This year, Google introduced the Pixel 9 Pro XL to its Pixel lineup, adding a third option. Google is rapidly improving its devices to compete with Xiaomi, Samsung and Apple. The Pixel 9 lineup now includes new AI features, an updated chipset and other enhancements. The smartphone’s overall build is twice as durable as the Pixel 9 Pro, with an IP68 rating. The premium design is topped off with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 soft-touch glass on the front and back. Like the XL model, it is available in four colours: Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel and Rose Quartz.
Out of the box, the phone came with only a one-metre USB-C to USB-C (USB 2.0) cable and a SIM tool. The 45W USB-C power charger is sold separately to take full advantage of its charging capabilities. I overcame this barrier by using a similar-wattage supercharger, so the results were somewhat close to what was promised.
While the Pixel 9 Pro is smaller than its XL sibling, it still packs a punch. However, the size difference is minimal — only a few more millimetres of screen. The Pixel 9 Pro’s dimensions are 152.8 mm (height) by 72 mm (width) by 8.5 mm (depth), compared with the Pixel Pro XL’s 162.8 mm by 76.6 mm by 8.5 mm. Both feature a smooth LTPO OLED Super Actua display, which supports 1-120 Hz frame rates.
“While the Pixel 9 Pro is smaller than its XL sibling, it still packs a punch.”
The weight also goes up with the XL. The Pixel 9 Pro weighs about 199 grams, while the larger model weighs 221 grams. Comparing it with the previous model, the Pixel 8 Pro, that model’s dimensions were 162.6 by 76.5 by 8.8 mm. Even though the Pixel 9 Pro’s size is a bit smaller than its previous iteration, it still feels great to hold — especially with its rounded frame.
The gray rubber case provides better grip than the polished metal frame. But don’t be fooled. The phone’s back feels great to hold and is fingerprint-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about smudges. I’ve tested it multiple times and can confirm this.
Internally, both models run on the Google Tensor G4 processor with the Titan M2 security coprocessor. Each one comes with 16 GB RAM memory and options to have 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB storage. The batteries are pretty close in capacity: the Pixel 9 Pro supports 4,700 mAh versus the XL’s 5,060 mAh. Both support fast wireless Qi-certified charging and battery share.
Battery life is essential for my long shifts and drives, as I need to keep my music and podcasts on Spotify going to stay sane. A typical full day of usage brought the battery down to about 40 per cent, so it lived up to the claim of 24-plus hours of average battery life. I might use GPS and listen to Spotify during the day, watch shows during downtime, play games, and drive home listening to music again. I could also be doomscrolling on social media too!
I mainly use my phone to watch YouTube, TikTok and shows on Crunchyroll and other streaming platforms. Even after a couple of hours of continuous watching, the battery only dropped between 20 and 30 percent before getting a break when I had to get back to work or do other adulting chores. The OLED screen displayed YouTube videos and Crunchyroll anime clearly, but it didn’t stand out significantly from other phones of the same generation.
To test the phone’s gaming performance, I played a mix of graphic-intensive and fast-paced games including Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact, League of Legends: Wild Riftand Call of Duty Warzone Mobile. Everything looked stunning, and the games ran smoothly, no stuttering or crashes. The screen also did not excessively smudge from a few hours of use too.
“One of the most solid aspects of the Google Pixel phones has been the camera.”
While everything looked good on this phone, the audio system was its biggest downfall. Sound and audio quality are very important to me. As someone who listens to a lot of music with headphones, earbuds, speakers and various other methods, I appreciate a phone that offers a great sound system. I don’t expect it to have the quality of a professional speaker or TV entertainment system, but it should still have a decent external sound build. Unfortunately, the Pixel 9 Pro fell short in this area. At maximum volume, it sounded tinny and almost had a hollow, bathroom-like echo to the treble.
It was surprising to learn that POCO’s X6 smartphone has a dual-speaker audio setup, while the Pixel 9 Pro does not. The X6 offers a semi-surround sound experience with recognizable bass and clear vocals, whether for songs or voices in a show or movie. I tinkered with different audio settings on the Pixel 9 Pro but still couldn’t get close to the X6’s quality — a phone that’s a couple of hundred dollars cheaper. For $899, I would expect Google’s Pro-series phone to deliver the best performance and entertainment possible. However, I saw where the focus went once I tried out the camera.
One of the most solid aspects of the Google Pixel phones has been the camera. Both the Pixel 9 Pro and XL models feature a wide-angle, ultrawide and telephoto lens with high-resolution quality up to 50 MP, super-res zoom up to 30x, and various special photo modes like astrophotography. From a videography perspective, both the rear and front cameras shoot up to 4K video and offer distinctive video features like the audio magic eraser and night sight video.
I explored all the different camera settings and found everything fascinating and easy to use. The Pro settings were a bit tricky to navigate at first, being a photography hobbyist and all. But what the Pixel 9 Pro can achieve as a smartphone compared to a DSLR is astounding. The vivid colours it captured were amazing, and dark scenes were enhanced to bring out light in the shadows without it feeling like the subject was overly edited in Photoshop.
The videos I recorded were breathtaking, particularly thanks to the Video Boost feature. While it did take a while for the Boost to kick in, it raised the 4K quality up to a pristine 8K. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro originally introduced the magic eraser feature with its then-newly-introduced Google Tensor chip, pushing innovation for Google phone tech. Now, the Pixel 9 Pro offers that and so much more, at a high-quality standard. The photo and video editing onboard the phone was so easy to use and contained a lot of options within the built-in editing software.
The biggest addition to the Pixel 9 lineup is its AI features, which are intended to improve many aspects of the phones. I tested Google Lens to see how accurately it could identify objects and found some relatable searches on Google Chrome. I even took pictures of obscure items, and Google Lens was still able to track them down. I was surprised to discover that it can also solve written calculations! Parents, beware of kids using this feature to cheat in math class.
At the end of the day, a smartphone should make the user’s life easier by providing convenient, reliable features that are easy to understand. I can confirm the Google Pixel 9 Pro accomplished this and more. For the next phone, Google could focus on improving the audio system. With that, I could proudly say it’s the best phone I’ve ever used. Samsung and Apple should watch out — a new challenger has appeared!
