good performance

Cons

• No Qi2

Buy From	List Price	Sale Price
	$999	$999	See It

The Google Pixel series is growing up. Pixel devices have always been a way for Google to showcase its latest and greatest software features in a way that’s completely unadulterated by tweaks from Android device manufacturers. But ever since the launch of the Pixel 6 series, Google has been taking its phones a little more seriously, slowly improving on hardware while diverging from the so-called stock Android when it comes to software.

But the Pixel 9 series feels like somewhat of a turning point. At first glance, it would be easy to assume that the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro devices offer only minor upgrades compared to those in the Pixel 8 series. But, on the contrary, the Pixel 9 series represents a massive leap forward when it comes to things like build quality and overall feel. Those are important factors when you’re trying to compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple.

Not only that, but for the Pixel 9 series, there are finally more options. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is available in two sizes, which means you can get a smaller pro-level Pixel phone without sacrificing on things like camera features.

Are the Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL worth your hard-earned cash? Or should you spend that money on a Galaxy device? I’ve been using the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL for a while now to find out.

Google Pixel 9 Pro specs

The best-made Pixel ever

The Google Pixel 9 Pro retains many of the design elements from previous Pixel phones, including the camera bar across the back of the device. But it also offers a number of design tweaks that I actually quite like.

For starters, that camera bar is a little more distinct and avoids blending into the frame like Pixel phones before it. It’s certainly noticeable, but I like the look, and it helps give the phone a unique design without verging on looking too silly.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

Other aspects of the overall design are to be expected. On the right edge of the phone, you’ll find a power button and volume rocker, while on the bottom, there’s a USB-C port.

Perhaps more important, however, is how the phone feels. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is leaps and bounds ahead of the Pixel 8 Pro when it comes to build quality and an overall premium feeling phone. Google has made a series of design tweaks that help make the phone feel more comfortable in your hand while ensuring that the Pixel 9 Pro is durable and well-built.

The phone is built with an aluminum frame around the edges, and on the Pro devices, that frame is a glossy metallic. The front and back of the device are made from matte Gorilla Glass Victus 2, ensuring it remains nice and durable. I really like the matte look on the Pro phones compared to the glossy back of the standard Pixel 9.

There are small details that help make the phone feel nicer too. For example, the frame has nicely rounded edges that help it feel more comfortable, similar to what Apple has done for the iPhone 15 series. The phones feel solid and strong, and frankly, I think they’re some of the most premium-feeling phones you can get in 2024.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL are available in four colorways, including Porcelain, Rose Quartz, Hazel, and Obsidian. I have the Obsidian Pixel 9 Pro and the Porcelain Pixel 9 Pro XL, and both look stunning. The Obsidian color is obviously more subtle and will be the go-to for those who simply want a black device, but I really like the premium look of the Porcelain, too.

Even the haptics feel better on the phone. Haptics are an area where Apple has always been leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, but the haptics on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL feel precise and well-tuned. It definitely adds to the experience.

Generally, I absolutely love the overall look and feel of the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. I particularly like that you can get a pro Pixel in a smaller build that’s more pocketable and portable. I prefer larger phones, so in the long term, I’d likely reach for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, but having the option to get a smaller pro-level Pixel 9 is very helpful for those with different preferences.

A stunning, vibrant display

The displays on both the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL look stunning. Obviously, the screen size is one of the major differences between these two phones and probably the main reason you’d get the Pixel 9 Pro XL over the Pixel 9 Pro. On the Pixel 9 Pro, you’ll get a 6.3-inch display with a 1280 x 2856 resolution. On the Pixel 9 Pro XL, that’s stepped up to a 6.8-inch display with a 1344 x 2992 resolution.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

No matter which Pixel 9 Pro you get, you’ll have an LTPO OLED display that can range between 1Hz and 120Hz and has a peak brightness of 3000 nits. It pretty much ticks all the boxes when it comes to a great-looking screen. Details are crisp, colors are vibrant, and the display is easily bright enough to be visible even in outdoor use.

We’re reaching a point now where I’m not quite sure how much better smartphone displays need to get. At least in their current size, they don’t need to have a higher resolution, and the brightness on offer by high-end smartphones is more than enough. With a 120Hz refresh rate, they feel smooth and responsive. Again, both the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL tick all of those boxes — so don’t expect any difference in quality, just a difference in size.

Cool, calm, and high-performance

Ever since the switch to Google Tensor chips, Pixel phones have been criticized for their performance. Critics argue that the performance of these Tensor chips doesn’t quite live up to the competition from the likes of Qualcomm and Apple, and to be fair, that’s true. When it comes to the numbers, the Pixel 9 Pro doesn’t compete with the iPhone 15 Pro.

But I would argue that’s somewhat irrelevant at this point. The fact is that both the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL can easily handle everything you can throw at them in 2024. Not only that, but Google is confident enough in their performance to promise 7 years of operating system updates for the Pixel 9 series, more than any Pixel device has ever gotten, except for the Pixel 8, which is on par. I never had a problem with the performance of the Pixel 9 Pro, even during heavy multitasking and mobile gaming. Things loaded quickly, and there was never a freeze or a stutter at any point.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

Part of this does have to do with Google taking criticism to heart. The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL have a new, larger vapor chamber cooling system meant to improve cooling for the processor when things start to heat up. This gives the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL overall better performance compared to the base Pixel 9, which doesn’t have the same cooling system, but does have the same Google Tensor G4 chip. Not only that, but the pro devices also have 16GB of RAM — compared to the base Pixel 9’s 12GB.

The end result is that while you might assume the performance on the Pixel 9 series is the same no matter which phone you get if you do want better performance overall, for example, if you game a lot, it might be worth going for one of the Pro devices. I did indeed find that the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL were able to stay cool much more easily than the base Pixel 9, which heated up from time to time during demanding tasks.

Of course, the Google Tensor G4 processor is largely tuned for better AI performance rather than better CPU or GPU performance. We’ll get into some of those AI features later, but rest assured that the Pixel 9 Pro easily handled every AI task we could throw at it.

Solid battery, but no Qi2

You may make your purchase decision between the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL based on screen size, but the byproduct of a larger body is also a larger battery. The Pixel 9 Pro has a 4700mAh battery, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL steps that up to a 5060mAh battery.

Despite having a larger battery, the Pixel 9 Pro XL also has a larger display, and ultimately, I found that the battery life between the two was very similar. When using the Pixel 9 Pro, I ended most days with around 30% of the battery remaining, and that was despite seriously putting the phone through its paces when it comes to camera and AI tricks. I did find that I ended the day with a little more juice on the Pixel 9 Pro XL. However, I don’t really think that was because it has massively better battery life, but rather because I tested it second to the Pixel 9 Pro and thus wasn’t as intense about testing AI features that are available on both phones, for example.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

Regardless, even the most demanding users should find that they can get through a full day of heavier use with the Pixel 9 Pro or Pixel 9 Pro XL. If you’re good at charging up your phone at night, for example, it’s unlikely you’ll ever have to worry much about battery.

Speaking of charging, it is one area in which the Pixel series still lags behind the competition. The Pixel 9 Pro can charge at up to 27W with a wired connection, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL steps that up to 37W. However, to reach those speeds, you’ll need Google’s own charger, and without it, you’re unlikely to get much higher than 20W.

That’s true for wireless charging, too. While the Pixel 9 Pro supports 21W wireless charging, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL supports 23W wireless charging, those speeds are only achievable with the second-generation Google Pixel Stand, and you won’t even get 15W without the Pixel Stand. None of the Pixel 9 devices support the new Qi2 wireless charging standard, but they do charge up to 12W with a compatible Qi wireless charger. They also have reverse wireless charging, which can be handy for keeping your earbuds charged up, for example.

Generally speaking, the battery life on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL is solid, but not incredible, while the charging technology is good enough for most users, but not as impressive as I was hoping.

One of the best cameras, made even better

Google Pixel phones have always prioritized the camera, and that remains true for the Pixel 9 Pro devices. Both Pixel 9 Pro phones have the same camera specifications, including a 50MP main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide camera with a 123-degree field of view, and a 48MP periscope telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

Generally speaking, the cameras on these phones are able to produce detailed and vibrant photos in all situations, including in low-light conditions. That’s not unexpected for a Pixel phone, but it’s still nice to see. The camera system on the Pixel 9 Pro phones is particularly versatile, given the telephoto camera, which can zoom at up to 5x for detailed zoomed shots. When you zoom further than 5x, you’ll combine optical zoom with Google’s Super Res Zoom tech. I found that the phone was able to produce detailed photos at up to around 8x or 9x, despite making use of digital zoom.

Despite having one of the best cameras out there right now, it is possible to push the Pixel 9 Pro a little, and in some niche situations, it doesn’t perform quite as well as some competition. For example, low-light zoomed photos aren’t quite as impressive as those on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but they still looked generally good and detailed enough. Seriously, the camera on the Pixel 9 Pro is excellent.

Even the video quality on the Pixel 9 Pro is good. Traditionally, Pixel phones have lagged behind when it comes to video features, but the Pixel 9 Pro offers far improved Video Boost technology which uses cloud processing to improve stabilization and brighten videos or images. This does involve uploading videos to the cloud, but the results make it worth it.

There are some helpful new camera tricks on offer, too. For starters, there’s a new panorama feature that helps you capture much more detailed and vibrant panoramic shots by guiding you through simply taking photos at different angles and then stitching those photos together.

Then there are the new AI features, which have made headlines since the announcement of the Pixel 9 series. Perhaps the most famous of these new features is the Add Me feature, which helps users take group photos without having to ask a stranger to step in and help. Essentially, you’ll take a photo of the group without you, then switch photographers and step in. Google will combine the two photos to make it seem as if both photographers are in the shot.

This is on top of improvements to already existing features, like the ability to remove objects or other people from a photo. I’m not going to get into the ethics or philosophical debates around this, but I will say I find it a little weird. Regardless, it works very well on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL.

AI features, front-and-center

AI. That’s it. That’s the software review.

Kidding aside, as you would expect, the Pixel 9 Pro showcases all of Google’s latest and greatest AI features, and there are plenty of them. For starters, there’s a new Call Notes feature that can record a call (after alerting other participants) and create notes based on the transcript of the call. I found that the feature worked well, though you will have to explain why you’re recording the call if another person on the phone doesn’t expect it. It’s important that Google alerts others for legal reasons, though.

There are enhancements to Gemini, too. For starters, there’s the new Gemini Live feature, which is essentially a voice-powered chatbot similar to voice conversations in ChatGPT. This isn’t a Pixel-specific feature, but it is part of Gemini Advanced, which you’ll get a year of, when you buy a Pixel 9 Pro or Pixel 9 Pro XL. Gemini Live actually worked quite well and felt and sounded more natural than ChatGPT’s version of the same feature, to the point of feeling a little weird at times. I got used to it, though, and soon found myself chatting with Gemini for things like research, though of course, I still had to double-check all the facts.

Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR

Another big new AI feature is the Pixel Screenshots app. Pixel Screenshots essentially uses on-device AI to help you find information buried in all the screenshots you’ve taken over the years. For example, you might take a screenshot of a product you want to buy or details about an event you want to attend. The idea is that you can just ask Gemini to find the details instead of having to scroll through the screenshots yourself. This isn’t necessarily a feature that’s super helpful to me, considering I don’t really use screenshots for this purpose, and I wish this feature could just be added to Google Photos instead of being separated into its own app. However, my wife takes screenshots like this all the time, and I can imagine the feature would be helpful for her.

Last but not least is the Pixel Studio app, which is essentially an AI image generation tool. I actually found this feature to be quite well-built and easy to use. It produced great-looking images and made it easy to edit images on the fly, to add things like text and to change the picture. It was kind of a fun tool, and while I’m not sure it’s a feature I’ll use all that often, I can imagine it coming in handy from time to time.

Google is clearly trying to not only keep up but take the lead when it comes to AI-based features, and I have to say many of these features are quite handy. That said, in general, you’ll still have to force yourself to use many of them and remember that they exist, which involves changing how you use your phone. I’m not saying that they’re not useful—they are—but AI, in general, is going to have to integrate more seamlessly with how you already use your phone over the next few years.

Conclusions

The Google Pixel 9 Pro isn’t just the best Pixel phone ever made; it may well be my favorite Android phone ever. The Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL represent a big step forward in terms of build quality, and I like the overall design. That’s not to mention the Google-focused approach to software that I’ve always preferred over anyone else’s Android skin. I also think that many of the AI-based features are genuinely helpful. The phone isn’t perfect—for example, I would have liked Qi2 support—but if you’re looking for a clean-feeling, high-performance Android phone with a great camera and helpful software features, the Pixel 9 Pro or Pixel 9 Pro XL is absolutely the way to go.

The competition

Perhaps the biggest competition to the Pixel 9 Pro comes from Google itself, in the form of the base Pixel 9. The base Pixel 9 feels just as high quality and offers many of the same AI features. It’s compatible with all of the same AI features, but considering the fact that it doesn’t come with a year of Gemini Advanced like the Pixel 9 Pro, you’ll have to pay to access some of them. The main differences between the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are that the Pixel 9 Pro has a telephoto camera and a better display. If those things aren’t important to you, then you’ll still absolutely love what’s on offer with the standard Google Pixel 9.

Samsung makes the other big competition to the Pixel 9 series. The Samsung Galaxy S24 series is excellent, offering slightly better CPU performance than the Pixel 9 Pro. That said, I prefer the Pixel 9 Pro overall, mainly because of Google’s software approach, which I think is cleaner than Samsung’s, and the fact that the Pixel 9 Pro still has an incredibly versatile camera.

Should I buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro?

Yes. The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL are excellent phones.