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 improvements. The overall design of the smartphone is twice as durable as the Pixel 9 Pro, with an IP68 rating. The premium design is topped with soft-touch Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back. Like the XL model, it is available in four colors: obsidian, porcelain, honey, and rose quartz.
The phone comes with a USB-C to USB-C (USB 2.0) cable that is just 1 meter long and a SIM tray. The 45W USB-C power charger is sold separately to take full advantage of its charging capabilities. I overcame this barrier using a supercharger of the same wattage, so the results were fairly close to what was promised.
Although the Pixel 9 Pro is smaller than its XL sibling, it’s still powerful. However, the size difference is minimal – just a few extra millimeters of screen. The Pixel 9 Pro measures 152.8mm (H) x 72mm (W) x 8.5mm (D), compared to the Pixel Pro XL’s dimensions of 162.8mm x 76.6mm x 8.5mm. Both feature a smooth LTPO OLED Super Actua display, which supports frame rates from 1 to 120 Hz.
“Even though the Pixel 9 Pro is smaller than its XL sibling, it’s still powerful.”
Weight also goes up with the XL. The Pixel 9 Pro phone weighs about 199 grams, while the larger model weighs 221 grams. Compared to the previous model, the Pixel 8 Pro, the dimensions of this model were 162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm. Although the Pixel 9 Pro is a little smaller than its predecessor, it’s still nice to hold — especially with its rounded frame.
The gray rubber case provides better grip than the brushed metal frame. But don’t be fooled. The back of the phone feels great to hold and is fingerprint-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about smudges. I have tested this several times and can confirm this.
Internally, both models run on a Google Tensor G4 processor with a Titan M2 security coprocessor. Each one comes with 16GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB storage options. The batteries are very close in capacity: the Pixel 9 Pro supports 4,700 mAh versus 5,060 mAh on the XL. Both support Qi-certified fast wireless charging and battery sharing.
Battery life is essential for my long shifts and driving, where I need to keep my music and podcasts on Spotify intact. A typical full day of use brought the battery charge down to about 40%, so it lived up to an average battery life of over 24 hours. I might use GPS and listen to Spotify during the day, watch shows during downtime, play games, and listen to music at home again. I might as well scroll on social media too!
I mainly use my phone to watch YouTube, TikTok, and shows on Crunchyroll and other streaming platforms. Even after a few hours of continuous viewing, the battery level only dropped 20 to 30 percent before I had a break when I had to go back to work or do other adult tasks. The OLED screen displayed YouTube videos and Crunchyroll anime clearly, but it didn’t stand out noticeably from other phones of the same generation.
To test the phone’s gaming performance, I played a mix of graphics-intensive games and fast-paced games, including… Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact, League of Legends: Wild Riftand Call of Duty War Zone Mobile. Everything looked amazing, and games ran smoothly, without any stuttering or crashes. The screen also didn’t smudge excessively after a few hours of use.
“One of the most solid aspects of Google Pixel phones is the camera.”
While everything sounded good on this phone, the audio system was its biggest drawback. Sound and sound quality are very important to me. As someone who listens to a lot of music using headphones, earbuds, speakers, and many 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 have a decent external sound design. Unfortunately, the Pixel 9 Pro fails in this area. At maximum volume, the sound sounded small and had an almost hollow, pigeon-like echo of the treble.
It was surprising to learn that the POCO X6 smartphone has a dual audio setup, while the Pixel 9 Pro does not. The X6 delivers a near-surround sound experience with recognizable bass and clear vocals, whether for songs or voices in a show or movie. I played around with different audio settings on the Pixel 9 Pro but still couldn’t get close to the quality of the X6 — a phone a few hundred dollars cheaper. For $899, I expect the Google Pro-series phone to offer the best possible performance and entertainment. However, I saw where the focus went once I tried the camera.
One of the most solid aspects of Google Pixel phones is the camera. Both the Pixel 9 Pro and XL feature a 50MP HD wide-angle, ultra-wide and telephoto lens, up to 30x Ultra-Resolution Zoom, and several special photo modes like astrophotography. From a video shooting perspective, both the rear and front cameras shoot video at up to 4K resolution and offer premium video features like magic voice eraser and night vision video.
I explored all the different camera settings and found everything great and easy to use. The Pro settings were a little difficult to navigate at first, being a photography buff and all. But what the Pixel 9 Pro can achieve as a smartphone compared to DSLR cameras is amazing. The bright colors it captured were stunning, and dark scenes were enhanced to bring out the light in the shadows without feeling like the subject had been overly edited in Photoshop.
The videos I recorded were amazing, especially thanks to the Video Boost feature. Although it took a while for Boost to start working, it did upscale the 4K quality to native 8K. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro originally introduced the Magic Eraser feature with the newly introduced Google Tensor chip, driving innovation for Google’s phone technology. Now, the Pixel 9 Pro delivers that and much more at high-quality standards. Photo and video editing on the phone was very easy to use and has plenty of options within the built-in editing software.
The biggest addition to the Pixel 9 lineup is the AI features, which aim to improve many aspects of the phones. I tested Google Lens to see how accurately it recognized objects and found some related searches on Google Chrome. I even took pictures of mysterious things, and google lens He was still able to track them down. I was surprised to discover that it can also solve written calculations! Parents, beware of children using this feature to cheat in math class.
Ultimately, a smartphone should make the user’s life easier by providing convenient, reliable features that are easy to understand. I can confirm that the Google Pixel 9 Pro accomplished this and more. For the next phone, Google can focus on improving the audio system. So I can proudly say that it is the best phone I have ever used. Samsung and Apple should watch out – a new competitor has emerged!
