I wasn’t planning to upgrade, but the Pixel 9 Pro XL changed my mind

Important points of ZDNET

• Google Pixel 9 Pro XL There is a starting price of $1,099 Pixel 9 Pro It starts at $999.
• For prices, we have got a bigger, brighter 6.8 inch display, exclusive Google AI features, and the most generous camera system on the market.
• I hope the base storage (128GB) was at least twice as high and the AI ​​features were more reliable.

Available on Amazon Pixel 9 Pro xl It’s $200 off, but it’s currently $899. This transaction applies only to Hazel’s 128GB storage model. Obsidian Pixel 9 Pro xl I’m sitting for $910 after seeing a little discount.

Hold Google Pixel 9 Pro Series It reminded me of the first time I held the iPhone 12 Pro. The previous year’s transition from curved design to flat edges made all the difference in its feel and perception of value. The Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL Exude Premium, Google knows that.

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So this year, the company is charging more for new pixel phones, using standard models. Starting at $799, $999 Pro,and $1,099 Pro XL. It’s a bold move in this economy. But in the big picture, Google just matches what competitors like Samsung and Apple are priced for their flagship phones.

Luckily there is a lot you can get from paying more to Google. From the month when I tested the Pro XL model – with a short stint using a smaller Pro – features such as upgrades such as Bright (up to 3,000 nits) display, AI features such as call notes and pixel screenshots, faster 45W charging, and tensor G4 chip running smoothly. The new ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is also fast and crazy.

With the Pixel 9 Pro series, the design, as unexpected as it was – stand out for me. The flat edges provide a smooth rest for my hands and give me a confident grip when swiping and typing. The treatment of the gorilla glass Victus 2 makes it twice as durable as last year’s model. In comparison, Pixel 8 Pro It feels like a toy.

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My two glipes, using the design of the Pixel 9 Pro, are camera bumps and frosted backglasses. The former has been a long-standing problem with the Google Pixel’s protruding camera bar design, collecting dust and debris around the edge of the visor and fingerprint stains. Using the backglass I already noticed that some micro scratchings removed the obsidian coloured coating. My advice: It’s fine if you get a color other than obsidian.

The new tensor G4 chip, paired with 16GB of RAM, means the Pixel 9 Pro is faster and more powerful than last year’s model when it comes to multi-tab browsing, loading videos on social feeds, editing photos and playing games. Also, AI tasks on the device have benefits, but we’ll explain them later.

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Recently, when I went to the airport, I was able to quickly upload clips from product launch events while downloading movies for viewing on my flight. Oh, and location tracking was also running in the background. The result was mild overheating, which reduced battery life by about 3% during the 20-minute ride, which is spectacular.

So the 5,060mAh battery on the Pixel 9 Pro XL was very useful to me, finishing most of my days at around 25-30%. It’s a two-day phone when used lightly, but the pixels support 45W charging so don’t get mad if you need to charge it right away. Fast speeds do not revolutionise your morning routine, but it’s a noticeable bump up from the sluggish 30W rating in previous models.

The key improvements to the Pixel 9 Pro’s camera system revolve mostly around AI, and how its imaging engine interprets and enhances its power. For example, the image above is sharp in detail and beautiful in contrast, but was originally captured with a slight tilt, showing the runway at an angle. So I straightened it using Magic Editor’s new Auto Frame tool while extending the sides with AI. For fun, I added a rainbow and an airplane. We didn’t clearly hear the order of the air traffic control towers that the plane would remain grounded like the rest of us.

These AI tools are creative and whimsical, but they are inconsistent, unreliable (see planes on the left) and require a lot of patience.

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I’m a huge fan of the new Add Me and the video boost feature. The former involves two photos together. One picture shoots the other person in the frame, and the other one contains you in the same frame so no one is left behind. This is a clever AI/AR tool that solves real problems, but with one small problem. If you are posing between subjects, do not expect seamless editing. Often, parts of your body are not harvested properly. So for the best results Leave some space!

With video boost, I’m happy to report that HDR+ and rendering improvements are one of the biggest issues with pixel cameras. Switching to a 5x optical zoom camera during recording will cut off the jarring cut.

I’m still testing all the new Pixel 9 AI features, and there are plenty of them themselves, but here’s my rating for my most frequent one:

• Pixel Screenshots (4/5): It’s the best AI feature I didn’t know I needed. Unlike Microsoft Recall, the database on the device is curated by manually captured images, making it easier to analyze, but much safer.
• Gemini Live (4/5): Like ChatGpt’s voice function, you can chat and ask Gemini Live while running in the background. Since its first release, Gemini Live has been working much more naturally, with fewer hiccups and lowering audio input. It helps you get tactile feedback that guides the flow of your conversation. Multimodality and sync with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 should further improve the experience.
• Call Notes (2/5): The reliability of the summary feature is greatly influenced by the call quality, pace of speaking, and whether there are unique words in conversations such as foreign names and objects. In most cases, Gemini incorrectly transcribed dates, locations, and bits of important information.

ZDNET purchase advice

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Even if you don’t plan on using AI features on your device, this year is a great candidate for Android phones. The new model is Google’s most expensive phone (if foldable), but the price bump is justified by improvements in aspects that lower traditional pixel lines, such as charging speed, performance, and build quality.

Reintroduction of XL models makes them smaller Pixel 9 Pro You need to appeal to users who need a more comfortable device without compromising on specifications or camera hardware. And if both phones are outside your budget, but you need core features, consider the cheaper ones Pixel 9.

This review was originally published on September 12th, 2024 and updated on April 5th, 2025.