I’ve reviewed each Pixel smartphone because the model was first launched in 2016, and one thing concerning the Pixel 9 series makes me consider Google’s newest {hardware} as all grown up. It is unimaginable to level to 1 new characteristic because the supply of this sense. Relatively, it is an amalgamation of adjustments which have taken place over the previous three years—ever because the firm started stuffing its personal Tensor processors into these telephones to energy its forward-looking software program.
The mix of polished {hardware}, brawny internals, and useful software program has resulted in a handset that matches what you get from the likes of Samsung and Apple. All that magnificence comes at a value although. At $799 for the Pixel 9, $999 for the Pixel 9 Professional, and $1,099 for the Pixel 9 Professional XL, these are among the many costliest Pixels so far. This is your common reminder that you could get glorious smartphones for less than $500 (together with Google-made units just like the Pixel 8A).
However for anybody who would not thoughts splurging on crucial piece of tech of their life, the Pixel 9 collection delivers a number of the finest cell digicam experiences cash should buy. The Pixel 9 additionally serves as a fascinating window into the AI-fication of our private expertise—whether or not that is one thing you need or not.
The Cellphone Stuff
The refined design helps with the Pixel 9’s glow-up. The long-lasting digicam visor that has been a mainstay because the Pixel 6 remains to be current, however in a extra elegant pill-shaped design. Don’t be concerned, it nonetheless screams “Pixel.” It is arduous to mistake this telephone for one thing else, particularly in the event you go for the stunning pink colours. (I respect that the enjoyable colour is not restricted to the “non-Professional” mannequin, as it’s on different makes and fashions of telephones.)
{Photograph}: Julian Chokkattu
I do not discover the digicam bump extreme or ugly; the telephones do not rock once they sit flat on a desk, and that is a large boon. I just like the flat show panel, in addition to the flat edges. The squared-off design is simpler to carry, and your grip will not intervene with the touchscreen like on smartphones with “waterfall” shows that curve round to the perimeters the place your fingers grasp the telephone’s physique. Simply know that the Professional telephones have shiny edges that entice fingerprints, so you may be wiping them down typically. (Simply me?)
Talking of fingerprints, Google has outfitted these fashions with an ultrasonic in-display scanner that’s far and away extra dependable than the optical fingerprint sensors it has been utilizing on Pixels for years, lastly matching the standard discovered on different Android phones. On the flip aspect, Pixels are nonetheless a number of the solely Android telephones with safe face scanning, so it is nice that you’ve each biometric choices, although I would have appreciated to see enhancements in making face unlock work higher at nighttime.
Selection goes a great distance in displaying maturity in a product line too. For the primary time, you get choices within the measurement of the Pixel 9 Professional—6.3 inches or 6.8 inches for the XL—which suggests you now not must really feel such as you’re shedding out on options simply since you favor smaller telephones. Although I’ve large paws, I favor the scale and really feel of the Pixel 9 Professional. Good and compact.
