ZDNET Key Takeaways
- of Pixel 9 is Google’s latest base flagship phone, priced starting at $799.
- It comes with a new Tensor G4 processor, an updated design, a bigger battery, and a slightly higher MSRP.
- The hardware improvements over last year’s model are relatively small.
I had the opportunity to attend the Made by Google event earlier this month, and after the keynote I was excited to get hands-on with the baseline version. Pixel 9 Better than the Pro or Pro XL. Why? The accessibility of the Pixel 9 makes it a compelling device, and there are a few reasons why I recommend it.
We’ll give you a spoiler at the beginning of this review, but it’s true: Google’s new entry-level flagship, the Pixel 9, starts at $799 ($100 more than last year’s version) and, while it has slightly improved hardware over the Pixel 8, it’s still an impressive phone overall. It has a new design, slightly upgraded performance, a slightly better camera, a slightly bigger battery, and a ton of new AI features.
Google is positioning the Pixel 9 as the default Android alternative to the iPhone 15 (soon to be the iPhone 16), and one of the reasons for that is that the Pixel 9 looks just like the iPhone 15. Google has given the entire Pixel 9 series flat sides with rounded corners, making them look as if they were made in a design lab in Cupertino. The good thing is that these phones look and feel great.
Plus: Everything Made by Google 2024 announced: Pixel 9 Pro, Fold, Gemini, Watch 3, and more
In fact, the Pixel 9 is my favorite looking Pixel phone to date. The Pixel 9 has a particularly unique feel to it, with a nice cool, premium feel in your hand. It has aluminum sides and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back. The whole phone is IP68-rated for water and dust resistance, and it’s just the right size for one-handed operation.
Another defining feature of the Pixel is its great display. The Pixel 9 has a 6.3-inch Actua display, which is a tenth of an inch larger than the Pixel 8. With a crisp 2424 x 1080 resolution, an OLED panel, and a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, the Pixel 9 delivers great visuals whether you’re reading an email or watching your favorite movie. This year, the screen brightness reaches up to 2,700 nits, making it one of the brightest Android phones you can buy.
I also traded in my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for a Pixel 9 Pro XL for a week and did not regret it.
Performance also feels better. With the new Tensor G4 processor, 12GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of storage, the Pixel 9 is phenomenal. It’s one of the most responsive Android phones I’ve used this year. And that’s just on the standard version of the phone.
The camera is also great. Google kept the same 50MP main camera as last year, but replaced the old 12MP ultra-wide camera with a new 48MP 123-degree camera. Photos taken with the phone are simply stunning, and Google’s post-processing algorithms do a good job of retaining detail and contrast. Video quality is also very good, especially with the company’s Video Boost technology. The phone easily rivals devices costing over $200 more.
The only drawback to the hardware is that the Pro phone comes with a new 42MP camera, whereas the Pro has a lower quality 10.5MP selfie camera, and because the Pro has an extra telephoto camera, you don’t get the same zoom quality as the regular Pixel 9.
When it comes to the AI features of this phone, Google has packed quite a bit into the Pixel 9. Not only does the company’s Gemini chatbot come standard, but thanks to the Tensor G4 processor, it also comes with Gemini Live, which you can have an actual conversation with.
Additionally, Android 15’s Gemini overlay feature can answer questions about anything on your screen.
It requires a Google One AI premium subscription, but is free if you buy a Pixel 9. I asked it a bunch of web-search-like questions (“What’s the best place to live near NYC that’s relatively affordable?” and “How many stars are there in the sky, or in the galaxy?”) and it answered them all with ease, even when my voice was interrupted. It’s still in its early stages, but it’s an exciting technology that could change the way we use smartphones.
You also get features like “Add Me,” which lets you take a photo of a friend and have them take a photo of you at the same location, then merge the two together so no one gets left behind. I tried this feature out during testing, and it worked surprisingly well. The Magic Editor for framing photos also has some nice updates.
Google has also introduced two new AI-powered apps to the Pixel 9 series: Pixel Screenshots and Pixel Studio. The former helps you organize your screenshots and search with AI prompts, making it easy to look up information like Wi-Fi passwords or recipes.
The latter, on the other hand, lets you generate images on the fly and customize them with text, stickers, and other effects.I had fun using both apps in my limited testing time, but I’ll have to try them out in the long term to see if they’re worth it.
Plus, the cameras on Pixel phones were already the best, but these new features make them even better.
Battery life felt pretty good. It has a 4,700mAh cell inside that should last you all day and even more on a single charge, meaning you won’t have to worry about this phone’s battery even after a long day. Google has built 45W charging support into the Pixel 9 series, which is great, but you’ll need to buy a separate wall adapter to take advantage of it. Additionally, there’s 15W wireless charging (note that it’s not Qi2) and 5W reverse wireless charging, called “Battery Share.”
ZDNET BUYING ADVICE
If you have a budget of $800, I can’t recommend it enough. Google’s Pixel 9Sure, the Samsung Galaxy S24 is a tough contender, but I’d say this is the better buy: you get access to handy new AI features, and you get all the perks of the Pixel experience, including better software, display quality, and cameras.
The Pro and Pro XL versions of the Pixel 9 may be flashier, but the baseline version of Google’s flagship smartphone is not to be overlooked.
