Google Pixel 9 review

Here we have the Pixel 9, which has been a bit overshadowed by the upcoming release of the dedicated compact flagship, the Pixel 9 Pro. So, is the Pixel 9 still worth getting, or are you better off waiting for the smaller Pro? I'm Will from GSM Marina, and let’s dive into what the Pixel 9 has to offer in our full review.

The vanilla Pixel phones are known for providing a clean Google software experience and powerful cameras, all within a compact form factor. This year's Pixel 9 brings some notable upgrades, including a new chipset, a brighter display, a larger battery, and a new ultra-wide camera. That’s a pretty decent haul of improvements. The design has also changed, as has the size—it's no longer as compact, being both bigger and heavier than the Pixel 8. It now has a flat back as well as a flat aluminum frame, giving it a tangible iPhone vibe. The back is made of Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and it’s quite glossy. The camera bump has been redesigned as well—it’s still horizontal but no longer extends across to meet the frame. Instead, it’s now oval-shaped. One thing that hasn’t changed is that the Pixel 9 still comes with IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, which is always a welcome feature.

The OLED display on the Pixel 9 is slightly larger than that of the Pixel 8, at 6.3 inches. It has a 1080p resolution, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, and a 120Hz refresh rate. Google calls it an "Actua Display," meaning it doesn’t get the LTPO technology found in the Pro models’ Super Actua displays. This means that the refresh rate can only toggle between 120Hz and 60Hz without any intermediate steps or lower dips. On the upside, the display’s maximum brightness has seen a significant boost this year. We measured around 1,200 nits of brightness when manually adjusted, and with auto-brightness enabled, it reached an incredible 2,200 nits. That’s better than any competition right now and excellent for outdoor use on a sunny day. The display is also plenty sharp with a pixel density of 422 PPI, and it supports HDR10+ video playback as well as Ultra HDR-compliant images with boosted highlights.

For audio, the Pixel 9 has a stereo speaker setup that earned a "very good" rating for loudness. The sound quality is decent, with clear vocals and highs, but the low end is a bit thin. Google has also upgraded the under-display fingerprint reader from optical to ultrasonic this year. It works well and is super reliable.

When it comes to storage, you can choose between 128GB or 256GB, but storage isn’t expandable through a memory card. With the Pixel series, you get Google’s vision of the Android software experience, though this time, the Pixel 9 launches with Android 14 instead of debuting a new version of Android, as Android 15 isn't out yet. Google has packed in plenty of AI features. For example, the Pixel 9 can summarize calls, texts, and emails so you can get relevant information faster. Google’s AI assistant, Gemini, understands over 100 languages and handles natural language questions well, though the accuracy of its answers varies, as with all current AI tools. Another AI-powered feature is Pixel Studio, which allows you to make AI-generated images and designs. The Pixel also keeps track of and organizes your screenshots, letting you search for specific topics or info you've saved before.

The camera app has some interesting new tricks too. The Magic Editor within Google Photos includes tools like Best Take, which lets you replace faces or objects with better versions from other shots. You can also use the Add Me feature to combine people from separate shots into a single group photo, or even clone yourself if you’re feeling creative. The Pixel 9 also has satellite SOS support, though for now, it’s only available in the USA. Google promises 7 years of full software support, plus spare parts availability for the same period, should you need to replace any components.

All new Pixel phones are powered by the Tensor G4 chipset, made in-house by Google. Compared to the previous model, it features a new CPU design, while the GPU only gets a higher clock speed. The TPU, which handles AI tasks, remains unchanged from last year. Though we couldn’t run performance benchmarks during this review, based on the specs and previous Pixel phones, we expect the peak performance here to be lower than flagship phones running the latest Snapdragon chipsets. However, we didn’t experience any issues while using the Pixel 9—the interface, apps, and games all ran smoothly without any hiccups.

The Pixel 9 has a 4,700 mAh battery, slightly bigger than the Pixel 8’s 4,575 mAh battery. The improvement in battery life is noticeable, with the Pixel 9 outperforming the Pixel 8 in all our tests, earning a solid active use score of 13 hours and 5 minutes. Charging speeds remain the same as last year, with a maximum of 27W, and, as expected, there’s no charger in the box. With a compatible adapter, we were able to charge the phone from 0 to 55% in 30 minutes, with a full charge taking about 1 hour and 25 minutes. That’s not particularly impressive, but it’s in line with what the Pixel 8 delivered. The phone also supports wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.

The Pixel 9 brings a couple of notable camera upgrades. There’s a new ultra-wide camera and autofocus for the selfie camera. On the back, you get a 50MP main camera and a 48MP ultra-wide camera, both with autofocus. This setup is the same as the Pro models, minus the telephoto lens. However, the regular Pixel 9 has a simpler laser assist for autofocus—it’s single-zone rather than the multi-zone system on the Pro models. A somewhat strange omission is the lack of a Pro mode in the camera interface.

When it comes to image quality, daytime shots from the main camera are excellent. There’s plenty of detail, rendered naturally, with well-judged sharpening. There are some hints of pixelation in certain situations, but it’s not a major issue. As expected from Pixel phones, you get high contrast with a focus on highlight preservation and darker shadows. Colors also look great. Portrait shots, in particular, are excellent, with well-rendered skin tones. There’s no telephoto lens, so if you want to zoom in, you’ll have to rely on a digital crop from the main camera. While there’s a bit less detail, the quality is still good, especially when shooting people. After dark, the main camera captures respectable photos with good detail, accurate exposures, and well-preserved colors.

The ultra-wide camera captures sharp images as well, with great dynamic range and color accuracy. Thanks to autofocus, it can also shoot extreme close-ups, which come out great. There’s a dedicated macro mode that adds some digital zoom to the mix. In low light, the ultra-wide camera performs well, with bright exposures, decent sharpness, and pleasing colors. Selfies are very likable, with excellent detail and vibrant colors, and the addition of autofocus gives you more flexibility with framing.

The Pixel 9 can record video in up to 4K at 60fps with all its cameras, but there’s no 8K recording, unlike the Pro models. As we saw with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, video clips have good contrast and saturated colors, though the detail isn’t quite as sharp as we’d expect from a flagship phone. In low light, the main camera records decent-quality video with good dynamic range and accurate colors. The electronic video stabilization is excellent, smoothing out walking shake and panning movements.

So, that’s the Google Pixel 9. It’s a solid Pixel phone that offers almost everything the Pro models can, with a bigger and brighter display, longer battery life, and an improved ultra-wide camera compared to last year. However, it does lose some of its compact charm, and its video recording performance lags behind other flagship competitors. Still, if those drawbacks don’t bother you, the Pixel 9 is worth considering, especially once the price becomes more appealing. Thanks for watching, and if you’re looking for alternatives, check out our reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S24 and the iPhone 15. Let us know what you think, and I’ll see you in the next one.