Google Pixel 9 Pro review

The competition

At the time of writing, a Google Pixel 9 Pro will set you back about $1,000/GBP 1,000/€1,100 for a base 128GB/16GB model. The more expensive 256GB/16GB one costs GBP 1,100/€1,200 and a more expensive still 512GB/16GB variant will set you back $1,220/GBP 1,220/€ 1,330. We couldn't actually find a 1TB unit for sale.

That's a pretty penny to pay for a phone, even a flagship one, so we'll assume that money is no object in your purchasing decision. If it was, then there is the cheaper vanilla Pixel 9 to consider or perhaps an older Pixel device. In fact, we would go as far as to assume that going for the Pixel 9 Pro is a deliberate decision. It is one that most likely indicates you want a flagship with all the "bells and whistles" but in a compact form factor.

That leaves us with just a few obvious alternatives, starting with the Samsung Galaxy S24. Sure, it doesn't have camera feature parity with the likes of the S24 Ultra. However, you still get a very capable setup with a 50MP main snapper, 10MP 3x telephoto and a 12MP ultrawide, plus a great 12MP selfie cam crammed in a compact body with a 6.2-inch diagonal display.

The display might not be as fancy as the one on the Pixel 9 Pro, but it is still very capable with a 120Hz refresh rate and LTPO tech, plus HDR10+ certification and a pretty high maximum brightness.

Depending on where you live, you either get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset or the Exynos 2400, both of which are more powerful than the Tensor G4 inside the Pixel. You will have to settle for a smaller 4,000 mAh battery with the Galaxy, but then again, it is a smaller and lighter device than the Pixel 9 Pro. Not to mention, it is much cheaper at current pricing.

Samsung Galaxy S24 • Apple iPhone 16 Pro • Xiaomi 14

The other obvious competitor is the recently announced Apple iPhone 16 Pro. This year, the small "Pro" iPhone conveniently grew just a little bit compared to last year's model, and now it has a 6.3-inch display, just like the Pixel 9 Pro, though in a slightly different aspect ratio. Apple also did some potentially interesting tweaks to its periscope telephoto camera for this year, offering 5x optical zoom instead of 3x like before. Again, it is quite similar to the Pixel. Beyond that, you get all of the Apple extras you would expect from a "Pro" device. That and a whole load of AI features, though, many still expected to hit consumer devices soon.

Of course, if you want to save some money, there is the still excellent iPhone 15 Pro. No fancy new Camera Control button on that one, but we'd argue the 3x camera is a more versatile zoom camera to have because it gives you a nice stepping stone between 1x and 5x and zooming digitally to 5x is without any perceived quality loss.

Finally, why not look at the Xiaomi 14? It definitely meets the "compact flagship" requirement with its 6.36-inch display. A pretty fancy one at that, with a 120Hz refresh rate and LTPO, Dolby Vision certification and quite high max brightness. The Xiaomi 14 also has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and a pretty capable triple camera setup on the rear. No autofocus on the selfie, though, which is kind of unfortunate.

Verdict

The Pixel 9 Pro opens up a new niche for Google's hardware lineup - that of the compact flagship. We personally find that pretty exciting in itself. It also helps that the Pixel 9 Pro is a very well-rounded overall package. Its display, in particular, is excellent and near the top of our current charts when it comes to brightness. Build quality is solid; the same goes for audio and battery life.

The camera setup is identical to that of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which is a formidable accomplishment in itself. It does not mean it's flawless - just on the contrary. We were especially bummed by the inconsistent video quality, which was soft and mushy in one scene and sharp and crispy in the next. And just because AI can enhance photos now, that doesn't mean it should be used as a replacement for having the most advanced camera hardware possible. Still, we'll go much easier on the 9 Pro in this respect because, in the context of compact flagship devices, the Pixel 9 Pro is much more competitive than the 9 Pro XL is in its own respective segment.

Google would be eager to convince us that the Pixel 9's biggest selling point lies in its AI capabilities. The latest software features are at your disposal for both work and play, and image editing tools can help save a photo that circumstances tried to ruin. Summarizing, translating and even creating texts for any occasion is at your fingertips. Having a phone by the OS maker itself has its benefits, even if they're hard to quantify on a specs sheet.

And yes, we'd agree the Pixel 9 Pro is mostly exciting as a vehicle for Google's AI pursuits - if you want to ride the generative AI wave, there's nothing better than the Pixel 9 series right now. But even if you don't care about all that, and you are just after a compact flagship device, the 9 Pro deserves to be on your shortlist, though perhaps just not as the sole entry.

Pros

• Premium build and excellent ingress protection.
• Excellent LTPO OLED display with amazing brightness.
• Solid battery life.
• Very good loudness and admirable speaker quality.
• All the modern connectivity you could want, including tri-band Wi-Fi 7, NFC, eSIM support and video output over the Type-C port.
• Android from the source, seven years of updates.
• All the latest AI smarts and features.
• Superb selfies and an impressive rear camera setup for the size.

Cons

• Slippery and hard to keep clean surface.
• Poor peak and sustained performance of the chipset.