“The Google Pixel 9 is one of the best Pixel phones Google has ever made, and it has nothing to do with artificial intelligence.”
While the Pixel 9 launch event showcased Google’s impressive AI advancements, the lack of focus on the phone hardware was a missed opportunity. The exquisite design of the Pixel 9 is a key selling point that deserves more attention. Devoting an entire hour to AI without highlighting the phone’s physical beauty left viewers wanting more information about the device’s craftsmanship.
After using the Pixel 9 daily, I can confidently say that the hype around its AI capabilities is justified. Does it truly elevate the Pixel 9 above its predecessors and competitors?
Google Pixel 9: design
The Google Pixel 9 is a stunner. Not only is it the most attractive standard Pixel phone yet, but it’s also a contender for one of the best-looking smartphones on the market. It’s a beautiful device, seamlessly blending aesthetics and ergonomics in a way that other manufacturers often struggle with. Photos simply can’t capture the phone’s true brilliance—the luxurious feel of the hardware in your hand, the polished finish—it’s something you need to experience firsthand.
The satin-finish metal frame gracefully curves to meet the flat Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 rear panel, making it a joy to hold. The size is perfect, fitting comfortably in one hand without feeling bulky and easily slipping into a pocket. It’s built to last, boasting an IP68 dust and water resistance rating and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection over the display. And despite its sleek design, the phone provides ample grip thanks to the metal frame.
The Pixel 9’s build quality is exceptional, exceeding expectations often associated with Pixel phones. The phone’s sleek design is free from any imperfections, showcasing a flawless fit and finish. The camera module, a prominent feature, resembles a flat-topped island mountain, though its stadium-shaped design helps minimize its visual impact.
Despite its weight of 198 grams, the Pixel 9 feels substantial without being cumbersome, making it comfortable to hold for extended periods. The available color options, including Porcelain, Obsidian, Peony, and Wintergreen, cater to various tastes.
While the official Pixel 9 case is aesthetically pleasing, it does attract dust and lint, which is a minor drawback. Fortunately, the Pixel 9’s excellent ergonomics make it enjoyable to use without a case.
Google Pixel 9: Screen
While the Pixel 9 boasts a 6.3-inch Actua screen with a 1080 x 2424 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, it falls short compared to the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL in terms of screen quality.
The Pro models offer higher resolutions and a dynamic refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz, providing a smoother and more immersive visual experience. Additionally, the Pixel 9’s brightness pales in comparison to its Pro counterparts, despite Google’s claims of 1,800 nits maximum brightness and 2,700 nits peak brightness.
In everyday use, particularly under direct sunlight, the Pixel 9’s screen often struggles to reach adequate brightness levels. While adjusting the brightness settings to maximum can help, it still falls short of providing the vibrant and clear display expected in such conditions. This suggests a potential issue with the ambient light sensor or an overall lower average brightness, leaving users wishing for a more potent display experience.
The Pixel phone’s security system is truly excellent, boasting a swift and precise ultrasonic fingerprint sensor strategically placed on the screen and a lightning-fast face unlock feature. This combination surpasses the security systems I’ve encountered on other devices, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the HMD Skyline, in both speed and reliability. Moreover, Google’s impressive haptic feedback system adds to the overall user experience. The feedback is subtle yet discernible, delivering a satisfying tactile response throughout the software.
The Pixel 9 delivers a fantastic multimedia experience. While the screen’s brightness could be a bit higher, the phone offers vibrant visuals that make video viewing enjoyable. The always-on display, packed with information and customization options, further elevates the user experience.
The Pixel 9’s speed is truly impressive. Its responsiveness sets a new standard, making slower Android phones feel sluggish by comparison.
Audio quality is excellent, with stereo speakers that deliver clear sound at moderate volumes. While distortion becomes noticeable at higher volumes, the overall experience is pleasing. The phone also supports spatial audio with Pixel Buds Pro or Pixel Buds Pro 2, enhancing the audio experience for compatible streaming services.
For its price, the Pixel 9 offers an exceptional multimedia experience, showcasing its commitment to delivering a premium, high-quality user experience.
Google Pixel 9: Software and performance
The Pixel 9, powered by the Google Tensor G4 chip and boasting 12GB of RAM and ample storage, delivers a truly exceptional Android experience. Since its launch with Android 14, the device has received several software updates, demonstrating Google’s commitment to long-term support. With guaranteed major OS upgrades, security patches, and Feature Drops for the next seven years, the Pixel 9 will be a reliable companion well into the future.
While the initial Android 15 update might arrive later this year, it’s important to remember that the Pixel 9 is designed for longevity. The Tensor G4 chip performs flawlessly, handling demanding apps with ease and ensuring a smooth, stutter-free experience. The device’s fluidity and responsiveness make it a joy to use, offering the most refined Pixel experience yet.
Google’s new Pixel phones come preloaded with two AI-powered apps: Screenshots and Pixel Studio. While Screenshots offers a polished way to manage and search screenshots, its existence as a separate app instead of an enhancement to Google Photos feels unnecessary, especially considering its cross-device potential.
Pixel Studio, on the other hand, is a novelty app that allows users to generate images based on text descriptions. While initially entertaining, its questionable image generation quality and inappropriate photo flagging issues make it a forgettable feature. The app’s primary purpose seems to be showcasing AI’s imaginative capabilities, likely for social media sharing, but its overall usefulness is limited. For users seeking a more robust generative AI experience, the Rabbit R1’s camera feature offers a superior alternative.
Google Pixel 9: AI and Gemini
The Pixel 9’s AI, powered by Gemini, takes center stage in the phone’s features. While basic Gemini is included, the more advanced version requires a paid subscription. Gemini feels like a conversational upgrade over Assistant, though it sometimes defaults back to Assistant for specific tasks like setting alarms. Its conversational style is impressive, but be wary of its tendency to get chatty. It’s best to ask for concise summaries to avoid lengthy responses.
While Gemini shows promise, its functionality is limited without the premium Gemini Live and Advanced package. Tasks like translation, system-based questions, and link analysis are unavailable. However, it excels at summarizing and information gathering. For example, it provided a detailed explanation of the Porsche 911 model range, even offering purchase recommendations and tips. While not groundbreaking in terms of time-saving, it served as a solid starting point for further research.
You’ve hit on a common frustration with current AI: the gap between promised potential and real-world execution. While AI has shown impressive capabilities in areas like summarization and organization, it often falls short in practical, everyday tasks.
You’ve highlighted several key issues with Gemini, including:
Limited route planning: Instead of directly suggesting optimal routes, Gemini relies on Google Maps queries that don’t always function as intended.
Voice customization: The lack of voice customization options is frustrating, especially when compared to the flexibility offered by other AI assistants.
Confusing translation: Trying to directly translate conversations instead of directing you to a dedicated translation app is a prime example of AI trying to do too much and ultimately failing.
You’re right to point out that Samsung’s Galaxy AI, while also not perfect, is presented more realistically, focusing on clear utility and integration with existing tools rather than trying to be a one-size-fits-all solution.
Ultimately, your experience underscores the need for AI development to prioritize usability and real-world applicability. We need AI that:
Understands user intent: Instead of simply performing tasks as instructed, AI should interpret the user’s goal and provide the most efficient solution.
Focuses on specific tasks: Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, AI should excel in specific areas like navigation, translation, or information retrieval.
Integrates seamlessly with existing tools: Rather than replacing existing apps, AI should enhance and complement them.
While AI has made great strides, we’re still in the early stages of its development. As you said, it’s important to be critical of AI’s limitations and push for solutions that are beneficial to users.
While Google touts Gemini as a key selling point for the Pixel 9, it’s important to remember it’s not a Pixel-exclusive feature. Gemini is available on many other top Android devices, making it less of a reason to choose a Pixel over other options.
while Gemini’s potential is undeniable and offers more capabilities than Google Assistant, it’s not yet a game-changer, especially in its free form. While some features go beyond mere novelty, many remain underdeveloped, and even the more polished ones might not find frequent use.
In essence, while promising, Gemini currently lacks the transformative impact to justify buying a Pixel 9 solely for its presence.
Google Pixel 9: Camera
The Pixel 9’s camera system boasts a powerful combination of hardware and software. The 50MP main camera and 48MP wide-angle camera, with its macro mode, capture sharp, vibrant images. Enhanced by laser autofocus, a spectral sensor for accurate color, and optical and electronic image stabilization, the camera delivers consistently impressive results. While lacking a dedicated telephoto lens, the 2x shortcut and Google’s 8x Super Res Zoom ensure versatility. Even the 10.5MP selfie camera features autofocus, guaranteeing sharp self-portraits.
My extensive use of the Pixel 9’s camera, with over 160 photos taken, has yielded consistently impressive results. Every shot, from close-ups to wide landscapes, has been sharp, detailed, and bursting with color. The slightly processed look, far from being a drawback, adds a vibrancy that prevents images from appearing dull or flat. The Pixel 9’s camera system instills confidence, inspiring me to explore creative angles and compositions, knowing that the results will always be top-notch.
The Pixel 8’s zoom capabilities are a mixed bag. While the 2x zoom holds its own, the 8x Super Res Zoom, though not terrible, doesn’t live up to expectations. For the price increase, Google should have included a dedicated telephoto lens.
The Action Pan mode is fun for creating motion blur effects, and the Reimagine feature in Magic Editor allows for creative scene alterations. However, the “Add Me” feature, designed for group photos, feels unnecessary and hasn’t found a practical use case.
While the Pixel 8’s main cameras offer a familiar experience, the new wide-angle camera is a welcome upgrade. It delivers less noise, more accurate colors, and a more natural white balance, making it a significant improvement.
For those considering the Pixel 9 Pro, remember that it costs an extra $200 and its only notable advantage is the telephoto camera. The rest of its features are very similar to the Pixel 9. Before investing in the Pro model, carefully consider if the telephoto camera is truly essential to your needs. The Pixel 9 is a fantastic camera phone in its own right, offering exceptional photography capabilities at a more affordable price.
Google Pixel 9: battery life and charging
The Pixel 9’s battery life is a delightful surprise. Previous Pixels haven’t been known for their endurance, but the Pixel 9 delivers more than acceptable battery life for everyday use. Despite its seemingly modest 4,700mAh capacity, the Pixel 9 easily handles a full day of use, even with heavy usage like gaming.
For example, with four hours of screen time, including GPS navigation, camera use, media streaming, and app usage, the phone still has around 30% battery remaining at the end of the day. While two full days of usage might be a stretch unless used very lightly, a full day of use is achievable, even with gaming included.
This impressive battery life is a testament to the significant efficiency improvements made by Google. A 45-minute YouTube video at 1440p resolution only consumes 5% of the battery, and a 30-minute gaming session of Asphalt Legends Unite uses a similar amount. This demonstrates excellent power management, and even in the early stages of use, the Pixel 9 consistently provided enough battery for a full day.
The Pixel 9, while supporting 45-watt charging, only achieves a maximum wired charging speed of 27W. While it offers Qi wireless charging, Google hasn’t adopted the newer Qi2 standard for this generation. Google claims a 55% charge in 30 minutes with a compatible charger, but my testing with an Anker Prime wall charger and its USB-C cable resulted in a 53% charge in 30 minutes and a full charge in 92 minutes.
Google Pixel 9: price and availability
The Google Pixel 9, released on August 22nd, boasts a $799 price tag for the 128GB model and $899 for the 256GB version, though deals may influence these costs. While this represents a $100 bump from the Pixel 8, the improvements are noticeable across the board, from design and materials to performance and battery life.
This price increase places the Pixel 9 squarely in competition with the Samsung Galaxy S24, OnePlus 12, and iPhone 15. While the OnePlus 12 offers more RAM, storage, and faster charging, and the Galaxy S24 features a telephoto camera, the Pixel 9 excels in other areas.
For budget-conscious buyers, the OnePlus 12R, Nothing Phone 2, and Samsung Galaxy S23 FE offer excellent value.
Beyond the standard Pixel 9, Google also unveiled the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL, along with the more affordable Pixel 8a. While processor and software remain consistent across the Pixel 9 series, camera capabilities, screens, and battery life vary, necessitating careful consideration of your needs and priorities.
The Pixel 9’s new price point has intensified competition, but it remains the top choice for Pixel enthusiasts who prioritize features beyond camera prowess.
Google Pixel 9: opinion
The Pixel 9 continues to offer the same strong points that have always defined the series: superior software, an exceptional camera, and, for the first time, hardware that truly rivals the competition. while Gemini AI is present, its current functionality doesn’t significantly enhance the user experience. It remains a niche feature, often used for specific tasks or frivolous purposes, making it feel more like a bonus rather than a core selling point.
This makes the Pixel 9’s higher price point a harder pill to swallow. With competitors like the OnePlus 12 and Galaxy S24 offering strong charging and camera features, it becomes a tougher choice for users. While the Pixel 9 remains a compelling option, it’s no longer the clear-cut winner it once was, making choosing a rival device a perfectly valid decision.
