Pixel 9 review: With AI at its core, this Google phone exceeds your expectations | Tech Reviews

I particularly appreciate the look and feel of the Pixel 9, especially in the Wintergreen color. The phone feels premium to hold and is compact enough to use comfortably in one hand. However, at 198g, it tends to be on the heavier side. The matte finish of the metal frame effectively hides fingerprints and smudges, though the glossy glass back panel does the opposite. Like the Pixel 8, the prominent rear camera bump makes the Pixel 9 stand up slightly when placed on a flat surface, but it remains stable and easy to use. The front features an edge-to-edge display with thin bezels and a cutout for the front-facing camera.

For added durability, Google has equipped the Pixel 9 with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the display and the back. The glass panel sits flush against the satin-finished metal chassis, inspiring confidence that you won’t need to use a case. The phone also features an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

Overall, the Pixel 9 offers a premium feel in the hand and a distinctive design, though it evokes a sense of familiarity.

Display and audio

The display is a big highlight of the Pixel 9. At 6.3 inches, it’s a bit larger than the Pixel 8’s, but still comfortably accessible for one-handed use. Google has improved both the resolution and peak brightness of the OLED panel, and the improvements are immediately noticeable. The Pixel 9’s display offers vibrant colors and smooth viewing thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate.

Whether you’re viewing images on social media or streaming content, the Pixel 9’s display delivers crisp images. It supports HDR10 for streaming services like Netflix and some YouTube videos. The addition of Dolby Vision HDR would have further improved an already excellent viewing experience.

The Pixel 9’s readability in direct sunlight is impressive, with a peak brightness of 2,700 nits. With 1,800 nits of HDR brightness, viewing high dynamic range content remains easy, even outdoors. The display remains vibrant and bright from a variety of angles, though there is some slight glare noticeable in certain conditions.

As for audio, the Pixel 9’s built-in stereo speakers are flat and lack depth, especially in terms of bass. While audio output is clear, the volume is best suited for indoor use. For better sound quality with paired devices, the Pixel 9 supports spatial audio for select media and Advanced Audio Codec (AAC) for high-definition audio on compatible headphones. However, it lacks Dolby Atmos surround sound support.

Camera

On paper, the Pixel 9 features the same main and ultra-wide camera sensors as its Pro counterparts, with identical apertures and fields of view. However, Google may have applied different software optimization techniques. The output from both the 50MP main lens and the 48MP ultra-wide camera results in 12.5MP images. Photos from both cameras are impressive, with true-to-life colors, appropriate contrast, and sharp details. The main camera slightly edges out the ultra-wide in terms of detail. While the Pixel 9 maintains high image quality in a variety of lighting conditions, low-light photography lacks vibrancy.

Portrait photos are a bit of a letdown. The Pixel 9 sometimes struggles with accurate edge detection, especially in artificial light. Additionally, the phone only allows for portrait photos at 1.5x or 2x zoom. For selfies, the Pixel 9 retains the Pixel 8’s 10.5MP front camera, now with autofocus functionality. It takes impressive photos in good lighting conditions, but struggles in low light, with images lacking detail.

The Pixel 9 supports Ultra HDR photography and offers the option to save images in RAW format alongside JPEG. This feature is essential for photographers who want to preserve details for more control during editing. Additionally, the Social Depth feature allows compatible social media apps to access depth-related image data to improve the quality of shared images.

For video recording, the Pixel 9 supports recording in FHD and 4K resolution at up to 60 frames per second. It also offers 10-bit HDR recording, though it’s limited to 24fps and 30fps. Google offers three stabilization modes: Standard, Locked, and Active. While Standard and Locked modes work at any resolution and frame rate, Active stabilization is restricted to FHD recording at 30fps. Additional features include a Speech Enhancement tool, which improves voice clarity in noisy environments.

Performance and battery

The Pixel 9 shows a significant improvement in both performance and thermal management compared to its predecessor. Equipped with the Tensor G4 chip, the Pixel 9 performs well in daily use. The smartphone handles tasks smoothly, including AI processing workloads, and shows no signs of glitches during regular use.

To test its capabilities further, I ran graphics-intensive games like Battleground Mobile India (BGMI) and FC Mobile. BGMI is playable at extreme graphics settings, and the Pixel 9 delivered the best experience with HDR graphics and an Ultra frame rate option. The phone maintained a steady 45 to 50 fps without any significant frame drops or overheating. FC Mobile also ran smoothly at Ultra graphics settings. However, when connected to an external game controller, the Pixel 9 quickly warmed up.

With a larger battery and better thermal management than its predecessor, the Pixel 9 offers a much-needed improvement in battery life. Using it as an everyday device, I was able to get a full day’s use out of it by charging it to 85% in the morning. Recharging it with a 33W charger, I hit the 70% mark in about 40 minutes from 5%.

Software and AI

The Google Pixel 9 fully embraces its role as an AI phone. Many AI features are seamlessly integrated into everyday use. This is one of the Pixel 9’s key strengths, with tools like the new Screenshots app and “Add Me” camera feature effortlessly improving the user experience.

Of the new AI tools, I found myself frequently using the dedicated Screenshots app and the AI-generated weather summary in the revamped Pixel Weather app. Other features, like the “Add Me” camera tool, “Reimagine” in Google Photos, and the Pixel Studio image generation app, were useful but less frequently used. Existing AI features have also seen notable improvements, like the AI ​​wallpaper generator, which now offers more styles and higher-quality results.

Here are some of the key new AI features on the Pixel 9:

Screenshots app: Automatically saves screenshots and organizes them in a searchable grid. You can add notes for context, and the app uses AI to understand the image’s content, making it easier to search. It generates AI-powered summaries and links to the web page where the screenshot was taken. However, you can’t launch an app directly from a screenshot.

Pixel Studio app: Create images from text prompts in various styles using the Gemini image generator. The feature uses cloud processing and usually delivers adequate results after a few iterations.

Pixel Weather app: Offers a customizable tile-based format for displaying weather data, along with AI-generated summaries of the day’s forecasted weather conditions. These summaries are concise, but don’t always take prioritized metrics into account.

Add Me: This camera tool includes the photographer in group photos. After taking a normal group photo, it overlays a second image with the photographer in the frame. While the results are usually good enough for social media, it sometimes struggles with shadows and reflections.

360 Degree Panorama: Allows you to capture 360 ​​degree panoramic photos with a helpful interface that guides your camera positioning.

Reimagine: Part of Google Photos’ Magic Editor, this tool uses generative AI to modify selected sections of an image or change the background based on text entered. It works best with large, uniform sections, but can sometimes not match descriptions.

Gemini Live: Available through the Gemini Assistant app, Gemini Live offers interactive, lifelike conversations. This feature is available with the Gemini Advanced subscription included with the smartphone for one month. It allows you to interrupt conversations midway, and the assistant pauses to listen. However, its current functionality is limited, as it does not support basic tasks like setting timers or alarms that Gemini Assistant can perform.

Ask about this screen: Gemini Assistant can answer questions about what’s on the screen by rendering it as an image. Unfortunately, this limits its use, as it doesn’t work with scrollable content on a full page.

In addition to these AI tools, the Pixel 9 comes with Android 14 out of the box and will be one of the first to receive Android 15 when it launches in October.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 79,999 onwards, the Google Pixel 9 offers significant upgrades across the board. It features one of the most impressive displays on a smartphone, offers longer battery life, better performance, and a solid imaging system. Plus, it has one of the best-integrated AI experiences in the industry. However, the device lacks certain features found on the Pro variant, such as the telephoto lens and higher-quality zoom capabilities.

The Pixel 9 is a strong contender in the flagship segment, especially for users who value the latest AI technology. While it may not be on par with the Pixel 9 Pro in every aspect, it stands out as a well-rounded, high-performing device.