I’ve absolutely loved this year’s line-up of Pixel 9 devices. The Pixel 9 Pro XL was a delight to use, especially for someone like me who loves a big screen on a smartphone. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is also a very interesting device, particularly if you have the use case for it. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been using the more compact Pixel 9 Pro, and here’s how it fares.
Design and Display
The upgraded design language of this year’s Pixel line-up is classy. The camera bar on the Google Pixel 9 Pro has been rounded off at the ends, instead of wrapping around the edges of the device. I’ve got the pretty pink peony colourway for review, which is more alluring than the hazel, obsidian and porcelain options that have been around for a while. The matte finish rear panel with sleek shiny bezels on the sides look really elegant. Despite my preference for bigger displays, the Google Pixel 9 Pro somehow felt just right in hand.
The 6.3-inch Actua display looks bright and vivid in a fairly compact body.
Cameras
The Pixel 9 Pro sports three cameras in the primary setup — a 50 MP camera, a 48 MP ultrawide camera and another 48 MP ultrawide camera. In true Pixel style, the photographs are rich in contrast, well-saturated and offer great dynamic range. The portrait mode is a thing of joy although its fairly obvious that AI-powered post-processing is helping out a tonne here. However, the photos I’ve clicked on the Pixel 9 Pro are some of the nicest images I’ve ever captured and shared on social media platforms.
It manages to do justice to low-light and post-sunset shots as well. However, some graininess still remain in the images, by flagship smartphone standards.
The cinematic mode has been a hit or a miss for me but when the device gets it right, there are some lovely videos to enjoy. The front camera is 42 MP, and also offers some lovely selfies.
The 10.5 MP selfie camera is the same as last year’s Pixel 8. An upgrade would have been nice here too, although for snaps in daylight and even video calls, I wouldn’t mind using this at all! Only in limited light, the selfie camera delivers mixed results; otherwise, in daylight, you’ll get some really pleasant selfies.
If you’re keen on knowing the details about the AI features on the Pixel 9 line-up, you can read about it in my earlier review of the Pixel 9 Pro XL or the Pixel 9. Features such as ‘Add Me’ help you insert yourself into a photo where you originally weren’t. There’s Gemini built-in to make interactions with your phone more personalised and engaging. Quick AI-fuelled features such as web page summaries, auto-drafted emails, messages, changing the tone of your writing and mails, auto-transcription as well as auto-note taking, all contribute to offering fairly meaningful experiences on the smartphone.
Android 15 features
There are a host of new privacy and security-focused features launched as part of the Android 15 roll-out on the Pixel 9 Pro. There’s a dedicated ‘Private Space’, which lets me create a password-protected area in which I can store whatever apps and documents I want to keep away from prying eyes.
There’s also a Theft Detection feature which gets triggered if and when the device gets snatched from my hand. It would instantly lock the screen to stop the snatcher from accessing any information.
Tech Specs
The Google Pixel 9 Pro runs on the latest Google Tensor G4 chipset and offers a single 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage variant. As is the case with other Pixel 9 devices, this too will receive seven years of OS upgrades and security patches. With a 4,700 mAh battery, the smartphone kept me company for most of my workday. I mostly used it to take photos, listen to Spotify, respond to emails, the occasional video call and there would be more than 40 per cent left by the time I hit the bed.
Verdict
The Pixel 9 Pro is a very well-rounded flagship. It offers excellent build quality, a great camera, decent battery life, and a host of AI features — that you honestly may or may not use. The bottomline is it offers pretty much everything that you’d expect out of a flagship device.
