Google Pixel 9 review: so good you won’t need the Pro version

I’ve been using the Pixel 9 for two months now. Transitioning from the Pixel 8 (which I was more than happy with) has been painless. That’s not to say the Pixel 8 didn’t have its weaknesses – even in comparison to its Pro version. There was the battery life, size and camera, to name a few. So, has Google improved these things for the Pixel 9? Or have new weaknesses popped up? These are the central questions I’m addressing in my review.

The battery life has finally improved

My main quibble with the Pixel 8 was its battery life. When I was out and about, using streaming services, replying to messages and taking photos and videos, I found myself having to recharge the phone every so often. Fortunately, its successor’s battery life has been considerably improved.

In the weeks I’ve been using it, the Google Pixel 9 has never fallen into the danger zone. Not even at the IFA tech fair in Berlin, where it was really put to the test. I was using the phone constantly at the event, sometimes also as a hotspot for my MacBook.

The improvement in battery life is down to the larger battery. While the Pixel 9’s battery capacity is 4,700 mAh, its predecessor’s was 4,575 mAh. What’s more, the processor’s more economical. The larger, brighter screen, on the other hand, puts more strain on the battery.

In PCMark Work 3.0, I recorded a simulated battery life of 15 hours and 23 minutes, while the Pixel 8 managed 12 hours and 37 minutes. Over 15 hours is fine, but top-of-the-range handsets such as the Realme GT 6 manage more than 18 hours. So, there’s certainly still room for improvement.

Is the wide-angle camera really visibly better?

The Pixel phones’ cameras rank among the best of all smartphone cameras. However, they’ve shown weaknesses in terms of video, and haven’t been consistent across all lenses when it comes to image quality and colours.

So, to test the Pixel 9’s photo capabilities, I compared it to both the Pixel 8 and another top-of-the-range camera phone, the iPhone 15 Pro.

Let’s look at the wide-angle camera first. Google has upgraded the Pixel 8’s 12-megapixel wide-angle to 48 megapixels for the Pixel 9. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean better photos – especially since the latest model computes a 12-megapixel photo from the 48-megapixel data by default.

In regular daylight, you’d be hard-pressed to see any difference between the two Google devices. The plants in the front-right of the shot below, for instance, are equally detailed in both photos.

You only see the image quality differ in extreme situations. It’s certainly the case during macro photography, which involves the wide-angle camera. In the photo taken by the Pixel 8 (right), the colours appear faded. Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 shows the stripes on the leaf in greater detail, and the view through the water droplets is also richer in contrast.

Overall, my comparison reveals that the new wide-angle camera is slightly better at macro shots, handling strong backlighting and taking snaps at dusk. That being said, there hasn’t been as much of a quality leap as I’d expected from looking at the specs.

The iPhone 15 Pro’s wide-angle camera takes similarly good photos, albeit with a completely different colour scheme. While the iPhone really ramps up the colour, the Pixel 9 keeps things more natural, which I personally prefer.

They’re leagues apart when it comes to macro photography, which is probably part of the reason why Apple upgraded the iPhone 16’s macro capabilities. However, I didn’t have the newest model to hand for this comparison. This time, the iPhone ramps up the colour and brightness at the top of the photo. The main difference, however, can be seen in the background. In the photo taken by the Pixel 9, it’s blurred. However, it’s a pixelated mess in the iPhone shot. In fact, it looks really bad.

Video: a little more consistency

In this brief test video featuring various sample recordings, I show that the video quality’s also excellent. The Pixel 9 delivers a simply beautiful picture, especially when it comes to colours and contrast. However, the videos aren’t significantly different to the Pixel 8’s.

It’s only when zooming from wide-angle to the main camera to digital magnification that I notice better consistency with the Pixel 9. Although there’s a little jump when changing lenses, the image quality, colour scheme and contrast remain identical across its videos. Shooting with the Pixel 8, on the other hand, the differences are more drastic. As a result, you can edit wide-angle and main-camera video clips more seamlessly with the new model.

Main camera: still top-notch

Just as the 50-megapixel main camera doesn’t represent a drastic change on paper, the differences in day-to-day use are minimal. Seeing as the predecessor model’s main camera was excellent, that’s good news. Still, as we’ve covered, it’s not much of an improvement.

The Pixel 9 (and the Pixel 8 by definition) can easily go toe to toe with the iPhone 15 Pro. Although the iPhone often cranks up the brightness, this also reduces the contrast. Ultimately, it’s a question of taste whether you prefer the slightly more natural Pixel 9 snap or the Insta-ready iPhone shot.

Screen: just the right size

Not everybody’s going to be happy about this particular change. The Pixel 9’s larger in almost every respect, measuring in at two millimetres longer, 1.2 millimetres wider and eleven grammes heavier than the Pixel 8. As for the 0.2-millimetre loss in thickness, that’s of no consequence. The Pixel 9 looks and feels bigger.

This is down to both its increased battery size and larger screen, which has been extended from 6.2 to 6.3 inches. At the same time, it has a thinner bezel, giving the whole device a more elegant, higher-quality look. The design, with its smooth surfaces and clear edges, plays a part in this too. Google’s managed to continuously improve on the Pixel’s appearance over the last few years. Although its latest handset is distinguishable from its predecessor, it’s kept the DNA of the Pixel line.

If you want a compact device, the larger Pixel won’t be for you. As for me – someone who’s always going back and forth between little and large phones – it’s the only way forward. The Pixel 9’s now the ideal size for me. It’s enough to extinguish any desire to use the larger Pro model.

I also really like the display because it’s fabulously easy to read. With a brightness of 1,800 to 2,700 nits, it clearly outperforms the Pixel 8’s 1,400 to 2,000 nits.

Was this processor the right choice?

The Google Pixel 9 is beaten hands down by the competition in my benchmark comparison. Although it scores better than the Pixel 8, the new Tensor G4 processor doesn’t stand a chance against the rest. To be precise, Snapdragon’s current best processor, which features in other top-of-the-range Android models. Or Apple’s own A17 Pro chip, which is used in the iPhone 15 Pro. Even Samsung’s frequently criticised Exynos processor easily outperforms the Tensor G4.

But did I notice this in practice? In short, no. The Pixel 9 runs smoothly, and I didn’t pick up on a single stutter or delay when switching between menu items or apps. This demonstrates that coordination between hardware and software is at least as important as pure processor performance. In other words, Google’s perfectly matched its own processor to pure Android.

It’s also important for potential buyers to know that Google guarantees Android and security updates for the Pixel 9 until August 2031. So, it’s safe to say it’s designed for long-term use.

The big question, however, is how AI applications will develop over the next few years. As soon as AI comes into the mix, you need more computing power. Google’s already had to take action on this by expanding the RAM from the standard 8 GB in the Pixel 8 to 12 GB in the Pixel 9. Not only that, but Google doesn’t run many applications on the device itself, choosing instead to do so on the company’s servers. However, higher-performance smartphones probably won’t have much to worry about there in future.

AI: a glimpse into the future

Of all the phone’s numerous AI features, I just used one on a day-to-day basis: the Gemini assistant. If you’re interested in the Pixel’s other new AI functions, you can read about them here:

On the Pixel 9, Gemini has partially replaced Google Assistant, which only comes to the fore in search bars. If you press and hold the power button, Gemini opens, allowing you to type in a question, ask one verbally or take a photo for a search. This is sometimes frustrating, but often fascinating.

For instance, Gemini’s unable to do some things that Google Assistant can, such as following a simple request like starting the stopwatch. It’s fine with the alarm clock or timer, but you can forget the stopwatch. What’s more, Gemini doesn’t (yet) have access to apps such as WhatsApp.

In other areas, it provides a small glimpse into the future. When I ask Gemini to create a message, I get three wording suggestions within seconds. On the other hand, it neglects to mention my name as the sender.

When I ask Gemini why, it says it doesn’t know my name, but can learn it. Once I’ve clarified that, I say: «Can you write the messages again, with my name as the sender?» Gemini understands this no problem, and adds my name to the message suggestions. For now, however, it can only remember my name for one conversation – it can’t save it permanently.