Google Pixel 9 review: Defines simplicity in style

For many years, Google played it safe with Pixel phones. No bling, no razzmatazz, even the colour variants were “Just White” “Just Black”. However, in the last few years, Google has upped the ante, shed its boring tag and made Pixel phones bolder and better. This year with Pixel 9 series, Google has done something different, a strategy shift from all the previous generation Pixel smartphones and launched four variants – the vanilla Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

The Pro Pixels this year come loaded with extra features and an additional set of internals which could make the regular Pixel 9 feel a little underwhelming in comparison.

Does the Pixel 9 fall short of expectations with less RAM, two cameras instead of three (in the Pro-counterparts), smaller display and battery size? That’s not it, the Pixel 9 also comes bearing the price hike and that can be a concern for many. Google Pixel 9 starts at Rs 79,999 and Pixel 8 was launched starting at Rs 75,999.

I have been using the Pixel 9 for a while now to tell you what the Pixel 9 stands for and who it is meant for. Read on.

Google Pixel 9 review: Design and display

Pixel 9 does not make a huge departure from the previous generation’s design – let's call it an iterative improvement. There are changes – important enough – to make the phone feel more premium and polished than the Pixel 9. Plus, these changes – small – but important and noticeable, if you are looking at the right place.

Pixel 9 display

The most prominent change is in the camera housing. It features rounded corners – more of an oval design – overall compared to the edge-to-edge sharp design from before. Also, Google has made it in the same colour as the phone’s body which adds to the overall look and feel of the phone.

It is still massive and protrudes a lot from the phone’s body. Some may find this a bit too much. For me, the new design works as the phone does not topple when kept on the flat surface and it also makes the phone tilt at an angle to make it easy to use. I also liked that the camera housing does not attract dust around it. This helps in keeping the phone clean.
Talking about the dust and keeping the phone clean, the phone’s back panel is polished and has somewhat a combination of frosty and glossy finish. It also helps keep the fingerprint at bay.

The phone’s body has become more round on each corner and the rails are flat this time around which – from the front and sides which puts the phone in lines of iPhone’s design language. So much so, that my friends confused it with the iPhone.

Pixel 9 side

Whatever Google has done here makes the phone sleeker and feels more comfortable than the Pixel 8 in my hand.

Pixel 9 has also gone through some dimensional changes here. The phone is a little bit larger and heavier than the Pixel 8. However, the difference is minor, and it did bother me, but not more than I appreciated the bigger 6.3-inch display – that's the reason behind the size change and perhaps that added weight.

Pixel 9’s display is bigger and that’s because of the 15% bezel reduction which is clear. Are the bezels on par with competition? No, they aren’t. Both its main rivals -- Samsung Galaxy S24 and iPhone 15 – feature smaller bezels than the Pixel 9. But is it a problem? The answer will again be ‘no’. What matters the most is that the bezels are symmetrical on all sizes, and it feels good to look at. Plus, the resolution is 2424 x 1080 pixels which results in 422 pixels per inch. That’s a sharp display. It’s smooth too with 120Hz refresh rate and adaptive option that automatically changes from 60Hz to 120Hz depending on the content. Google could have offered a better adaptive display here which could go lower than the 60Hz to preserve more battery.

The display is also bright enough. It can reach 2700 nits of peak brightness. The phone’s display is clearly visible in all sorts of scenarios including outdoors. The display quality is also top notch with vibrant colours, proper details and contrast levels. Plus, the adaptive brightness is responsive too.

Both front and back are well protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2. It isn’t the latest from Corning, but it is good enough to keep the phone protected from scratches and other damage.

Google Pixel 9 review: Camera

If there’s one thing Pixel phones have that can give even phones twice as expensive a run for its money, it is the camera. And Pixel 9 is no different. The hardware hasn’t changed much, but whatever has changed it’s for the good.

Pixel 9 camera

Pixel 9 front camera

The primary sensor is 50MP with Optical image stabilisation. The ultrawide sensor is the same 48MP but it is an updated sensor with Macro support. The front is a 10.5MP sensor.

The entire setup offers Super Res Zoom of up to 8x and optical zoom quality at 0.5x, 1x and 2x.

Then there’s the entire Pixel camera algorithm backed by Computational photography that not just helps the Pixel 9 capture detailed sharp zoom shots, but also post process the photos to deliver top-notch quality – every single time.

Pixel 9 camera sample

Let’s talk about the quality of the photos. I liked what Pixel 9 delivers in terms of colours, saturation, shadow and overall dynamic range. The photo from the main camera is sharp and detailed. Colours are close to natural. However, the phone tends to process the shadows a little aggressively in pursuit of trying to brighten them up. In low-light conditions with the Night mode turned on, the photos are as sharp as if they were captured in well-lit conditions. Don’t worry, it does it without killing the feel of a nighttime photo.

Pixel 9 camera sample

The quality from the 48MP ultrawide sensor is not much different from the main sensor. The 48MP shots deliver the same colour tone as the main sensor and not many phones can deliver that. Apart from that, the shadows are a little overprocessed just like the main sensor.

Pixel 9 camera sample

Google has also added some distortion correction around the edges and that works flawlessly. Also, the low-light shots are impressive and certainly one of the best you can find.

I have always called the Pixel phones – a portrait king – and Pixel 9 certainly has that caliber to keep the crown. The face colours and the cutout are accurate and the gradual bokeh is as good as you can get from a decent DSLR camera.

Pixel 9 camera sample

The selfie shooter is also good and does an impressive job in all sorts of scenarios.

Videos on Pixel 9 maxes out at 4K resolution with 60 fps for both rear and front cameras. Google appears to have made some changes to the algorithm that makes the entire camera setup control the light, details and shadows just like the photos. Optical Image Stabilisation works as expected and it contains the jitters and shakes pretty well. The autofocus also tries to keep the selected subject in focus – as much as – it can.

Pixel 9 camera sample

Videos captured by Pixel 9’s main camera are vibrant and has a good amount of details and dynamic range too.

Pixel 9 camera sample

But a lot of Pixel 9’s camera experience is due to all the AI –features that Google has added to the mix. Let’s talk about them.

Pixel 9 camera sample

Pixel 9: AI features

I quite like it when companies try to leverage the power of AI to offer something interesting. Google has to offer something similar with a host of features and tools that are powered by AI. It all started with Pixel 8 last year and with Pixel 9, Google seems to have taken a step further.

Not just the camera features, but the entire Pixel experience has improved a lot just because of the new AI features that Google has included.

But let’s get done with the camera features and my favourite is the new “Add Me” option within the camera. The feature essentially allows users to capture group photos without leaving out the photographer. The flowchart is something like this – First person takes a group photo by leaving some space in the frame, then the one person from the group takes the phone and the current photographer takes the place in the group, especially around the free area left in the frame and the second person then captures the shot. Pixel then uses AI to compile everything together into a single frame.

Pixel 9 bottom

Sounds confusing? Fret not as the Add Me feature works flawlessly in real time. The feature, however, is only as good as the second person’s ability to follow the on-screen guidelines.

Apart from this, the existing tools like Unblur, Magic Editor and Magic Eraser are still there, and they all are now much improved when it comes to processing speeds.

Google’s Pixel Screenshots app makes screen capturing a much better experience, especially if you like to remember what and where you capture the screenshot. The Pixel Screenshots now remember the webpage where the screenshot was taken, and it gets included with the screenshot for future reference.

The Pixel Studio app allows you to generate images using AI with just prompts right on the device. Moreover, there’s the free version of Midjourney built right into the phone to make things better and private. You can tweak an image however you want to and there are a billion possibilities here. All you need is creativity in your head.

The updated Pixel Weather app now relies on AI to help you generate summaries based on the weather conditions to help you get through the day. Then there’s Gemini Live which lets users have a natural tone conversation with Google’s AI chatbot.

While these are useful features, I liked the Call Notes app that takes a page from the Pixel’s Recording app and brings it to calls. It can now generate a summary based on the call conversation. I used this while interacting with someone and although it did a good job, the transcribing ability could have been better.

All-in-all, there are AI features in Pixel 9 that are extremely handy, while some are good to have, some need further refinement.

Pixel 9: Performance

Tensor G4 is what powers the entire lineup of Pixel phones this year. Google says that the chip offers improved performance, better thermals and overall, on-device AI processing over the Tensor G3. In my experience, the performance boost here is more of a marginal thing. However, when it comes to AI processing, the performance is significantly improved.

When I say, the performance is marginally better, that doesn’t mean the G4 feels underpowered or sluggish by any means. It’s just that the snappy feel is missing here. The phone can handle anything and everything but at its own pace.

Google has also added a vapour chamber this time to keep the thermals in check and it seems to be working. I started using the phone and it got a little warm during the setup process. But overall, the thermals remained in check without reaching a tipping point. During the prolonged gaming session, the phone also felt calm and composed for most of it. For instance, the phone handled games like CoD Mobile, and BGMI, with ease. However, with Genshin Impact and Diablo Immortal, the performance did take some hit.

Pixel 9: Battery

Pixel 9 is backed by a 4700mAh battery, and it supports fast charging too. The phone, on a single charge lasted for almost a day with around 35% battery left under medium usage which includes an adaptive refresh rate, 5G turned on, Wi-Fi connected, automatic brightness and as a daily driver. This is impressive.

Google claims that a 45W charger can deliver 55% of charge in 30 minutes. I didn’t have Google’s 45W charger, so I used Samsung’s 45W charger and it delivered around 52% in 30 minutes.

Pixel 9: Verdict

The Google Pixel 9 is a refined iteration in the Pixel lineup, balancing performance, design, and AI features. While it doesn't revolutionize the series, it offers significant improvements like a sharper 6.3-inch display, a robust camera setup, and enhanced AI capabilities that make everyday tasks smoother. The Tensor G4 chip provides adequate performance, but it might not satisfy heavy users looking for extreme speed. Battery life is commendable, lasting nearly a day with moderate use. However, the higher price point and fewer features compared to its Pro counterparts might deter some buyers. Despite these trade-offs, the Pixel 9 remains a compelling choice for those seeking a pure Android experience with a strong emphasis on photography and innovative AI tools.

Rating: 8/10