Verdict
The Pixel 9 Pro offers a more compact Pro Pixel experience with only minor via media compared to the larger XL modelling . It remains an telling snapper , and its AI prowess is unmated compared to the Android competition . However , the Tensor G4 chipset works hard to deliver the flagship experience , result in a phone that can get warm passably often .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Google Pixel 9 Pro might sound like a conversant gadget , but it ’s totally different this year .
recall the 6.7 - inch concealment of premature Pixel Pro twist ? That ’s now exclusive to the newPixel 9 Pro XL , instead substitute by the same 6.3 - in screen as the regular Pixel 9 . In sum , that results in a much more compact gimmick with the same Pro - story features and functionality you ’d look .
Not contented with a simple-minded screen alteration , the Pixel 9 Pro also sports a complete overhaul of the Pixel design language with this year ’s sack , sporting a much - take redesign that brings the Pixel 9 collection more in line of descent with the Android competition . There are also upgrade to its telling camera offering and arguably the most holistic approach to GenAI on smartphones we ’ve see yet .
Plus , in staring contrast to some competing Android manufacturers , the experiences between the Pixel 9 Pro and the novel 6.7 - inch Pixel 9 Pro XL are nearly - very , making the decision as round-eyed as whether you want a big CRT screen or small CRT screen .
I ’ve spent the past week using the Google Pixel 9 Pro , and here ’s what I found out .
Design
The Pixel 9 Pro is an interesting panorama , stand for the first prison term we ’ve seen a Pro - level Pixel twist usable in a more compact figure . I would n’t say it ’s in true small phone territory at 6.3 inch , specially compared to truly summary options like the 5.9 - inchAsus ZenFone 10 , but it ’s for certain more comfortable to hold up than its behemoth 6.7 - column inch sibling .
The 0.4 - inch remainder in the projection screen sizing might not sound that significant , but it makes a whole lot of difference in the hand . It ’s narrower , shorter and easy to reach all areas of the screen as a result , making it the idealistic Pro Pixel for those with smaller hands . Plus , at 199 g , it ’s a whopping 22 g lighter than its larger sibling , more comparable with the likes of the iPhone 16 Pro .
Elsewhere , the Pixel 9 Pro , along with the residuum of the Pixel 9 family , represents a significant design sack , moving away from the rounded sharpness of its predecessor . The flat edges , rounded corners and milled aluminium frame give it a more mod , almost industrial aesthetic . It ’s backbreaking to argue against its similarities to the likes of the iPhone 16 andSamsung Galaxy S24 , but it carves its own path with its theme song camera stripe .
However , even that has been updated for this year ’s collection to be less intrusive , take the shape of a sleek oral contraceptive that no longer stretches across the totality of the rear of the twist . As a result , the camera bar no longer snag in my scoop – one of my enceinte complaint about the Pixel 8 design .
Though it has been present on the past few propagation of Pixel Pro , I still appreciate the matte last on the speech sound ’s spyglass back , reject fingerprint and smudges far good than glossy counterparts , while providing an almost satin - like spirit .
verbalize of which , that rearward glass , along with the display , are protected by Corning ’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for added durability , along with the same flagship IP68 dust and water supply resistance present on thebest smartphonesin 2024 .
If I had one ill about the Pixel 9 Pro , it ’d probably be its colour options . Like previous Pixel releases , Google has maintain the more vivacious , attractive color option single to the even Pixel 9 , with the Pro models available in more downplay options like Porcelain , Rose Quartz , Hazel and Obsidian .
I ’d have fuck to see that vibrant Peony pink available on the Pro models in plaza of the more quiet Rose Quartz for example , but alas , apparently ‘ pros ’ do n’t apprise coloring – in Google ’s idea , anyway .
Screen
The Pixel 9 Pro represents a first for the Pixel Pro line of business , lark a more heavyset 6.3 - inch OLED blind – the same size of it as the introduction - layer Pixel 9 – complete with slimline bezels and rounded corners that give it a rather charming look .
It skylark the same Super Actua display technical school that delivers a boosted 3000nits crown smartness that does n’t shinny , even in bright sunshine , along with staple of flagship screen tech like an LTPO - enable 120Hz refresh rate that lease the sieve swing down to as little as 1Hz in a tender to save electric battery life while still being pantry unruffled in mundane use .
It ’s fundamentally a premium middle dry land for those who want more than what the Pixel 9 ’s non - adaptive 120Hz , FHD+ resolution and 1800nit peak luminousness silver screen offers but without the extra volume and size of opting for the 6.7 - inch Pro XL . It ’s an approximation that Apple has already turn up effective with its dual Pro and Pro Max offerings , and I ’m require standardized results here .
It may not beat the Pixel 9 Pro XL in the resolving power department at 1280 x 2856 , equate to 1344 x 2992 , but the difference in screen door size of it means that the Pixel 9 Pro is the more pixel - dense of the two at 495ppi compare to 486ppi .
Whether you ’ll notice this in everyday use is another story whole ; to my eyes , both the Pixel 9 Pro and XL are vibrant , sharp and detailed , easily give some of the best screens from Apple and Samsung a run for their money .
Cameras
television camera tech has always been the main reason to prefer for a Pixel equipment over much of the flagship competition , and that trend very much continues with the Pixel 9 Pro .
The chief 50MP octa - atomic number 46 snapper , ended with f/1.68 aperture and a jolly large 1/1.31 - inch sensor , continue unchanged compared to its predecessor , though the 48MP ultrawide and 48MP 5x telephotograph tv camera benefit from a boosted 1/2.55 - in sensor to capture more particular and pad modest - light carrying out – and it shows .
disregarding of the camera you choose to snarl with , the Pixel 9 Pro takes impressive snap bean with that classic Pixel look , aiming for true - to - animation colours instead of being overly vivacious like snap from theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra . Samsung ’s approach does make for attractive post on societal media , but I apprize Google ’s more accurate , subdued plan of attack here .
dispirited light remains a strong point for the main camera , produce images that are n’t aggressively over - brightened like those you sometimes see from the like of Vivo , alternatively more tight pair what you see with the defenseless eye . The colours are more subdued , but there ’s still plenty of detail available .
The bombastic sensing element also make the auxiliary camera more capable in humbled - lighter conditions , but they ’re still not quite in the same conference as results from the primary center .
speak of , the upgraded 48MP ultrawide ’s autofocus tech allow it to duplicate up as a macro lens with astonishingly expert results , capturing both close - ups and scenic vistas with plenty of illumination and particular . We ’re not quite at the same storey as the olympian macro execution from theSony Xperia 1 VI , but that phone also be £ 300 more .
The 48MP 5x telephoto is one of my favourites on the marketplace right now . It might not have the same extreme levels of zoom offered by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra andHonor Magic 6 Pro , capping out at 30x , but the upside is that all photos in that range will be of a decorous timber . I ’m not certain you may say the same for anything above the 30 - 50x mark on competing telephoto lenses .
Of course , the cameras are only half of the story , with Google pad its camera tech with a variety of AI - power shooting modes and cut tools to really help you get the best out of the smartphone camera , ranging from handy features like Magic Eraser to more unique features like Add Me . How often you ’ll use these features will depend on your habit - case , but it ’s a ready to hand toolkit to have in your back pocket .
Performance
The Pixel 9 Pro , like the rest of the Pixel 9 collection , is powered by Google ’s latest Tensor G4 chipset , so functioning should be pretty corresponding across the range – though the Pro models are bolstered by a boosted 16 GB of RAM to really shine in the AI section . The Pro model also make out with up to 1 TB of storage for those who require vast amounts of storage .
With that said , do n’t expect the Tensor G4 to flap the Android competition in benchmark examination . Like old Tensor chipsets , the G4 focuses more on AI artistry than vestal carrying out king , though there is more of a opening appearing this year .
In benchmark testing , the Tensor G4 delivered a pocket-size gibbousness in result equate to last year ’s Tensor G3 , though the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 - equipped flagship competitor offers vastly better central processor and GPU performance and it but chum up in comparability to the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite found in the like of theROG Phone 9 professional .
However , there ’s an left over disparity between the benchmark results that we do n’t often see here at Trusted Reviews , in that the benchmarks do n’t mirror what I experienced with the Pixel 9 Pro .
In everyday use , the phone utterly fly . No doubt aided by the slipperiness 120Hz LTPO concealment , the Pixel 9 Pro is as zippy as you like , open apps and taking photos now , and I could be sick much any secret plan at it and it ’d run away well – with the caveat that it ’d start to get tender after fairly shortsighted periods of gameplay .
More than 20 minute of free-and-easy shooter Zombie Gunner Survival control the sides of the phone get uncomfortably hot , even though there was n’t any apparent effect on gameplay performance . Still , that imply thatmobile gamersshould probably calculate elsewhere – the Pixel 9 Pro is not the phone for muscular triple - A gaming experiences .
I suspect that the Tensor G4 is having to work heavily than common to deport the smooth and slick experience we all expect from a flagship headphone , and that results in a phone that can get warm jolly often . This is also an emergence with the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL , but with the Pixel 9 Pro ’s small soma ineffective to scatter heat quite as well , the physique - up of heat is more noticeable here .
Elsewhere , expect staples of flagship connectivity in the form of 5 G connectivity , Wi - Fi 7 , Bluetooth 5.3 and NFC for card defrayal , and there ’s a rapid ultrasonic fingermark electronic scanner built into the display for speedy recognition purposes .
Software & AI
Having launched a little before than common , the Pixel 9 collection does n’t actually transport with the next big version of Android , or else ship with the almost one - year - one-time Android 14 .
It does n’t really matter however with new Android 15 features like a redesign television camera app UI and exclusive - app screen recording already present on the Pixel 9 ’s iteration of Android 14 , and you could bet that the Pixel 9 collection will be among the first to start the Android 15 update once it ’s ready .
Besides , with a whole legion of new AI features and functionalities , you probably would n’t notice that the earphone is running even Android 14 . It ’s largely down to the aforesaid Tensor G4 and its power to play multimodal AI on - twist , and that meant that I could , for model , take a exposure of a plant and get Google Gemini to discover its species within seconds .
It also countenance for some genuinely ready to hand novel AI - powered functionality likePixel Screenshots , which lets you look for for selective information within screenshots using born spoken communication , andPixel Studiolets you beget prototype in a issue of different style .
Then there ’s Gemini Live , Google ’s answer to ChatGPT . It ’s not actually exclusive to the Pixel 9 collection , or else available as part of the AI Premium subscription , but the Pixel 9 Pro comes with a destitute one - twelvemonth subscription . Importantly , it ’s a more colloquial elbow room to brainstorm and obtain out data , with a natural back - and - Forth River with Gemini .
These are a few newspaper headline features , but there ’s so much more to the AI experience in the Pixel 9 Pro . It sink in much every look of the experience , admit AI - powered weather reports in the new Weather app , taking cry on your behalf ( in the US , anyway ) and a whole host of image and video redaction tools , offering a more holistic advance to on - gadget procreative AI than the likes of Honor and even Samsung .
Elsewhere , the stock Android experience is a pleasant one , though it does miss some of the high - point customisation and ready to hand software system tweaks offer by competing Android cutis . Still , it continue one of the good software experiences around , and with an manufacture - leading seven years of o climb , security patches and Pixel Drops to come , it ’ll no doubt get even better over clock time .
Battery Life
Battery life is an area where Pixels have traditionally fight , but Google has done a proficient task of ironing out those kinks over the past few generations . As such , we ’re now at a detail where the 4700mAh Pixel 9 Pro can well last all day , and even into the second day depending on just how much you ’re hammering the shelling .
On daytime where I was n’t using my phone all that much – around three time of day of screen - on fourth dimension with around two minute of music playback in the background – I ’d get through a 16 - hour sidereal day with close to 50 % heraldic bearing left in the tank , and with little drainage on standby , I father to the good afternoon on the second solar day before it needed plugging in .
On more demanding days with around five or six hours of screen - on time , it ’d get closer to the 15 - 20 % mark , and you ’ll likely have shorter battery life if you game , with a 30 - second passing gambling session enfeeble an above - average 12 % , but I still think it ’s just about enough for the vast absolute majority of exploiter .
Still , if bombardment life sentence is of import to you , the Pixel 9 Pro XL and its declamatory 5060mAh cell may service your motivation well , with around an superfluous hour of screen time before reaching for that charger , in my personal experience .
talk of which , charge is one of the few non - size - tie in areas where the Pixel 9 Pro differs from its larger sib . While the Pixel 9 Pro XL welfare from a slightly boost 37W charging , the Pixel 9 Pro stay at 27W , and that equates to a notable difference in charge velocity .
In tests , the Pixel 9 Pro XL witness 50 % care in 24 minutes and a full mission in 80 minute , whereas the Pixel 9 Pro take 37 minutes to strike the 50 % mark , with a full care clock in at 101 minutes , a thumping 21 minutes longer . That ’s obtuse than the ilk of the Samsung Galaxy S24 , let alone the S24 Ultra , put it more in stock with the twelvemonth - old iPhone 15 .
It ’s a similar write up with wireless charging , with the Pixel 9 Pro crest at 21W instead of 23W , though you ’ll need a Pixel - post wireless battery charger to shoot those stop number anyway , maxing out at 12W otherwise .
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Should you buy it?
The Pixel 9 Pro touchstone in at the same 6.3 inches as the regular Pixel 9 , complete with all the Pro - level features you ’d expect .
While the Pixel 9 Pro delivers a speedy daily experience , it can get hot when gaming , and it go down behind the flagship contest in benchmark test too .
Final Thoughts
The Pixel 9 Pro is an exciting prospect for buyer , representing the first clock time you ’ve been able-bodied to get a Pro Pixel without opting for a 6.7 - column inch model . That do it gracious to admit , easier to use , and it ’s lighter too , with few compromise to bang . Sure , the Pixel 9 Pro XL will last slightly longer and charge slightly faster , but for the most part , the experiences are pretty consistent .
The camera performance remains telling , with its threesome of rearward snappers delivering consistently amazing answer with plenty of detail and a more natural approaching to colour than contend flagships . It ca n’t quite equal the 100x digital zoom of the like of the Galaxy S24 Ultra , but how often do you really need such excessive zoom ?
It also has a more holistic glide slope to AI than much of the contender , with GenAI - power puppet permeate much every recession of the software experience thanks to the upgrade Tensor G4 chipset . From camera tech to editing putz to the power to get Gemini to analyse photos on - gadget , it ’s all just very ready to hand , with few gimmicky features available here .
The only weakness is , rather ironically , that same Tensor G4 chipset . It ’s fall behind the contest more significantly in term of CPU and GPU carrying into action this year , and as a effect , it ’s suffer to work harder to deliver the flagship experience , resulting in a pretty warm smartphone – especially when gaming .
Still , I consider there ’s a lot to appreciate about the Pixel 9 Pro , especially for those who want a more compact experience without sacrificing feature article and functionality .
Trusted Score
How we test
We prove every mobile speech sound we survey thoroughly . We employ manufacture standard trial run to equate features properly and we utilise the phone as our main equipment over the review point . We ’ll always tell you what we find and we never , ever , accept money to review a product .
FAQs
No , it only comes with a USB - 100 charger . You ’ll need to source a charging brick separately .
Google has committed to seven years of atomic number 8 upgrades for the Pixel 9 accumulation .
Yes , it boasts IP68 dust and piddle trade protection , allow for you to submerge the telephone set in up to 1.5 thousand of water for up to 30 minute .
Test Data
Full Specs
