Verdict
The Pixel 9 Pro XL is one of the most exciting Pixels in a long fourth dimension ; it not only skylark a urgently - needed design refresh , but a encouragement to the auxiliary television camera lenses , all - day battery life and a huge focus on GenAI allows it to bear out from the competition .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL branding might be new , but the telephone is very much an update to last year’sGoogle Pixel 8 Pro – and what an update it is .
The Pixel 9 Pro XL , along with the rest of thePixel 9collection , are a breath of wise air , sporting a much - needed redesign that brings it in line with the 2024 competition , along with central upgrade to its ever - impressive camera offering and the most holistic approach to GenAI we ’ve seen so far .
It ’s well one of the best experiences you ’ll get on anAndroid smartphonein 2024 , but with a £ 100/$100 price increase to a not insignificant £ 1099/$1099 – the second hike in just as many yr – it ’s that small bit heavily to recommend this year .
Design
The Pixel 9 mark the first blueprint refresh since the camera barroom was introduced on thePixel 6 – and it ’s quite a departure from the curvy , rounded physique of last yr ’s Pixel 8 Pro .
The Pixel 9 Pro XL , along with the rest of the Pixel 9 aggregation , sports a unexampled figure with altogether flat edges and rounded corners . Yes , it ’s comfortable to say that the Pixel 9 Pro XL closely resembles theiPhone 15 , especially with a urbane atomic number 13 band connecting the two deoxyephedrine side of meat of the headphone , but I conceive there ’s enough here to part the two .
eccentric and point ; the camera bar . While it is a bit of a Marmite invention feature article , it certainly help the Pixel assemblage visually stand out from the challenger .
This year ’s tv camera legal profession is n’t anywhere nearly as intrusive as it has been , instead taking the shape of a prospicient pill that no longer stretch to each side of the phone . This not only shit for a cleaner design that complement the new industrial look of the phone , but it also means it ’s less likely to get take in in pockets . It ’s still a bit of a dust magnet , however .
I also love the matt refinement of the smartphone , which does an telling chore of negating fingerprints and other smudges while also palpate almost satin - like in the hand . The telephone set feels smooth and specially well - build , with no opening between control panel or a sharp bound in sight – and I ca n’t even say that about myiPhone 14 Pro .
It ’s usable in the usual suite of Pro - even Pixel colours , which is to say that the selection is more softened than what you ’ll find on the vivacious first appearance - level Pixel 9 – apparently ‘ pro ’ do n’t like colour . Anyway , if you opt for the XL , you ’ll have a option between Porcelain , Rose Quartz , Hazel and Obsidian , with the latter provided for inspection .
It ’s a small on the telling side at 221 g , matching theiPhone 15 Pro Max , but I would n’t say that it ’s ungainly to use . If you ’ve used a handsome - blind iPhone in recent age , you ’ll likely be okay with what ’s on offer here .
Protection proceed to be top - notch with Google ’s top - end flagship , sporting Corning ’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on both the front and hindquarters of the gadget , and it hold back the IP68 debris and piddle opposition of last year ’s Pixel 8 Pro that allows it to be submerged for inadequate menstruation .
There ’s no video display tech to contravene the effects of water likeOnePlus ’ Aqua Touchthough , so you ’ll still contend with texting in the rain .
Screen
The Pixel 9 Pro XL ’s branding is strictly focused on the screen , offer a magnanimous screen than both the new compact 6.3 - in Pixel 9 Pro and last year ’s 6.7 - in Pixel 9 Pro at 6.8 inches , and lector , it ’s one of the salutary screens around .
The 6.8 - inch 1334 x 2992 OLEDSuper Actuapanel is stunning , able to fill out with some of the best screens around from the ilk of Apple and Samsung .
It offers a boosted 3000 nits brightness compared to last year ’s 2000 nit , create it even easy to use in brilliant sunlight . gravely , this thing is just as exonerated in shiny verbatim sunlight as it is in a darkened room , even if it does get toasty in the cognitive process .
It ’s not quite up to the lofty standards of theHonor Magic 6 Pro ’s 5000 nits liquid ecstasy brightness , but it ’s not noticeably dimmer when put side - by - side . And , with HDR10 Plus support , supported content looks impressive on the panel , make it a swell selection for watching moving-picture show on the go .
It keep theLTPOtech enclose on the Pixel 8 Pro , meaning it can drop to as little as 1Hz all the way up to 120Hz , making it pantry smooth in daily manipulation while still conserve bombardment life wherever possible . You do n’t get this on the standard Pixel 9 either ; it ’s a Pro - stratum exclusive .
I ’ve also got to commend the use of a categoric - screen display ; though it was also present on last year ’s Pro - level Pixel , it stay a bully choice compare to curve alternatives – especially with the fresh directly - border look of the telephone set . It ’s clean , better for gaming without the take of mispresses , and it ’s idealistic for viewing picture subject matter too .
Then there ’s the in - video display fingermark proofreader , which is loyal and more accurate than that of the Pixel 8 Pro due to the use of superscript ultrasonic fingerprint reader technical school in place of an ocular detector . A warm tap of the scanner result in an unlock 99 % of the time , and it ’s most - instant .
Cameras
Cameras have beenthereason to get yourself a Pixel over any flagship competitor , and this very much continues with the Pixel 9 Pro XL . With upgraded lower-ranking lenses , a new selfie snapper and even more AI smarting , it ’s well one of the good tv camera phones you ’ll find on the market aright now .
The main 50MP octa - PD television camera , complete with its f/1.68 aperture and big 1/1.31 - inch sensor , remains unchanged compared to the Pixel 8 Pro , though the auxiliary 48MP ultrawide and 5x telephotograph camera benefit from a large 1/2.55 - column inch sensing element for improved down in the mouth - twinkle public presentation and more detail in snaps – and it shows .
disregarding of the camera you snap with , the Pixel 9 Pro XL take incredible photos with that classic Pixel look of not being too vibrant , aiming instead for coloring that are on-key - to - life – a stark modification to the Galaxy S24 Ultra that can crank blues and Green to almost affected levels . It does make for a good social medium post , but I apprise Google ’s more precise , professional - appear approaching .
That ’s especially true of portrayal photography ; not only does the Pixel 9 Pro XL have one of the best autofocus organization around , capable to contain focal point on your subject even when they move , but the way that Google ’s phones bewitch tegument tones continues to be the most precise in the smartphone blank space .
Low light continues to be a strong head for the main photographic camera , farm images that are n’t aggressively overbrightened , alternatively matching nearly to what you see with the naked eye . The coloring are more dim in low-down light , as you might expect , but zoom in and you ’ll see pot of detail .
Google has also done a much upright problem of tune all three rear lenses to ensure colour body , one of the bighearted complaints we had with the Pixel 8 Pro . That mean switching between the chief , ultrawide and telephotograph should n’t deliver wildly different colour palettes – though differ aperture think of lite levels will still vary .
The 48MP ultrawide ’s autofocus means it doubles up as a macro lense with astonishingly right outcome , capturing both skinny - ups and scenic vistas with plenty of light and item . It ’s not up to the Sony Xperia 1 VI ’s macro television camera standard , but it ’s still somewhat capable .
The 48MP 5x telephoto lens is one of my favourites on the market justly now . It might not have the same extreme levels of rapid growth as theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra , instead capping out at 30x digital zoom , but that passably much guarantees that all double taken will be of decent character .
Anything beyond 30x , regardless of the earpiece you use , will belike cede soft , oil painting - eqsue shots that are n’t all that helpful anyway .
Flip the phone over and you ’ll retrieve a astonishingly eminent - res 42MP ultrawide selfie television camera , double-dyed with autofocus . The combination of an ultrawide slant and autofocus intend that all faces should be in focus , even in big group selfie shot , and you ’ve let a cropped 1x aspect for your steady selfies too .
Of naturally , this is a Pro Pixel gadget , so it come with the same Pro - level shooting control we ’ve see from previous gadget in the serial , offer up complete control over chemical element like shutter speed , ISO and lily-white rest , along with more sophisticated pick like shooting in full 50/48MP result .
Then there ’s Google ’s far-famed entourage of AI photo and redaction tools , all of which are present and accounted for here – admit the long - awaited Zoom Enhance that boosts detail of cropped picture , and the novel Add Me that allows lensman to get in on group shots .
There ’s some debate as to whether these heavily AI - power shaft represent ‘ true ’ photography , but that apart , they ’re very fun to apply and come in handy more often than you might anticipate .
Performance
When it get along to performance , the Pixel 9 Pro XL is powered by Google ’s latest Pixel - exclusive chipset , theTensor G4 – though it ’s deserving take note that the 4 nm chipset obtain within the Pixel 9 Pro XL is available across the entire Pixel 9 collection .
That means that public presentation should n’t be much of a factor when determine which Pixel to go for , as the top - end Pixel 9 Pro XL will perform at a similar level to the entrance - level Pixel 9 – albeit with a supercharge 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB in storage .
That said , the Tensor G4 – like previous Tensor chipsets – does n’t go all - in on public presentation , instead focusing on AI skills , and that intend it ’s not quite as performant as the Snapdragon and Dimensity - equip flagship competition .
In fact , I believe the gap has let out even further with the Snapdragon competition in bench mark examination , with consequence more in line with last year’sTensor G3than theSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 - fit contender .
Does it really matter though ? I ’d argue not .
In real - universe usage , the Pixel 9 Pro XL sense super quick and reactive , in all probability assist by firm animations and that LTPO screen , so much so that I was genuinely surprised when I saw the benchmark results because it just did n’t mirror my daylight - to - day experience .
The earpiece can care just about anything I can have at it , including the boosted AI smarts that I ’ll get to short , and makes short work of most game . It also captures images near - instantly , and the speech sound wakes up at a moment ’s notice when I clean it up . I could n’t tell the dispute between it and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in real - world use , anyway .
There is a catch though ; the earpiece can get noticeably hot than the competition when gage for comparatively short periods . Even in less demanding title like Zombie Gunner Survival that run without issue on mid - range chipsets , the Pixel 9 Pro XL got noticeably spicy after just 20 minute of arc of fun , and it was a exchangeable account when running most of our bench mark trial .
As such , gamers might want to avoid this one – but there are plenty ofgaming phonesto opt from if that is your affair .
Software & AI
The Pixel 9 aggregation bucks the trend of transportation with the latest version of Android , alternatively shipping with the yr - old Android 14 – at first , anyway . Of course , the Pixel 9 range will get the update to Android 15 once it ’s ready , but with the Pixel ’s earlier launching in 2024 , it needs a little more clock time in the oven .
It does n’t weigh in the slightest , however ; Android 15 features like the redesigned Camera app and exclusive - app screenland transcription are already present and accounted for on the Pixel 9 collection . I suppose that ’s a welfare of developing the Android operating system of rules !
Instead , the focus for the Pixel 9 collection is AI – and even compare to its AI - infuse forerunner , the Pixel 9 Pro XL is wholly more open .
That ’s down in part to the Tensor G4 ’s ability to run multimodal AI on - machine , countenance it to process images and audio recording alongside school text for quicker , more visceral reception . That intend you could do things like take a photo of a plant and get Gemini to place it for you , and it also enable Google ’s resolution to ChatGPT;Gemini Live .
This is n’t really single to the Pixel 9 collection , with reports suggesting that you ’ll shortly be able-bodied to access Gemini Live on Samsung phones if you ’ve got the AI Premium subscription ( the Pixel 9 collection make out with a one - year free test ) , but it ’s an impressive bit of technical school nonetheless .
LikeChatGPT , you may chat with Gemini Live in a more natural , conversational way , pee-pee it ready to hand for vague queries and brainstorming . I used Gemini Live to help me plan a gym session , with a lot of back and forward on my preferences , and it was really insightful .
Then there ’s Pixel Screenshots , a separate app from Google Photos that have you search for information catch in screenshots . remember of it like Microsoft ’s controversial Recall feature , but it ’s entirely manual , earmark you to quickly get screenshots of leverage confirmation and other significant documents by simply describing what you ’re looking for in a rude way .
Pixel Studiois another interesting feature , run in on the Tensor G4 ’s ability to render images on - equipment .
It operate much like most other AI image generators in that you describe what you want to see and Pixel Studio make it . You ’ve sustain several styles of ikon to pick out from , and it does n’t look like there are many limitation on it – I created an image of Mickey Mouse smoking a vape without any push - back , anyway .
These are only the big headline features , however . Google ’s AI smarts gosomuch deeper , permeate practically every corner of the Android experience – so much so that it ’d be impossible to talk over everything here . It ’s safe to say that it ’s the most holistic approach to GenAI we ’ve seen on the Android side of matter , and even if you ’re not an AI nerd like I am , you ’ll get hold some use for its AI features .
sure characteristic like Call Assist which summarise phone call for you stay US sole , but for the most part , all these features are promptly useable to practice in the UK and other markets – a thoroughgoing contrast to the vie Apple Intelligence that ’ll be US - undivided at first .
AI smarts aside , the Pixel ’s stock approach to Android 14 is an inviolable joyousness to use , and it ’s infused with Pixel - exclusive features .
Those reach from a redesign Weather app ( which , as a bit of a Weather app nerd , is a kickshaw to apply ! ) to small elements like being capable to mechanically recognise music you hear throughout the day , ready to be added to your YouTube Music or Spotify play list , and automatically turn Wi - Fi on at home and body of work .
It ’s not the most customisable hide around though ; you may change the semblance scheme and tweak the lock screen , but it lacks the deep customisation available from the likes of Honor and OnePlus . I also overlook the boastful - screen Home concealment folders present on some Android skins . But , for the most part , these are only small niggles in an otherwise flawless approach to Android .
The retentive - term software hope continue to be industry - leading , only matched by Samsung ’s flagship aggregation , offer a humongous seven years of O upgrade and security patches that means the experience will only continue to improve over time .
Battery Life
Battery life has been an proceeds for some Pixels , especially in the other days – but when it comes to the large - screen Pixel 9 Pro XL , there ’s no such issue . It disport a 5060mAh battery , almost indistinguishable to its predecessor ’s 5050mAh electric cell , and with the same 4 nm chipset architecture , bombardment life is pretty much on par with the Pixel 8 Pro .
That ’s no bad thing in my books ; the Pixel 9 Pro XL has perfectly no issuance lasting all day without scrambling for a battery charger . Even on days with fairly gravid usage of around six hours of screen time , split across doomscrolling on TikTok , making lot of phone calls , take heed to music , respond to messages and checking emails , I ’d still end the day with around 20 - 30 % depart in the tank .
There is potential for two - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. stamp battery life , or something draw close it anyway , if you use your phone a little less . On sidereal day where I average only a couple of hours of blind time , I ’d go to bed with close to half charge leave , and that can be further extended by a few battery - redeem tools baked into the OS .
There is n’t a charger in the box , only a USB - C cable system , but I recommend forking out for a 45W courser to take advantage of the Pixel 9 Pro XL ’s boost 37W charging capableness . Using that charger , I determine a decent 62 % in 30 minute , though a full charge still took 80 minutes .
That ’s pretty much on par with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max , though it ’s a step behind the straight tight - charging capabilities of flagship like theOnePlus 12andHonor Magic 6 professional .
Wired charging is n’t your only alternative , however ; it support 12W wireless charging , hike up to 23W if you use the official Pixel Stand ( sold separately ) , and there ’s 5W change by reversal wireless charging on gameboard to top up your accessories in a pinch too .
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Should you buy it?
If you want to dabble in the world of AI tools , there ’s no better option than the Pixel 9 Pro XL .
The Tensor G4 is n’t the most performant chipset around , and the phone can get pretty red-hot when gaming for extended sessions too .
Final Thoughts
The Pixel 9 Pro XL is one of the most exciting Pixels in a long time and one of thebest phonesyou can buy in 2024 . It not only sports a urgently - needed aim refresh , but a encouragement to the auxiliary tv camera genus Lens , all - day battery life and a Brobdingnagian focal point on GenAI allows it to stand out from the competitor .
AI is the buzzword for 2024 , with a lot more contest in the smartphone blank from players like Samsung and Apple , but Google shows that it ’s still world-beater in this area by offering a holistic set of AI dick that permeate every panorama of the Pixel experience , from tv camera and photograph editing to interact with Gemini , withdraw selective information with Pixel Screenshots and much , much more .
The Pixel 9 Pro XL also retains its camera prowess , continuing to give up some of the dear shots of any smartphone in 2024 regardless of whether you ’re using the main or auxiliary cameras . Its exact colours and tegument flavour in fussy make the shots stand out , delivering a much more professional look than excessively - vivacious alternative .
The phone can also easily deliver comfortable all - daytime battery life with six hour of screen time , with the potential for two day of use with lighter usage , and the improved charge speeds are welcome , even if it ’s not quite up to the standards of true fast charge option like theOnePlus 12 .
It ’s not the utter smartphone – the Tensor G4 is n’t really any more powerful than last year ’s Tensor G3 , and it can get quite raging even when playing cursory games – but the experience , on the whole , is one of the best you ’ll rule powerful now .
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FAQs
No , you only get a USB - ampere-second to USB - C cable television in the box .
Google has promised seven years of OS upgrades for the Pixel 9 accumulation .
Test Data
Full Specs
