Google Pixel 9 Pro review: I wanted to love it

Best Prices Today: Google Pixel 9 Pro

If you weren’t following the Pixel 9 launch closely, you could be forgiven for thinking that AI was the only interesting thing about Google’s new phones. 

As official marketing shows, there are countless uses of artificial intelligence across all four Pixel 9 models. Yet in day-to-day usage, AI is remarkably easy to ignore or miss. 

During my month of testing the Pixel 9 Pro, my direct interactions with it have been fleeting and the results mixed. 

But you shouldn’t be buying any of these phones for AI alone. The 6.3-inch Pixel 9 Pro has plenty of other strings to its bow, packing nearly all of the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL’s specs into a more compact body. 

In that regard, it’s more of a brand-new model than a successor to the 6.7-inch Pixel 8 Pro and the kind of Pro we’ve been waiting a long time for. Does it do enough to become the best phone in the Pixel 9 lineup? Nearly, but not quite. 

Design & Build

• Redesigned camera module 
• Premium, durable build 
• IP68 water and dust resistance 

Just like the rest of the Pixel 9 family, the 9 Pro has had a design revamp.  

The Pixel 8’s large camera visor is gone, replaced by a smaller module with rounded corners. It still sticks out a long way from the back of the phone, but doesn’t interrupt usability while flat down on a table unlike most. 

Rounded corners give the phone a sleek, defined look, and it’s also evident on the sides of the phone. Combined with a completely flat display, it feels more like an iPhone than ever before. 

Many people, including our Reviews Editor Chris Martin (in his review of the regular Pixel 9), are disappointed that Google has given up its signature look.  

But personally, I love it. The 9 Pro looks sleek and refined, yet it’s still unmistakably a Pixel. That’s especially true for the Obsidian (black) model I tested, though it’s also available in Porcelain (off-white), Rose Quartz (pink) and Hazel (grey).  

Whichever model you choose, a matt coating on the back avoids visible fingerprints, though it’s one of the slipperiest ones I’ve used in a while. 

The 9 Pro looks sleek and refined, yet it’s still unmistakably a Pixel

I’d highly recommend pairing the phone with Google’s official case, which costs £34.99/$34.99. The blend of a polycarbonate shell and microfibre lining helps cushion the phone from any impact while looking good in the process. 

If you’ve got your eye on a brightly-coloured Pixel 9 Pro, it’ll be a shame to cover it up, so I’d suggest getting the phone in one of the more muted finishes and adding one of these colourful cases instead. 

Alongside IP68 water and dust resistance, I felt comfortable using the Pixel 9 Pro (in its case) in any environment.  

Of course, the case will add weight to a device that already isn’t the lightest at 199g. However, the extra protection and excellent build quality more than makes up for it.

Haptic feedback is on by default, and offers customisable vibrations while typing, navigating and playing relevant media. It works fine for everyday usage, but lacks the extra oomph found on the Galaxy S24 Ultra while gaming. 

It’s also worth mentioning sustainability here. All the aluminium housing and around 20% of the device in total is recycled material, while no plastic has been used throughout the packaging.  

In terms of repairability, iFixit gives the 9 Pro XL a repairability score of 5/10, so it’s likely to be the same for the regular Pro. 

Screen & Speakers

• 6.3-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED screen 
• Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner 
• Dual stereo speakers 

Google has equipped all the Pixel 9 phones with new generation Actua displays, and it makes a big difference on the 9 Pro. 

The main improvement is brightness. With a peak brightness of 2700 nits, it’s easy to see in almost all environments – including direct sunlight. Inside, I recorded a maximum of 949 nits, which is one of the highest we’ve seen on any phone. 

Just like the regular Pixel 9, it’s a 6.3-inch OLED panel, making it very compact in a world of mostly huge flagship devices (including the 6.7-inch 9 Pro XL). 

Unlike the regular model, though, the 9 Pro has an LTPO screen. This means its refresh rate can automatically adjust between 1-120Hz depending on what you’re doing, which should help to minimise power consumption. 

The Pixel 9 Pro’s display is a joy to use. It’s up there with the best screens you’ll find on any phone

Just make sure you enable the ‘Smooth display’ toggle in Settings, which oddly isn’t applied by default. With it turned on, the display felt impressively smooth and responsive, especially when scrolling. 

A maximum resolution of 1280 x 2856 (495 ppi) is impressive, though it’s set to 960 x 2142 out of the box to help with battery life. Make sure you change ‘Screen resolution’ to ‘Full resolution’ to make the small details look even better. 

Alongside the OLED tech, which delivers rich, vibrant colours and deep blacks, the Pixel 9 Pro’s display is a joy to use. It’s up there with the best screens you’ll find on any phone. 

Within it, you’ll find something just as impressive: the under-display fingerprint scanner. After years of underwhelming optical sensors, Google has finally upgraded to an ultrasonic version (also found on Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series), and it makes a huge difference. 

Compared to the Pixel 8 I reviewed last year, it’s much quicker and more reliable at unlocking the device, logging into banking apps or authenticating payments. 

However, all of that can also be achieved using Google’s take on Face ID, which is totally seamless when the lighting is good. Having both is a real plus for the Pixel 9 Pro. 

In terms of audio, the phone has dual stereo speakers. Even though one of these doubles as the earpiece, it means the sound is projected directly towards you. It gets impressively loud without any audible distortion. 

Specs & Performance

• Google Tensor G4 chipset 
• 16GB RAM on all models 
• 128-, 256- or 512GB of non-expandable storage 

Google has been using its own chipsets in Pixels since 2021, and that’s no different on the Pixel 9 series. All of the handsets use its latest Tensor G4 chipset, rather than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or the MediaTek Dimensity 9300. 

However, I can confidently say that you don’t need to worry about a lack of power. Alongside 16GB of RAM on all models, the Tensor G4 delivers superb performance on the Pixel 9 Pro in every scenario. 

That includes any regular everyday tasks, be it web browsing, social media, taking photos or navigation. But the phone is also more than capable of gaming, with smooth framerates maintained throughout the likes of Call of Duty: Mobile, Genshin Impact and Asphalt Legends. 

Even during those demanding workloads, the Pixel 9 Pro only ever got slightly warm to the touch. Google is clearly doing something right when it comes to thermal management. 

However, as good as performance is, I’m concerned that power efficiency isn’t quite up there with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The underwhelming battery life suggests that may be the case. 

The Tensor G4 delivers superb performance on the Pixel 9 Pro in every scenario

With no support for expandable storage, the base 128GB model might not be enough for many people. I’d recommend getting at least 256GB, though 512GB and 1TB are also available. 

Connectivity is just as great as you’d expect, with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, Dual-SIM (one physical, one eSIM), GPS and NFC all included. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro benchmarks

Cameras

• 50Mp main rear camera 
• 48Mp 5x telephoto 
• 48Mp ultrawide 
• 42Mp selfie lens 

The Pixel 9 Pro’s rear cameras are almost identical to last year’s 8 Pro. You still get a triple-lens setup, consisting of 50Mp main, 48Mp telephoto and 48Mp ultrawide, with minor tweaks to the latter the only changes here. 

I was hoping for some more upgrades, but when the cameras were already so good, it’s easy to see why Google has stuck with them. 

The main lens is the one you’ll use most often, and it continues to deliver excellent results most of the time. The signature Pixel look isn’t true to life, but the extra pop of vibrancy and contrast makes shots look very visually appealing. 

Alongside superb detail and great dynamic range, the Pixel 9 Pro (and 9 Pro XL, which has identical camera specs) is the ultimate point-and-shoot Android phone. You can easily snap a pleasing image and upload it straight to social media without any editing, such as the one below.

However, that ease of use means it’s not exactly ideal for camera enthusiasts. There are some ‘Pro’ options within the camera app, but nothing like the range offered by something like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. 

The Pixel 9 Pro is the ultimate point-and-shoot Android phone

A dedicated ‘Portrait’ mode makes you crop the image to either 1.5x or 2x, rather than using the telephoto lens for optical zoom.  

Portraits are generally good, with Google’s Real Tone feature ensuring skin tones are captured with impressive accuracy. However, I found it more impressive on pets than people – it tended to struggle with edge detection on human hair.

In low light, Google’s ‘Night Sight’ mode does a remarkable job of brightening even the darkest scenes while preserving most details. It made a dimly lit music venue look much brighter than it actually was, though this was as unrealistic as it was impressive. 

These features are nothing new but for group photos, you might be tempted to use ‘Add Me’, a feature currently exclusive to the Pixel 9 series. It allows the photographer to be included in group shots, with someone else taking a second image that’s overlaid on top of the original. 

However, if you want photos to look genuine, I’d avoid it. The AR overlay that helps you line up the second photo can be confusing, and it relies on everyone being neatly spaced out and not touching each other. Even when you do all those things, results are hit-and-miss. 

Unlike some phones, switching camera lenses on the Pixel 9 Pro doesn’t result in a drop-off in quality. The 48Mp ultrawide adds the flexibility of a 123° field of view, enabling landscape photography that just wouldn’t have been possible with the main lens. 

By default, Macro Focus is set to ‘Auto’, which means it uses the ultrawide for close-up photos. It allows you to get impressively close to your subject, though disabling it and using the main camera can deliver more aesthetically pleasing results. 

Then there’s the 48Mp telephoto, which enables optical zoom at up to 5x. For both a day at the beach and at a concert, this proved invaluable. It’s the big camera advantage the Pro phones have over the regular Pixel 9, which only has main and ultrawide on the back as usual. 

You also get a better front-facing camera on the Pro and Pro XL. It’s now a 42Mp sensor, and capable of clear, crisp selfies in almost all lighting conditions. Portrait-style shots are solid here, and it’s nice to have the option for a wider 0.7x photo. 

The Pixel 9 Pro can technically shoot video at up to 8K 30fps, though this relies on its Video Boost feature upscaling 4K footage. The result is a genuine improvement, though without an 8K display, I can’t be sure of its quality. 

Battery Life & Charging

• 4700mAh battery 
• Up to 27W wired charging 
• Up to 21W wireless charging 

The Pixel 9 Pro has a 4700mAh battery. It’s a step down from the 9 Pro XL’s 5060mAh cell, matching the regular Pixel 9 instead due to chassis size limitations. 

Unfortunately, battery life is no better. It gets me through most days of moderate usage, but I’m often reaching for the charger by the evening if I’ve been out for a few hours. Unless you barely use the phone, don’t expect it to ever last for two full days. And this was on the default screen resolution rather than full.

Underwhelming battery life would be tolerable if Google had equipped the Pixel 9 Pro with genuine fast charging, but it hasn’t

Interestingly, our usual PCMark battery test suggests battery life is above average, with an impressive score of 13 hours and 19 minutes. As we already know, benchmarks don’t necessarily reflect real-world usage, as is the case here. 

Underwhelming battery life would be tolerable if Google had equipped the Pixel 9 Pro with genuine fast charging, but it hasn’t. Instead, you’re limited to 27W speeds, and even that relies on you having a compatible charger – there isn’t one in the box.

Frustratingly, the Pixel 9 Pro XL gets slightly faster charging at 37W. Read more in our The truth about Pixel 9 charging speeds article. 

Using one I already had at home, it went from 0-42% in 30 minutes, with a full charge taking around 1 hour and 40 minutes. Certainly not the slowest out there, but frustrating when you’ll probably be charging most days. 

Wireless charging is a convenient alternative, but this tops out at 21W, and only if you have the compatible Pixel Stand accessory. Regular Qi speeds are limited to 12W, while reverse wireless charging (for charging earbuds and other small accessories) is even slower. 

Software & Apps

• Runs Android 14 
• Seven years of updates 
• Hit-and-miss AI features 

Out of the box, the Pixel 9 Pro runs Android 14. An August launch means Android 15 isn’t available at the time of writing, but the phone will be first in line to get it. Google will then support the 9 Pro with seven years of both OS and security updates, which is the joint best of any phone with Samsung. 

You’re probably familiar with the slick user experience on Pixel phones by now. In my opinion, the Pixel software experience is the most user-friendly of any phone, with exclusive features such as Call Screening and Now Playing adding to overall package. Everything I said about the core software experience in my Pixel 8 review still applies – it’s up there with the very best. 

But you’re probably reading this section to learn about the AI features, and there are a lot of them. Perhaps the most significant is Google Gemini, which has replaced Google Assistant as the main virtual assistant on the phone. 

On the surface, it’s a lot more capable than before, offering better context-based conversation and suggestions, plus images from the web in seconds. I was also impressed with the way it recognised the model of an old feature phone from a quick photo. 

However, it’s still frustratingly limited in some areas. There’s no direct integration with Google services such as YouTube Music or Nest at the time of writing, while even timers and the search bar on the home screen still default to the old Assistant. 

Gemini also can’t create generative AI images from your command, though the new Pixel Studio app can. It allows you to fine-tune the precise images you’re looking for, with generally impressive results.  

A dedicated Pixel Screenshots app is separate from the Google Photos app. It sorts and collects data about all the screenshots you take, allowing you to find something specific with a quick search. 

In my opinion, the Pixel software experience is the most user-friendly of any phone

Then there are the photo editing features. Previous models have already had the likes of Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser and Best Take, and are now joined by Add Me (see camera section for more details). 

Another big new addition is Reimagine, which is buried within Google’s Magic Editor tools. In theory, it allows you to select part of an image and change it to anything you can think of. More often than not, any remotely complex requests I made were rejected, but it’s impressive when it works.  

See the photo below of a UFO landing in central London, which was one of four options you could choose from. 

Of course, a feature like this comes with its own risks. It’s easy to see how Reimagine could be used to cause harm, with no specialist skills required to create realistic fake images.  

However, unless you know it’s there, Reimagine will probably be left undiscovered. The same can be said for pretty much all of the AI features: the day-to-day experience of using the phone is largely AI-free, unless you count the summaries Google has added to search results for everyone.  

Price & Availability

When bought outright, the Pixel 9 Pro starts at £999/$999. That gets you the 128GB model I tested, though it’s also available with 256GB (£1,099/$1,099), 512GB (£1,219/$1,219) or 1TB (£1,449/$1,449) of storage. 

It’s available direct from Google, but also via a range of third-party retailers. See the full selection in our guide on where to buy the Pixel 9 series. 

Given those high prices, you might prefer to buy the phone on contract and split the cost into more manageable monthly payments. See the best options in the UK and US below. 

That outright starting price puts it in line with many of the best phones you can buy, including the Samsung Galaxy S24+ (from £999/$999) and iPhone 16 Pro (from £999/$999).  

It sits in the middle of the Pixel 9 lineup (excluding the 9 Pro Fold), with the regular Pixel 9 starting at £799/$799 but the 9 Pro XL costing at least £1,099/$1,099. 

Should you buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro?

Yes, but only if you can live with the combination of underwhelming battery life and slow charging. The Pixel 9 Pro is a great phone, but those two weaknesses will be dealbreakers for many people when a phone costs this much. 

It’s a shame, because the phone is brilliant in almost every other area. A premium design includes the best build quality we’ve ever seen on a Pixel yet, while a stunning display and top-tier cameras complement the experience perfectly. 

The 9 Pro also excels on the software side, with slick Android 14 and seven years of updates. Not all the AI features hit the mark, but those that do are impressive, and you can easily ignore the others (and at least they are available out of the box unlike Apple Intelligence).

In many ways, the Pixel 9 Pro offers the no-compromise compact phone experience I’ve been craving. But those two big shortcomings mean I can’t fully recommend it. 

Specs

• Android 14 with seven years of updates 
• 6.3-inch FHD+ 120Hz LTPO OLED 
• Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner 
• Face Unlock 
• Google Tensor G4 chipset 
• 16GB RAM 
• 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB non-expandable UFS 3.1 storage 
• 4700mAh battery 
• 27W wired charging 
• 21W wireless charging
• Reverse wireless charging 
• 50Mp f/1.7 main camera 
• 48Mp f/1.7 ultrawide camera 
• 48Mp f/2.8 5x telephoto camera 
• 42Mp f/2.2 front camera 
• Dual stereo speakers 
• USB-C 3.2 
• 5G 
• NanoSIM +eSIM 
• Wi-Fi 7 
• Bluetooth 5.3 
• IP68 
• Gorilla Glass Victus 2 
• 152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm 
• 199g

Best Prices Today: Google Pixel 9 Pro