The brand new Google Pixel 9 represents a little bit of a departure from its predecessor, providing not only a new look however various spec bumps that inch this telephone nearer to a “Professional” machine. Sadly, it is not fairly there, regardless of Google inflating the worth by $100 to match another opponents, however 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? That telephone was priced nicely at simply $699, however has Google justified the worth improve of its newest mannequin?
I’ve spent a few week with the Pixel 9 thus far, so I will try and shed some mild on the matter because the machine hits retailer cabinets quickly after this evaluate will get revealed. These are simply my preliminary impressions based mostly on my considerably restricted time utilizing the machine. Nonetheless, you may also look ahead to a full evaluate after I’ve spent extra time with the telephone.
Google Pixel 9: Worth & availability
The Google Pixel 9 was introduced in early August 2024 throughout the Made by Google 2024 occasion and goes on sale on August 22. The telephone begins at $799 for the 12GB/128GB variant, whereas the 256GB model is priced at $899. Nonetheless, you’ll most definitely be capable to discover some compelling Pixel 9 offers in the event you store round sufficient.
The telephone is out there in 4 completely different colours: Peony (pink), Wintergreen (inexperienced), Obsidian (black), and Porcelain (silver/white).
Google will promote the Pixel 9 within the following international locations: 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.
Not like the Pixel 9 Professional and 9 Professional Fold, which obtain a one-year free trial of Gemini Superior, the Pixel 9 solely receives a one-month trial in areas the place the supply is out there.
Google Pixel 9: What I like thus far
The Pixel 9 appears to be like fairly completely different from its predecessor, however most of the major design cues are nonetheless there. Notably, the digicam visor is now not related to the machine’s body; it is now a floating digicam bar with an all-aluminum aspect and a rounded cutout for the twin digicam system. In actual fact, the form of the digicam bar jogs my memory of the Pixel’s slightly giant and bubbly Fast Settings button, which brings an surprising degree of cohesion.
One factor I used to be involved about relating to 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 turn into a bit weary of sharp edges as they have a tendency to not play good with my poor finger when dealing with the telephones one-handed. Fortuitously, that is not the case right here, because the satin metallic body is surprisingly comfortable, and Google gave it a really slight curve the place the body meets the entrance and rear panels, which retains the telephone from digging into your pinky finger.
I do agree with Android Central’s Telephones editor, Nick Sutrich, who mentioned in his Pixel 9 hands-on the brand new design reminds him of the most recent iPhones, at the least in the event you take a look at it from the entrance and the edges, however not everybody right here thinks so.
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The telephone is surprisingly comfy to carry. Past its comfortable body and considerably slick glass panels, the telephone remains 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 greatest small Android telephones, however the 6.3-inch OLED panel is dealt with nicely 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 accident activating Circle to Search fairly usually. It isn’t an enormous annoyance, however one thing to level out in the event you allow the function.
The OLED show appears to be like nice, and whereas I usually depart telephones on Pure shade mode, the Adaptive show mode does not overly saturate colours like I discover on different telephones. You’ll have to keep in mind to activate Clean show to kick as much as the 120Hz refresh fee, however when you do, it is clean crusing. The added brightness additionally implies that there must be no drawback viewing content material when outdoor. Simply ensure to slap on a Pixel 9 display screen protector, as I’ve already observed some very mild scratches.
I additionally don’t have any complaints thus far concerning the new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, which feels quick and correct.
The telephone 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 telephone or when receiving notifications.
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 nicely when opening and juggling apps. I feel most individuals shopping for this telephone can be happy with its efficiency, particularly on the subject of AI duties. I additionally have not observed the telephone 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 instances.
| Class | Google Pixel 9 |
|---|---|
| Show | 6.3-inch Actua show, 120Hz AMOLED (60-120Hz), 2400×1080, HDR, 2700 nits, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, 240Hz PWM dimming |
| Chipset | Google Tensor G4, Titan M2 safety module |
| RAM | 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB |
| Rear digicam 1 | 50MP f/1.68, 1/1.13″ sensor, Octa PDAF, 82-degree FoV, OIS, 4k/60 recording |
| Rear digicam 2 | 48MP f/1.7, 1/2.55″ sensor, 123-degree wide-angle, macro, autofocus, Quad-PD, 4k/60 recording |
| Rear LDAF sensor | Single-zone laser autofocus |
| Entrance digicam | 10.5MP f/2.2, 95-degree wide-angle, autofocus, 4k/60 recording |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, 5G (mmWave and Sub-6), Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, AptX HD, USB-C 3.2, Bodily and eSIM, Satellite tv for pc SOS |
| Ingress Safety | IP68 mud and water resistance |
| Safety | In-screen ultrasonic fingerprint module, face unlock |
| Audio | Stereo sound, USB-C |
| Battery | 4700mAh, 27W wired charging, 20W wi-fi charging, 5W reverse wi-fi charging |
| Dimensions | 152.8 x 72 x 8.5mm, 198g |
| Colours | Obsidian, Porcelain, Winter |
| Software program help | 7 years of Pixel and OS updates |
My preliminary impression of the Pixel cameras, based mostly on my restricted time with the telephone thus far, is that they are rattling good. Photos are detailed and crisp, and there is quite a lot of dynamic vary, even in decrease lighting situations. I do discover that pictures typically lack that additional punch of vibrancy or saturation that I like, and in consequence, typically photographs can seem a bit boring. I’ve additionally seen situations the place the sky may get blown out, however this does not occur too usually. In any other case, pictures have good pure bokeh, and Macro Focus takes it to a different degree by letting you get actually shut.
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One function I have not had a chance to check out an excessive amount of 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 to be like superb till you squint and notice one thing’s off. Â The outcome is not excellent, however having the ability to seize your self twice in the identical body is a really cool impact that I would not be capable to replicate simply utilizing photograph modifying purposes.
For a extra conventional use of Add Me, Sutrich has seen a outcome from the function with him and his household, and you may test it out on his Pixel 9 Professional evaluate. It is a a lot better instance, however even then, it takes a squint to appreciate one thing’s off and that somebody has primarily been added to the photograph. Nonetheless, it is a very cool function that I am unable to wait to check out extra, and I am simply glad this function is not restricted to the Professional telephones.
Lastly, I have been fairly impressed with the battery life thus far. The telephone 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 Power Saver (since that is type of the way it works), and whereas I have not gotten greater than a day of battery life, I think about it should range based mostly in your use.
Google Pixel 9: New AI options
The Pixel 9 helps Gemini Nano with Multimodality, that means it could deal with some fairly difficult stuff. I’ve performed round with just a few of the brand new AI options, and thus far, 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 mannequin. It is fairly straightforward to make use of, permitting you to enter current pictures accessible within the studio or to create your personal from scratch.
The outcomes are fairly rattling spectacular, and most of the time, they put a smile on my face. The app does fairly nicely in producing clear, high-quality pictures, and the outcomes might be spot-on, together with how the app generates textual content like e book or film titles.
Magic Editor additionally has some attention-grabbing new options, like Reimagine, which helps you to change elements of a photograph in your gallery by typing a immediate. You possibly can just about utterly rework a picture with surprisingly good element. The outcomes is probably not utterly excellent, however the function feels extra versatile and succesful than what I’ve seen with Samsung’s Sketch to Picture function.
Name Notes is a helpful option to report and transcribe calls, and it not solely allows you to replay the recording or search by means of 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 lovely app that gives AI-generated reviews of the remainder of your day and what you’ll be able to anticipate the next day, full with climate animations. It does an honest job of protecting the essential factors of the forecast with out overloading you with data, though I can see how some folks would need much more element. That mentioned, I am unsure how helpful the AI-generated reviews are, as their major function appears to be to summarize the knowledge already introduced to you.
Talking of usefulness, I am additionally uncertain about how I really feel about Gemini Dwell and Pixel Screenshots. The previous is an attention-grabbing conversational model of Gemini, permitting you to have fairly pure conversations with the chatbot to perhaps present some inspiration or help. It truly sounds surprisingly pure in its responses and seems to know my queries nicely, even when they’re multilayered or if I am seemingly rambling a bit. I requested for some eating regimen tricks to obtain my aim weight, and it offered some sound recommendation. I then adopted up by asking for workouts that would assist, and it gave equally sound recommendation.
Then, a day later, Gemini Dwell wasn’t capable of keep in mind the burden 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 unsure how a lot I might use Gemini or Gemini Dwell frequently.
The draw back of Gemini Dwell is that it is tied to Gemini Superior, which is locked behind a Google One AI Premium subscription. So, along with paying $100 extra for the telephone, you now should dish out an additional $20 a month for one of many extra attention-grabbing options. I am unable to think about many individuals would subscribe simply to make use of Gemini Dwell, however in the event you’re already paying related quantities on your Google One subscription, it may be price switching to for the extra perks.
The Pixel Screenshots app feels even much less helpful to me, because it’s merely only a option to search screenshots and create AI summaries of them. My factor is that many of the screenshots I take are of humorous memes or photographs that I discover attention-grabbing, and it is hardly ever something that I ever have to recall. I am positive some folks will discover it helpful, and I’ll find yourself altering my thoughts as I proceed testing the telephone, however proper now, it simply feels a bit superfluous.
Google Pixel 9: What I do not care for therefore far
Sadly, there are different elements of the battery that I am much less impressed by. The 27W charging is sort of unbearably gradual, which is one thing that has all the time irritated me about Pixel telephones. Not like 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 based mostly on a 45W Google charger.
I haven’t got a Google 45W charger, and my expertise has been fairly completely different, with the telephone taking a bit longer to succeed in 50% after which having to attend one other hour to get to full when utilizing a 100W charger from Anker. Fortuitously, 50% nonetheless lasts you a great quantity of the day, however wired and wi-fi charging speeds fall behind many different flagship Android telephones with quick charging capabilities.
You additionally will not discover Qi2 wi-fi charging. This is not the tip of the world, and to some, that is truly a great factor. Nonetheless, with the recognition of MagSafe instances for Android telephones, it is shocking to see Google skip out on the usual that folks clearly need when it has been accessible for a while now.
Storage can also be an issue for the Pixel 9. The bottom mannequin comes with simply 128GB, which simply appears small for a flagship telephone in 2024. As such, after organising the Pixel and transferring apps and audio over from my day by day driver, the Pixel informed me I had used 92GB, leaving me with about 36GB remaining. As identified by Android Central senior editor Harish Jonnalagadda, there are many mid-range telephones 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 additionally 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 pictures. Certain, the Pixel takes fairly good pictures 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.
However that is not the one approach Google is limiting the Pixel 9 in comparison with the Pixel 9 Professional. 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 Increase, Professional Controls, Excessive-Res photographs, and extra.
It is unclear why these options will not be included, and when requested, Google wasn’t capable of present a transparent reply on why there’s such a function disparity, 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
As the bottom Pixel 9 mannequin, there are just a few different telephones you’ll be able to take into account 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, principally 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 supply related software program guarantees and nice digicam high quality for a similar worth.
The OnePlus 12 is one other equally priced possibility for anybody in search of a flagship. So far as specs go, the telephone 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 help is not as sturdy. The telephone additionally is not as water-resistant, so you’ll be able to’t submerge it.
Google Pixel 9: Must you purchase it?
You should purchase this if…
- You need a new Google flagship with out spending $1000.
- You need the most recent AI options in your telephone earlier than anybody else.
- You need among the greatest cameras available on the market.
You should not purchase this if…
- You personal a Pixel 8.
- You need a telephone with quick charging capabilities.
- You need a telephone with a telephoto digicam and Professional digicam controls.
As famous, I’ve solely used the Pixel 9 for a few week, and there is nonetheless a lot that I need to check out extra completely. Nonetheless, for the needs of this preliminary evaluate, I feel that the Pixel 9 is a superb telephone that you need to take into account buying on your subsequent improve, particularly in the event you’re not attempting to drop $1000 on a Pixel 9 Professional.
Tensor G4 is probably not essentially the most highly effective chip available on the market, however it’s excellent for the needs of the Pixel and the way Google is positioning this telephone, particularly when paired with 12GB of RAM. Efficiency is nice, battery life is nice, and you will not be upset by its cameras… that’s 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 will discover on the Professional telephones, and that is an issue. Plus, one of many extra attention-grabbing options is locked behind a subscription. If you happen to assume you’ll need a few of these lacking options, then you need to spring for the Professional telephones. In any other case, the Pixel 9 remains to be a great telephone, even when it prices $100 greater than its predecessor.
The child Pixel, all grown up
With a brand new design and a brand new chip, the child Pixel 9 is extra highly effective than ever, capable of simply deal with on-device AI duties resembling picture era, transcription and summaries, and way more. You continue to get spectacular cameras and software program to match, letting you reimagine your photographs to take them to the following degree.
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