I confess, I’ve never been a Google Pixel fan. Year after year, I’d try the latest release, only to be left disappointed. Google’s phones never felt as premium as the competition. But the Google Pixel 9 has completely changed that. It’s the best regular-sized phone I’ve ever used, and it’s finally convinced me to go all-in on Google this year, even snagging the Pixel 9 Pro.
One of my biggest frustrations with the Pixel 8 Pro was its size. I’d been waiting for Google to deliver a Pro phone without compromises, and the Pixel 9 series finally delivers. For most people, the regular Pixel 9 is the phone to buy. But if you want improvements in the display, battery, charging, and camera, the Pixel 9 Pro is the clear winner. Here’s how Google completely changed my mind about its phones.
The Pixel 9 focuses on usability. It’s rare for every phone a company releases in a single cycle to be universally acclaimed, but this year, Google has hit that mark. We’re yet to see reviews of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but our reviews of the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL are all universally positive. Every improvement Google has made has boosted the usability of each phone. The rounded curves make for a more pleasant feel in the hand, while some of Google’s AI features are quirky and incredibly useful. The Pixel 8 Pro felt childish, but the Pixel 9 series feels grown-up, mature, and outstanding. Features like Add Me are clever, intuitive, and, more importantly, fun. The Magic Editor has impressive generative AI capabilities. Made You Look will make taking photos of my 3-year-old niece easier. Reimagine and Pixel Studio will unleash your wildest imagination, at least for a while. I expected to find a flawed experience, and instead, the Pixel 9 makes the bulk of my iPhone 15 Pro Max feel unnecessary. If there was ever a phone that encapsulated an Android version of the iPhone, it is the Pixel 9 series. Little things add a sparkle to the Pixel 9 experience, which has a certain “je ne sais quoi”to it.
How Google got the Pixel 9 so right this year. Google has made three critical improvements to the Pixel 9 that impact its performance: subtle hardware changes, improvements in performance and cooling, and nifty AI features that are endless sources of fun. The size of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro is perfect. I’ve tried hundreds of phones, and none feel as good in the hand. The one that comes closest is the Samsung Galaxy S24, but the Pixel 9’s curves are more rounded and ergonomically friendly. It’s a phone you want to pick up thanks to a winning combination of practicality and usability. My primary concern with the regular Pixel 9 was the lack of a telephoto lens. I use the telephoto on phones often, and while there are times when it feels lacking on the Pixel 9, these are surprisingly few and far between. Up to 4x, the camera is good enough thanks to excellent image processing, but above this, the flaws become more noticeable. Even the battery hasn’t been a concern. At 4,700mAh, it’s smaller than the one in the Pixel 8 Pro, but lasts longer. It has a smaller Super Actua display — that’s equally excellent to its siblings — but it doesn’t feel lacking, and there’s no substitute for how friendly the size is. Google achieved what no other phone maker has been able to: a smaller Pro phone with no cutbacks.
Why the Pixel 9 Pro is probably my long-term smartphone. The only thing that lets the Pixel 9 down is the lack of a telephoto lens — it’s not even the lack of telephoto as much as the inability to zoom beyond 8x. That’s why I’ll be moving to the Pixel 9 Pro. The addition of the telephoto lens, improvements in the display and charging, and a far superior selfie camera are why I bought a Pixel 9 Pro. Then there’s Gemini Advanced. The regular Pixel 9 comes with a month’s trial to Gemini Advanced — which encompasses the best Gemini AI features — but the Pro phones come with a year for free (a very nice $240 value). Combine that with the best Pixel 9 trade-in deals, the Pixel 9 Pro is a no-brainer. Last year was the first time I switched from the Pro model to the iPhone 15 Pro Max as Apple added the 5x telephone to its biggest smartphone. The bigger iPhone was better than the smaller Pro model in many ways, but the size transition was challenging. The Pixel 9 has reminded me why I liked the smaller Pro in the first place, and the Pixel 9 Pro reinforces that, earning it a spot in my pocket — and changing my opinion of the Pixel family as a whole.
