I had the opportunity to attend Google’s recent Made by Google event, at which the company announced the full Pixel 9 lineup and new wearables. During that event, Google laid out its vision for AI, which includes both cloud-based and on-device AI capabilities, focusing on the Pixel 9 series. Google also announced that the entire Pixel 9 Pro series will get Gemini Advanced AI for free for a year. (That offer may be available only to new Gemini Advanced customers; I wasn’t given the chance to extend my subscription for another year on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.) Gemini is a major focal point for Google along with other AI capabilities, so we’ll look at those as part of this review. We’ll also assess the device’s hardware, design and user experience.
Pixel 9 — The Entry-Level Flagship
With every Google Pixel launch, the initial lineup starts with the base model, Pro models and this year a Pro Fold model. I believe that Google has built a pretty comprehensive lineup that satisfies most users, with products ranging from $800 to $1,800. (I do think there is a big gap between $1,200 and $1,800 that could potentially be filled with a Pixel Pro Flip.) However, Google has now released a lower-cost series, which we can expect in mid-2025, under the Pixel 9a name. That device will offer an even more affordable version of the Pixel 9 and will likely strip out some of the features to hit its price point.
For the sake of this review, I will primarily be comparing the Pixel 9 to my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. This isn’t an entirely fair comparison; the Pixel 9 Pro XL would be a better fit, but that’s not what Google gave me at the Pixel event to test. I will keep this disparity in mind with my comparisons below, and accept that something like a 5x telephoto on the Pixel 9 Pro would be a nice-to-have rather than a must-have. I will also take into account that the Pixel 9 is only $800. I have also used the base-model Galaxy S24, but I didn’t use that anywhere near as much as I use the S24 Ultra daily.
Pixel 9 Build Quality And Design
The Pixel 9 looks and feels premium. Nobody will ever mistake it for an iPhone, at least visually, thanks to the unique visor-like camera bump. That said, holding the Pixel 9 in my hand, it feels like an iPhone, which is a compliment because Apple’s build quality is impeccable. To me, this is the first generation for which the Pixel feels like an iPhone in the hand, which may be a good thing for Google since I believe that Pixel is one of the few smartphones with a chance to lure iPhone users to Android.
The camera bump, which is commonly referred to as the visor, is an evolution of the Pixel 6, Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 camera bars. I personally preferred the Pixel 6 design, and I’m glad to see the Pixel 9 move a bit back in that direction while still maintaining a unique look. I like it that the visor allows the phone to be set down on a table without wobbling. I also appreciate it that the brilliant designers at Google made it so that the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are physically the same—with only an internal camera added—so that case makers can create one design that fits both phones. I cannot say such good things about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which I think has a confusing design, limited by the folding hinge and how much space it takes up.
The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are the perfect size in my hand, and I could absolutely see the Pixel 9 Pro as the perfect phone for many power users. I love that Google finally went with an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor from Qualcomm, which is more secure and, in my opinion, more robust than an optical sensor. That said, I’m disappointed that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold doesn’t also have it, and that the regular Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro don’t use this sensor for unlock-to-wake like the Samsung S24 series does.
Pixel 9 Specs And Comparisons
The Pixel 9 is quite impressive on its own across many different specs, but the one thing that’s continuous across the entire line is that every model features the Tensor G4 processor. Much has been said about the Tensor G4 in terms of performance and benchmarks, but Google seems unbothered by the criticisms. I do believe that the G4, like many of its predecessors, is holding back the phone in terms of battery life, connectivity and experience. Google uses Tensor so it can retain roadmap control, and the expectation is that Google may go with fully custom chips next year. Even so, the Tensor G4 feels like only a minor improvement over the G3. It is really designed to ensure that Google’s on-device AI model, Gemini Nano, runs smoothly. That said, I believe the 12GB of RAM on the Pixel 9 is a bigger factor inhibiting performance. (The Pro series comes with 16GB.)
Getting away from the Tensor G4, Pixel ships with 128GB of storage standard, expandable to 256GB. The display is a variable 120-hertz 6.3-inch Actua (Google’s own display branding) with a very bright 1800-nit display with 2700 nits of peak brightness. Unsurprisingly, this is an OLED display with 422 PPI based on a 2424 x 1080 resolution. The battery in both the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro is 4700 mAh, which is decent for this size of device. The phone also supports up to 45-watt fast charging, which is good but not necessarily great, as well as Qi wireless charging. Google missed an opportunity to support Qi2 and magnetic alignment, which would have enabled the phone to piggyback on Apple’s ecosystem and enhance the user wireless charging experience.
Many people make the camera a point of contention, but I think Google did a pretty good job with a 50MP wide-angle camera and a 48MP ultrawide camera, both of which have very wide f/1.7 apertures. Both cameras also have Quad PD (phase detection), which will help with low-light performance when the sensors bin down to 12MP, sampling four pixels at a time to get more data. Unfortunately for the Pixel 9, it only has a 10MP front-facing camera, while the Pro models (but not the Pro Fold) have 42MP sensors.
For connectivity, the phone has a USB-C 3.2 port along with support for dual SIM for 5G connectivity. Speaking of 5G, all the U.S. models have mmWave 5G support, which is great on carriers like Verizon but isn’t available outside of the United States. There is also Wi-Fi 7 across the entire line of Pixels, which is a smart and very future-looking move by Google to embrace a great technology. The Pixel 9 series also has UWB (ultra-wideband) for location and security features, which can help you find lost items or your phone.
As far as cellular performance, I didn’t notice any significant performance differences for Qualcomm’s modems on Verizon or T-Mobile’s networks. Verizon graciously supplied me with a test line to review the Pixel 9, and it was a very positive experience. It allowed me to go around town taking pictures and uploading them without any issue. The mmWave antenna is visibly on the top of the phone, so if you are ever using it on Verizon, best to make sure it’s pointing outward and not blocked from seeing a 5G mmWave cell site.
Overall, the Pixel 9 has a great design and pretty good specs. I can’t help but think that the Pro model is a worthy upgrade because of the added RAM, improved cameras and video features based on those cameras. For example, the SuperRes Zoom on the Pixel 9 is limited to 8x, while it goes up to 30x on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL. The Pixel 9 Pro model also has 8K video, Night Sight Video and Video Boost features that are all possible thanks to the better hardware.
Software, Gemini And Camera
Google does not follow the concept that a camera’s hardware is the only way it can deliver a good photography experience, so it makes its cameras, AI and software effectively interchangeable. However, it is quite clear that some software features heavily depend on the system’s AI capabilities. Another thing to consider is that the Pixel ships with Android 14 rather than 15, which is supposed to be even more AI-focused. I will start with Gemini Live, which has improved my opinion of Gemini overall, and I really enjoy the conversational aspect of using AI that it brings. Gemini Live is a more conversational approach to using Gemini Advanced. It is available on Pixel devices as well as Samsung’s S24 Ultra and Moto’s latest Razr+; I have both of these devices and enjoy using Gemini Live and Gemini Advanced on them.
Outside of Gemini, many of Google’s AI capabilities show up when you’re taking or editing photos with features such as Add Me, Auto Frame or Reimagine in the Magic Editor function. Google also added Night Sight into Panoramas, which is probably one of my favorite in-camera AI features—and has resulted in some of the most gorgeous photos I’ve taken to date.
In general, the Pixel 9’s camera has left me very happy with the results and made me feel like it was the perfect camera for trying to capture intimate moments with my 8-month-old while she moves around faster than most cameras can keep up with. I have taken and edited numerous photos with the Pixel 9 that will forever be cherished, thanks to the fast and detailed camera. That said, the Portrait mode, while it is very popular and liked by many, still struggles with fine hair details at the edge.
I also enjoyed playing with some of the generative AI features such as Pixel Studio and Magic Editor, but I didn’t feel like they were crucial in my day-to-day usage. Many of the best AI features are already available on most Google and Android phones, such as Magic Eraser and Circle to Search. I did make a very cute photo of my daughter flying in the clouds like a cherub, which may have been the most useful I’ve found Magic Editor to be. The Screenshots app didn’t come off as very useful for me because I feel like you need to be using the phone for a while to really gain the benefits of having lots of screenshots over a lot of time with lots of context.
The only thing missing from the Pixel 9 is a proper telephoto, which you can get in the Pixel 9 Pro or Pro XL. It makes sense that Google would save the higher-end camera features for the Pro line, but as someone who’s used to having a telephoto, I still miss having it. That said, the camera remains genuinely one of the best I’ve ever used on a smartphone, and I think most people will be very happy with its daylight and low-light photography. Even the video looks really good, although Google doesn’t seem to have a powerful enough ISP in the G4 to enable 4K60 HDR, which is my preferred video format on the S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max. I believe this may be because Google phones have struggled with overheating from video recording in the past, but again, that’s a silicon/ISP issue more than anything else.
The Best Pixel Ever
I believe that the Pixel 9 is, in almost every way, the best Pixel Google has ever made. I’ve been a Google Pixel user since the first generation and have enjoyed seeing the brand grow and the quality improve. I think Google has done an exceptional job on the hardware and software, even though I also believe there’s a lot more room for improvement in AI utility.
This phone would probably be even better if it had a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, and I believe that most aficionados outside of Google would agree. For the next generation, I hope that Google will implement 4K60 HDR video as a standard feature and continue to up the ante on the camera with better low-light performance and even sharper and more high-resolution images. I’m currently using the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as my next review device, so that will be an interesting comparison to draw.
