Google Pixel 9 review: I used Google’s most AI-powered phone and here’s what I think

The era of AI phones may have begun a few years ago, but it’s in 2024 that we’ve seen a genuine push from major OEMs. Samsung played its card earlier this year, Apple is set to unveil new iPhones next week, and in the meantime, Google launched its most AI-ready Pixel 9 series yet. Interestingly, the new Pixel phones were launched earlier than expected, likely to give the company an edge over Apple’s iPhones.

This year, we also have a wider Pixel lineup: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. They’re all powered by the same Tensor G4 chipset and support all the new AI features. The main difference is in the hardware.

I got my hands on the base Pixel 9 in Wintergreen colour, which is currently priced at Rs 79,999 in India. It feels different than the Pixel 8. It’s bigger, heavier and has a similar design language to the iPhone 15. I’ve been using the phone for a week now and here’s what I could figure out.

Design

The Pixel 9 looks completely different to last year’s Pixel 8. It’s now bigger and heavier. The phone weighs 198g, but it’s still comfortable to hold. It has a flat back and a flat aluminium frame, giving it a similar feel to the iPhone 15. I’m not complaining. It’s nice to take inspiration from rivals. Everyone does it from time to time. In the end, as they say, looks matter. In this case, the Pixel 9 has a premium look.

The power and volume buttons are on the right side, and the SIM card tray is at the bottom. The Pixel 9 has made changes to the camera module on the back. It has a new pill-shaped design, which I honestly liked. This camera module, for me, is the most prominent feature of the Pixel 9.

Another advantage is that the phone hardly gets smudged by fingerprints or even dust. The smartphone is IP68 certified and the back panel is also protected with Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Overall, I was impressed by the design of the Pixel 9.

Show

On the front, the Pixel 9 has a 6.3-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s not an LTPO panel, but it does support HDR10+ and can reach a peak brightness of 2,700 nits. The display has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for protection.

If you’re spending Rs 80,000, you expect a great display, and I think the Pixel 9 won’t disappoint. The display is bright, smooth, and responsive. I used it in different lighting conditions and didn’t have any major issues with visibility. However, I was a little disappointed by the thick, visible bezels around the display.

I enjoyed watching video content on the phone, especially when I was spending time watching YouTube videos on HD settings. I was watching Samay Raina’s India’s Got Latent. I liked the video quality.

The speakers are also pretty good, with clear highs and lows and room for improvement in the bass. I’m impressed with the color and reproduction, with even images coming out crisp and clear. The fingerprint reader under the display worked well for me as well.

Camera

Compared to Google’s previous Pixel phones, the Pixel 9’s cameras have been improved. There’s a dual rear camera setup, including a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera with up to 8x Super Res zoom and a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. On the front, you have a 10.5-megapixel autofocus front-facing camera for video calls and selfies.

Google Pixel phones are known for their camera features and performance. In my opinion, Google has always offered excellent camera performance, which makes critics and users alike appreciate it. Following the tradition of previous Pixel phones, the Pixel 9 raises the bar with its camera performance and AI features.

The camera UI is fluid, with options like Night Sight, Portrait, Camera, Video, Panorama, Photo Sphere, Google Lens, Astrophotography, Top Shot, Magic Eraser, True Tone, Face Blur, Long Exposure Mode, Best Shot, Magic Editor, and Audio Magic Eraser.

The new “Add Me” feature lets you take a group photo, then switch places with someone and take a second photo with you. This feature was a highlight of the Pixel 9 phone. Everyone in the office and at home loved this feature, most of them wanted to try it at least once. For a brand, I consider it a win if even iPhone users are excited to use a camera feature on an Android phone.

Performance-wise, the Pixel 9’s main camera is excellent. It captured details and colors almost perfectly. I found it to be great at capturing moments with good contrast and depth. During testing, the colors produced by the main camera were almost true-to-life.

The main camera also managed to capture small details very well. Sharpness is impressive in both main and portrait mode. Color consistency across the 0.5x, 1x, and 2x zoom levels is solid, and even at 2x zoom, images are detailed and sharp.

Portraits taken with the Pixel 9 came out well, with fairly accurate edge detection and good facial details and skin tones. Low-light performance is pretty good, though there are some minor instances of oversaturation.

As for the front camera, selfies are decent, though skin tones could have been better. The Pixel 9 can record video in up to 4K at 60fps, but it lacks 8K recording, which is available on the Pro models. Video quality is decent, with good contrast and color saturation, but detail isn’t as sharp as you’d expect from a flagship phone. Overall, performance is about what you’d expect from a Pixel phone.

Performance

The Pixel 9 is equipped with Google’s Tensor G4 chip to better handle AI-related tasks on the device. It runs Android 14 with seven years of software and security updates. The Tensor G4 chip, which Google says is an alternative to higher-end chips, didn’t perform well during our testing.

In AnTuTu, the Pixel 9 barely managed to reach one million points. Compared to the iPhone 15 and the Samsung Galaxy S24, its score is quite low. In fact, this score can be found on some mid-range and budget phones today. Even the Geekbench scores are not that good. Also, the CPU throttling test came out in the red.

In everyday usage, I feel that the Pixel 9 is not a great performing phone. For those who like to play games on their phones, I would recommend the iPhone 15 or the OnePlus 12 for under Rs 80,000.

If you play games like BGMI at high graphics settings, you will feel that the gameplay is a bit slow and there are lags. It works as normal and since the screen and size are good, playing games feels fine at lower settings, but what is the point of buying a flagship phone if you can’t play your favorite games at high settings?

I also noticed heating issues during testing, especially when gaming, watching videos for long hours, and using the camera outdoors during the day. However, the user interface is clean. I didn’t have any issues while performing basic tasks like switching between apps, using social media platforms, and watching YouTube videos for 25 to 35 minutes.

As for the battery, the Pixel 9 has a slight upgrade compared to the Pixel 8: it has a 4700mAh battery. Surprisingly, I was impressed with the battery management of this phone. Once fully charged, the device can last for a day.

Considering all the heating issues, I was expecting a big battery drain, but that wasn’t the case. The device managed to last a day even after intensive use. The only issue with the battery is the slow charging. It only supports 27W charging and it took almost an hour to go from nine percent to eighty percent.

AI Features

This time around, Google has greatly improved its AI with a ton of cool features. The Pixel 9 is packed with AI capabilities. With Gemini AI built-in, the device offers a whole new level of AI functionality. If typing isn’t your forte, Gemini AI can help you summarize calls, texts, and emails to get to the information faster.

You can communicate with the Gemini AI assistant via text, images, or voice. Just hold down the power button. I found it useful for a variety of tasks, especially if you’re searching for something on the internet. It works similarly to Siri on Apple’s iPhones.

Another AI feature is the new Pixel Studio, where you can create different scenarios using prompts. Pixel Studio allows you to create AI-generated images and designs based on your prompts. Some of the responses may not be perfect, but it’s a work in progress. It can sometimes generate some pretty creative images, though there’s room for improvement here.

The phone can also track and organize your screenshots, allowing you to search for specific topics or information you’ve saved. You also get the Circle to Search and Magic Eraser features that were introduced last year.

Additionally, Google Photos’ Magic Editor includes tools like Best Take, which lets you replace faces or objects with better versions from other shots. As mentioned in the camera section, the camera app comes with the Pixel 9 series-exclusive Add Me feature, which combines people from separate shots into a single group photo or lets you clone yourself if you want. To be honest, I think this is one of the best AI features a phone can have right now.

I have tried most of them and found them useful, but most of these or similar features are available on the Oppo Reno 12 Pro, which is priced under Rs 40,000 in India. Overall, the AI ​​features on the device are good and may be the reason Google justifies its price tag, especially in India.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 79,999, the Pixel 9 Deals A fresh design, good camera performance, and impressive AI features. However, its performance is mediocre, especially for gaming, and slow charging can be frustrating. If AI features and a high-quality camera are your priorities, you may want to consider this one.

Honestly, if Google reduces the price to around Rs 65,000 during the Diwali sale, that would be the best time to buy it. At present, I would suggest buyers to check out the Samsung Galaxy S24 or the iPhone 15 before considering this new Pixel phone.