Google Pixel 9 review

No Pro - no telephoto

The Pixel 9 inherits the Pixel 8's camera system in principle - it's got a wide primary camera and an ultrawide on the back, but no telephoto - only the Pros get to zoom in optically. That said, the 2024 vanilla model does get a couple of upgrades - the new ultrawide camera, and autofocus for selfies.

The main camera is the same as on the Pixel 9 Pro (and Pro XL), the module also being shared with last year's models and to some extent with the 7 generation. The Pixel 9 also gets the same ultrawide as the 9 Pros, the new 48MP 1/2.55" Quad Bayer unit marking a somewhat significant improvement over the 12MP 1/2.9" conventional sensor of the Pixel 8.

A few more things set the Pixel 9 apart from this year's Pro models - in addition to the lack of a telephoto camera, that is. For one, the plain 9 gets lesser laser assist for its autofocus - it's single-point here vs. multi-point on the Pros, a difference that's been carried over from last year. You also don't get the extra 'Pro' tab in the camera settings, which is where the full-res 50MP mode lives, so the Pixel 9 can only shoot binned photos - hardly an issue, just a difference.

The other generational improvement is the addition of autofocus on the selfie camera. We're still not sure why the Pixel 8 was denied that when the 8 Pro had it, but the important thing is that the 9 gets it right. The 9 Pros do have a stronger selfie game, with a 42MP Quad Bayer sensor and an even wider lens, but even so, the 9 isn't too badly specced on the front either.

• Wide (main): 50MP (1/1.31", 1.2µm-2.4µm), f/1.68, 24mm, dual-pixel PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; 4K@60fps
• Ultrawide: 48MP (1/2.55", 0.7µm-1.4µm), f/1.7, 12mm, multi-directional PDAF; 4K@60fps
• Front camera: 10.5MP (1/3.1", 1.22µm), f/2.2, 21mm, dual-pixel PDAF; 4K@60fps

Main camera

The Pixel 9's main camera doesn't disappoint in broad daylight and you can expect excellent images from it. We're getting great detail, rendered in a natural way with well judged sharpening and only the occasional jaggies in isolated situations, while noise is just not there. There's the usual high contrast you'd expect from Pixels, with a focus on highlight preservation and somewhat dark-ish shadows. Colors are really nice too, without pushing the saturation slider to extremes.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x)

Skin tones are also rendered well on the Pixel 9 and we're liking how people shots look in Photo mode. We're not particular fans of the relatively high background blur in Portrait mode though.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x), Photo mode

Daylight samples, main camera (1.5x), Portrait mode

With no telephoto on the Pixel 9, the 2x zoom level is possibly the most you can get while still having acceptable image quality. We'd say it has a visible advantage over the iPhone 15, but the Galaxy S24 will deliver superior quality zoomed in shots thanks to its dedicated 3x camera.

Daylight samples, main camera (2x)

The 2x people shots maintain a good level of detail too, though Portrait mode at 2x is significantly softer. Either way, the shooting distance is a lot more comfortable for both subject and photographer, plus the perspective is more flattering.

Daylight samples, main camera (2x), Photo mode

Daylight samples, main camera (2x), Portrait mode

Ultrawide camera

The ultrawide camera captures solid images as well, particularly sharp in the center, and slightly less so towards the corners, but not half bad either. Dynamic range and color rendition are great as well.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (0.5x)

The ultrawide also takes care of closeups on the Pixel 9 family. It can focus as close as around 15mm from the phone's camera bump, and at that minimum subject distance you'll likely be throwing a shadow on it unless you take some careful measures against it, plus depth of field will be very shallow. That said, the macro mode shots (taken on the ultrawide, but zoomed in to match the main camera's field of view) are still pretty good. You can, of course, just shoot on the ultrawide in its native field of view at that same minimum focus distance.

Closeups, Macro mode

Closeups, ultrawide camera, regular photo

Selfies

The Pixel 9's selfies are also easy to like. They capture excellent detail and have pleasing skin tones and overall lively colors. The addition of autofocus this time around means the Pixel 9 can also do selfies from less than an arm's length distance, expanding your possibilities for framing and matching the capabilities of the iPhone 15 and the Galaxy S24 in this respect.

Selfie samples

Low-light photo quality

Main camera

After dark, the Pixel 9 captures respectable photos. Detail isn't groundbreaking, particularly in the shadows which can be a little soft, but overall the rendition is good. Exposures are on point with good highlight retention and relatively bright shadows - that boost and the noise reduction that goes with is probably at fault for the slight softness, but it's a trade-off we don't mind all that much. White balance is consistent (somehow a bit more so than our experience with the Pro XL), and saturation is well-judged.

Low-light samples, main camera (1x)

At 2x, pixel-level detail isn't superb, but there's still enough definition to qualify as a good low-light photo. Naturally, better-lit scenes will look better. The Pixel is still quite competitive against the iPhone 15 and the Galaxy S24 (its 3x camera isn't the most reliable in the dark).

Low-light samples, main camera (2x)

Ultrawide camera

The ultrawide captures nicely bright exposures as well and remains decently sharp in the better-lit areas and okay in the darker zones. Colors are also nice. It tends to deliver notably superior results compared to what we got from its Galaxy and iPhone counterparts.

Low-light samples, ultrawide camera (0.5x)

Video recording

The Pixel 9 can record video up to 4K60 with all of its cameras - the three rear ones, and the front-facing one. The rear cameras can also record in 4K at 24fps, not just 30fps, but the selfie camera doesn't get that capability. There's no 8K on the plain Pixel.

There's the usual selection between the h.264 codec for wider compatibility and the more efficient h.265 option. 10-bit HDR recording is another option on the menu.

There's a three-pronged approach to stabilization, with 'Standard' available across all modes and cameras. 'Active' mode locks you into 1080p30 on the ultrawide for action shoots, while 'Locked' is for zoomed-in recording at up to 4K60 at 2x or even 5x zoom (a bit much on the tele-less Pixel 9). You can also turn off the stabilization entirely if you have other measures in place to ensure steady footage.

Video sample playlist

You can check out the playlist below, which includes multiple video samples.

Similarly to what we already saw on the 9 Pro XL, video clips from the Pixel 9 are softer than what we'd expect for the class - from both the main and the ultrawide cameras. Contrast is also on the high side of average, leaving us with some relatively harsh shadows, though let's just say that that's how Pixels are and move on. Colors have nice levels of saturation and a bit of a warm tendency that we don't necessarily dislike.

In low light, the Pixel's main camera videos are broadly comparable to those from its rivals, with a decent level of detail, good dynamic range and accurate colors. The ultrawide does more or less on par with that of the Galaxy S24 too, both of them better than the iPhone 15's.

We have nothing but praise for the Pixel 9's stabilization algorithms, which do a fine job of smoothing out walking shake. Pans are steady too, and stationary shots look like they've been captured on a tripod.