Google Pixel 9 review: Do you even need a Pro phone? | usagoldmines.com

The brand new Google Pixel 9 represents a little bit of a departure from its predecessor, providing not only a new look however plenty of spec bumps that inch this cellphone nearer to a “Professional” gadget. Sadly, it isn’t fairly there, regardless of Google inflating the value by $100 to match another rivals, nevertheless it will get shut, providing loads of enjoyable AI options that customers are positive to like (or ignore).

So what’s new with the Pixel 9, how is it completely different from its Professional siblings, and is it price getting over the cheaper Pixel 8 or the costlier Pixel 9 Professional? Final yr’s cellphone was priced properly at simply $699, however has Google justified the value enhance of its newest mannequin?

After spending a while with the Pixel 9, I can confidently say that it is a superb cellphone, with sufficient energy and adequate cameras to get the job performed. The Pixel 9 will not be probably the most highly effective cellphone on the market, however it’s good at what it does, and that must be sufficient for most individuals. And what’s nice is that you do not even must pay for a subscription to expertise a few of its greatest AI options.

Google Pixel 9: Value and availability

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The Google Pixel 9 was announced in early August 2024 throughout the Made by Google 2024 event and went on sale on August 22. The cellphone begins at $799 for the 12GB/128GB variant, whereas the 256GB model is priced at $899. Nevertheless, if you happen to store round sufficient, you’ll more than likely discover some compelling Pixel 9 deals.

The cellphone is out there in 4 completely different colours: Peony (pink), Wintergreen (inexperienced), Obsidian (black), and Porcelain (silver/white).

Google sells the Pixel 9 within the following nations: U.S., Canada, U.Ok., Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Eire, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

In contrast to the Pixel 9 Professional and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which obtain a one-year free trial of Gemini Superior, the Pixel 9 might solely obtain a one-month trial in areas the place the provide is out there.

Google Pixel 9: Design

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The Pixel 9 appears fairly completely different from its predecessor, however lots of the primary design cues are nonetheless there. Notably, the digicam visor is now not linked to the gadget’s body; it is now a floating digicam bar with an all-aluminum facet and a rounded cutout for the twin digicam system. The truth is, the form of the digicam bar jogs my memory of the Pixel’s moderately giant and bubbly Fast Settings button, which brings an sudden stage of cohesion.

One factor I used to be involved about concerning the brand new Pixel 9 design was the brand new flat design, notably the body. After utilizing telephones just like the Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy Z Flip 6, I’ve develop into a bit weary of sharp edges as they have an inclination to not play good with my poor finger when dealing with the telephones one-handed. Thankfully, that is not the case right here, because the satin metallic body is surprisingly smooth, and Google gave it a really slight curve the place the body meets the entrance and rear panels, which retains the cellphone from digging into your pinky finger.

I do agree with Android Central’s Telephones editor, Nick Sutrich, who stated in his Pixel 9 hands-on the brand new design reminds him of the latest iPhones, no less than if you happen to take a look at it from the entrance and the perimeters. The truth is, at any time when I exploit the Pixel 9 out and about, pals would touch upon how related it appears to an iPhone, even when it from the again. They may go as far as to say Google “stole” the design, which I believe goes a bit far, however the resemblance is a bit uncanny.

The cellphone is surprisingly snug to carry. Past its smooth body and considerably slick glass panels, the cellphone continues to be pretty small regardless of being a few millimeters bigger than the Pixel 8. Given its measurement, I would not precisely put this among the many best small Android phones, however the 6.3-inch OLED panel is dealt with properly due to the minimal and uniform bezels. My solely grievance is that regardless of not having the smallest bezels I’ve handled, I discover my finger by chance activating Circle to Search fairly usually. It is not an enormous annoyance, however one thing to level out if you happen to allow the function.

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

I might additionally recommend investing in a Pixel 9 case. As good as it’s to really feel your cellphone in its pure, bare state, this cellphone is simply too slippery for its personal good. There have been a number of occasions after I’ve set it down on a floor, solely to listen to it fall onto the bottom a mere minutes later. Thankfully, the aluminum body and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 make the cellphone fairly robust, however I might moderately not threat it any greater than I ought to.

Google Pixel 9: Show

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The OLED show appears nice, and whereas I usually depart telephones on Pure shade mode, the Adaptive show mode does not overly saturate colours as I discover on different telephones. You’ll have to keep in mind to activate Clean show to kick as much as the 120Hz refresh charge, however when you do, it is easy crusing.

The added brightness additionally signifies that viewing content material open air must be no downside. Simply be sure that to slap on a Pixel 9 screen protector, as I’ve already observed some very mild scratches throughout the show on my unit. These scratches aren’t actually noticeable till I view it with the show off from a sure angle (however they’re nonetheless sufficient to harass me).

I additionally don’t have any complaints to this point in regards to the new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, which feels quick and correct.

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Whereas the Pixel 9 Pro sports activities the identical measurement show, it comes with the next QHD+ decision. Nevertheless, I do not assume you may miss it on this cellphone, which is simply a FHD+ panel. Every part nonetheless seems sharp and content material appears nice. Would the next decision have been good? Maybe, however at this measurement, it does not actually matter a lot, and the marginally smaller and simply as pricey Galaxy S24 has the identical decision.

But, whereas I discover the show to be fairly good, others might not fare as properly. Google nonetheless retains the show at a very low PWM charge, which means individuals which might be PWM-sensitive might discover it troublesome to make use of the show.

Google Pixel 9: {Hardware} and specs

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

The Tensor G4 chipset is not an enormous improve over its predecessor, however that issues little or no right here. Coupled with 12GB of RAM, the Pixel 9 performs fairly properly when opening and juggling apps. I believe most individuals shopping for this cellphone can be happy with its efficiency, particularly on the subject of AI duties. I additionally have not observed the cellphone getting too heat when enjoying video games like Honkai: Star Rail or Fall Guys, which is an efficient signal to me, though contact enter does appear ever-so-slightly delayed at occasions.

The cellphone has fairly respectable haptics and good audio, which does not shock me. The twin stereo audio system sound very full, with loads of depth and good bass response, whereas the haptics stay fairly refined when navigating the cellphone or when receiving notifications.

Storage can also be an issue for the Pixel 9. The bottom mannequin comes with simply 128GB, which simply appears small for a flagship cellphone in 2024. As such, after organising the Pixel and shifting apps and audio over from my day by day driver, the Pixel advised me I had used 90% of my accessible storage. As pointed out by Android Central senior editor Harish Jonnalagadda, there are many mid-range phones which have double this quantity of storage, so the truth that the three Pixel 9 sequence telephones begin with 128GB is a bit ridiculous.

The Pixel 9 helps Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3, and whereas I personally don’t own a Wi-Fi 7 router and possibly will not for a while, it is good to see it right here. I am additionally hoping we’ll get proper Auracast support quickly, hopefully after Android 15 rolls round.

I’m unhappy to see the shortage of UWB assist, which means you possibly can’t reap the benefits of extra highly effective location-tracking options or digital automobile key performance. Whether or not it is actually vital stays to be seen, nevertheless it’s one of many issues setting this cellphone aside from its Professional siblings.

Google Pixel 9: Battery life and charging

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Lastly, I have been fairly impressed with the battery life to this point. The cellphone simply lasts me till the tip of the day, and I get round seven or eight hours of display screen time, which is fairly good. Google claims 24+ battery life and even longer with Vitality Saver (since that is sort of the way it works), and whereas I have not gotten greater than a day of battery life, I think about it would differ primarily based in your utilization.

Sadly, there are different features of the battery that I am much less impressed by. The 27W charging is nearly unbearably sluggish, which is one thing that has at all times aggravated me about Pixel telephones. In contrast to the Pixel 9 Professional XL, which charged as much as 70% in simply half-hour, the Pixel 9 takes the identical period of time to only attain 50%, though these figures are primarily based on a 45W Google charger.

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

I haven’t got a Google 45W charger, and my expertise has been fairly completely different, with the cellphone taking a bit longer to achieve 50% after which having to attend one other hour to get to full when utilizing a 100W charger from Anker. Thankfully, 50% nonetheless lasts you quantity of the day, however wired and wi-fi charging speeds fall behind many different flagship Android phones with quick charging capabilities.

You additionally will not discover Qi2 wireless charging. This is not the tip of the world, however with the recognition of MagSafe cases for Android phones, it is stunning to see Google skip out on the usual that individuals clearly need when it has been accessible for a while now.

Google Pixel 9: Cameras

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

I am usually fairly impressed with Pixel cameras, and whereas photos captured from the Pixel 9 aren’t dangerous, they are not notably exceptional to me. Photos are detailed and crisp, and there is an excessive amount of dynamic vary, even in decrease lighting circumstances.

That stated, I do discover that photos generally lack that additional punch of vibrancy or saturation that I like, and because of this, generally pictures can seem a bit uninteresting. I’ve additionally seen cases the place the sky would possibly get blown out, however this does not occur too usually. In any other case, photos have good pure bokeh, and Macro Focus takes it to a different stage by letting you get actually shut.

Sadly, the Pixel 9 nonetheless lacks a 3rd rear digicam. This turns into notably clear when in comparison with the Galaxy S24, which can also be priced at $799 and sports activities a 3rd lens for 3x telephoto photos. Positive, the Pixel takes fairly good photos with as much as 8x Tremendous Res Zoom, however the lack of a devoted telephoto digicam limits the zoom capabilities when in comparison with the Pixel 9 Professional.

I have been evaluating the digicam to that of the Motorola Razr Plus 2024, which has been my primary driver for the previous couple of months. To my shock, I discover that I usually choose the Razr Plus over the Pixel 9, which is one thing I by no means thought I would say. Photos from the Razr simply have that additional little bit of vibrancy that I like in photos, even when the Pixel usually brings extra depth to pictures. I additionally discover that post-processing on the Pixel tends to make pictures look a bit synthetic, whereas the Razr tends to maintain issues a bit extra pure, even with lighting.

Nonetheless, the added dynamic vary on the Pixel 9 will help make sure particulars stand out higher than they’d on the Razr Plus 2024, which is not as constant on this entrance. The Razr additionally falls behind on low-light photos, whereas the Pixel 9 retains loads of element.

The 2 telephones generally commerce blows relying on the lighting circumstances, and I choose many Razr photos over the Pixel. That stated, whereas Motorola has clearly put in some work to enhance its foldable digicam, the Pixel is way more constant total in its photographs.

One cool function I like to point out off is Add Me, which lets the individual taking a photograph add themselves to the picture after it has been taken. It is a very neat function, and I’ve seen some wonderful examples that make it look fairly convincing that everybody was within the photograph.

My instance (beneath) is admittedly a bit completely different from what Google had in thoughts, and at first look, it appears advantageous till you squint and notice one thing’s off. The outcome is not good, however capturing your self twice in the identical body is a really cool impact that I would not have the ability to replicate simply utilizing photograph enhancing functions.

For a extra conventional use of Add Me, Nick Sutrich has seen a outcome from the function with him and his household, and you may test it out on his Pixel 9 Pro review. It is a a lot better instance, however even then, it takes a squint to comprehend one thing’s off and that somebody has basically been added to the photograph. Nonetheless, it is a very cool function that I believe many would discover helpful when the second requires it.

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Google Pixel 9: Software program and AI

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

On the time of writing, the Pixel 9 continues to be operating Android 14 as Google prepares to roll out steady Android 15 to its gadgets and others. It is a little bit odd that it did not launch with the replace, nevertheless it’s not an enormous deal. In any case, Google was capable of embody loads of new options on its Pixel 9 telephones that we are going to seemingly see come to older Pixels down the highway. The corporate can also be extending its seven-year update promise to the Pixel 9, which is nice to see, even if you happen to do not plan to maintain the cellphone for that lengthy.

The Pixel 9 helps Gemini Nano with Multimodality, which means it might probably deal with some fairly sophisticated stuff. I’ve performed round with just a few of the brand new AI options, and to this point, I am fairly impressed. Amongst them, Pixel Studio might be my favourite new app. It is a text-to-image generator powered by Google’s new Imagen 3 model. It is fairly straightforward to make use of, permitting you to enter present photos accessible within the studio or to create your individual from scratch.

The outcomes are fairly rattling spectacular, and most of the time, they put a smile on my face. The app does fairly properly in producing clear, high-quality photos, and the outcomes may be spot-on, together with how the app generates textual content like e-book or film titles.

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Magic Editor additionally has some fascinating new options, like Reimagine, which helps you to change features of a photograph in your gallery by typing a immediate. You may just about utterly rework a picture with surprisingly good element. The outcomes will not be utterly good, however the function feels extra versatile and succesful than what I’ve seen with Samsung’s Sketch to Image function.

I reimagined this photograph with a free-flowing waterfall and a pool of lava. (Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

In fact, there have been some examples of each Pixel Studio and Reimagine generating some unfavorable things. Nevertheless, Google is continuous to realize suggestions and regulate issues accordingly, so we must always see a lot much less of that when utilizing these options.

Call Notes is a helpful approach to file and transcribe calls, and it not solely allows you to replay the recording or search by the transcription, however the function additionally summarizes the main points of the decision, in case you simply want to recollect what the gist of the dialog was.

Then there’s Pixel Climate, which is a stupendous app that gives AI-generated stories of the remainder of your day and what you possibly can count on the next day, full with climate animations. It does an honest job of protecting the fundamental factors of the forecast with out overloading you with info, though I can see how some individuals would need much more element. That stated, I am undecided how helpful the AI-generated stories are, as their primary function appears to be to summarize the data already introduced to you.

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Talking of usefulness, I nonetheless cannot discover a purpose to really use the Pixel Screenshots app, because it’s merely only a approach to search screenshots and create AI summaries of them. My factor is that a lot of the screenshots I take are of humorous memes or pictures that I discover fascinating or want for work (that are used instantly), and it is not often something that I ever must recall. I am positive some individuals will discover it helpful, and I could find yourself altering my thoughts as I proceed testing the cellphone, however proper now, it simply feels a bit superfluous.

I’ll say that I am coming round to Gemini Live, though I additionally have not discovered a lot use for it past having pretty mundane or asinine conversations. It really sounds surprisingly pure in its responses and seems to grasp my queries properly, even when they’re multilayered or if I am seemingly rambling a bit. I requested for some weight loss plan tricks to obtain my aim weight, and it offered some sound recommendation. I then adopted up by asking for workout routines that would assist, and it gave equally sound recommendation.

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Then, Gemini Stay could not keep in mind the load aim I gave it only a day prior, so I needed to remind it throughout follow-up queries. Principally, I can see this being a helpful function sometimes when you could have very particular and multi-layered questions, however I already do not use Google Assistant very a lot, so I am undecided how a lot I might use Gemini or Gemini Stay regularly.

On the plus facet, Gemini Stay is no longer tied to Gemini Advanced (which is locked behind a Google One AI Premium subscription). Which means you possibly can attempt it your self to see simply how helpful it may be for you. Plus, the common Gemini assistant continues to realize extra performance, making it a extra viable substitute for Google Assistant.

(Picture credit score: Derrek Lee / Android Central)

Sadly, Google limits the Pixel 9 in comparison with its Professional siblings, and it isn’t clear why. Regardless of sporting the identical Tensor G4 chip and 12GB of RAM, sufficient to deal with on-device AI processing, Google has omitted sure digicam options from the bottom Pixel 9, together with Video Boost, Professional Controls, Excessive-Res pictures, and extra.

When requested why there’s such a function disparity, Google could not present a transparent reply, making it appear as if it is simply gatekeeping options for its costlier telephones. It’s kind of unlucky since I do not assume Samsung does the identical factor with the bottom Galaxy S24, and that solely has 8GB of RAM.

Google Pixel 9: The competitors

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As the bottom Pixel 9 mannequin, there are just a few different telephones you possibly can think about at or beneath this worth level from firms like Samsung and OnePlus.

The bottom Galaxy S24 is the closest competitor to the Pixel 9, providing a equally small, largely flat chassis and comparable specs. One main distinction is the presence of a telephoto digicam, one thing the Pixel 9 lacks. Alternatively, the Pixel 9 comes with 12GB of RAM, which ought to make it extra succesful on the subject of on-device AI processing. It additionally has a bigger battery, which ought to theoretically assist it last more on a single cost. In any other case, each provide related software program guarantees and nice digicam high quality for a similar worth.

The OnePlus 12 is one other equally priced choice for anybody in search of a flagship. So far as specs go, the cellphone bests the Pixel 9 and Galaxy S24 in lots of areas, sporting a bigger battery, a lot quicker charging, and as much as 16GB of RAM. The draw back to getting a OnePlus is that the software program is not for everybody, and assist is not as sturdy. The cellphone additionally is not as waterproof, so you possibly can’t submerge it.

Google Pixel 9: Do you have to purchase it?

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You can purchase this if…

You need a new Google flagship with out spending $1000.
You need the most recent AI options in your cellphone earlier than anybody else.
You need a number of the greatest cameras available on the market.

You should not purchase this if…

You personal a Pixel 8.
You need a cellphone with quick charging capabilities.
You need a cellphone with a telephoto digicam and Professional digicam controls.

I’ve by no means been an enormous fan of Pixel telephones, however after utilizing the Pixel 9 for a month, I believe that it is an amazing cellphone that you should consider purchasing for your next upgrade, particularly if you happen to’re not making an attempt to drop $1000 on a Pixel 9 Professional.

Tensor G4 will not be probably the most highly effective chip available on the market, however it’s perfect for the Pixel and the way Google is positioning this cellphone, particularly when paired with 12GB of RAM. Its efficiency is nice, battery life is nice, and you will not be upset by its cameras until you are hoping for a telephoto lens with sturdy zoom capabilities.

Sure, the Pixel 9 nonetheless does not get all of the options you may discover on the Professional telephones, and that is an issue. Should you assume you’ll need a few of these lacking options, then you definitely ought to spring for the Professional telephones. In any other case, the Pixel 9 continues to be cellphone if you happen to can abdomen the $100 premium over its predecessor.