Google Pixel 9 series hot take

17 August 2024

Google held its Pixel 9 event this past week and it left us with some thoughts. So without further ado - here they are.

An August event instead of October makes all the difference

The Pixel 8 series was announced on October 4, 2023. The Pixel 7 series was announced on October 7, 2022. Google unveiled more devices this time around, and it managed it in the middle of August - impressive!

Changing the unveil from early Autumn to the blaze of Summer changes the entire dynamics of the launch and the Pixel 9 series is now a viable choice to take over your summer vacation photography - a huge opportunity for the photography-minded Pixel phones. Not to mention that Google's phones are now selling one whole month earlier than Apple's iPhones.

We like the new flat aesthetic

It seems everyone is making their phones flatter these days. Apple did it a few years ago, Samsung started it with the Galaxy S23 series and finally made the S Ultra flat this year. And now Google has done it to the Pixel.

We like the new look of the Pixels. Plus, their corners are slightly rounded, making them comfortable to hold, and a little less rectangular.

Going flat also potentially means the phone is less likely to break if you drop it, but more importantly glass protectors are easier to apply. Plus, the flat sides make it easier to make perfect use of the available volume.

But please make all surfaces matte next year

The Pixel 9 Pros frame has a polished metal finish that attracts fingerprints like nothing else (except maybe piano black plastic trim on cars..). And while the Pros have a frosted finish, the vanilla Pixel 9's rear glass panel is also glossy and becomes grimy within minutes.

Just look at the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24 Ultra and make everything matte, please, and thank you!

Making a compact Pixel 9 Pro is bold - but will it work?

The smaller Pixel 9 Pro is arguably the biggest (ha!) story of the event. Many people prefer a compact phone instead of the Ultra-sized flagship but don't want to compromise on specs.

But if you look at sales numbers, most people want a large display - the current multimedia consumption trends are an obvious enough explanation of why that is. This could mean the Pixel 9 Pro faces grim market prospects.

Worse yet, Google made the bigger Pixel 9 Pro XL available a week after the launch, while the Pixel 9 Pro will come out in September further hampering its prospects.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a mature foldable in just its second generation

After the original Pixel Fold, which was somewhat of a dud, we were pleasantly surprised by the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Google made a lot of right choices with its new book-style foldable - the screens are bigger, the cover screen is a natural 20:9 aspect, the phone is impressively thin, and it has a capable camera system.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold might even make the Galaxy Z Fold6 look nervously in its rearview mirror. The Pixel foldable has better displays, better cameras, and more RAM - not bad for a company often criticized to being too conservative with hardware upgrades!

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is a smart, safe update

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL will be the breadwinner of the family and for good reason. It's the best choice if you want the best Pixel - it has the biggest display and the best camera.

Google made its premier flagship meaningfully better than the last one as well - it has a better camera system, thanks to the brighter ultrawide lens and a new, wider-angle selfie camera. It also has the annual chipset upgrade, and a smarter new design, especially around the back.

The new ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is the way to go

A change that might go unnoticed but one that will certainly be felt by people who upgrade to the Pixel 9 devices is the move to an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.

Up until now, Pixel phones used optical scanners, which rely on light to scan your fingerprint, and people haven't been happy with their responsiveness and consistency, especially with screen protectors.

The ultrasonic tech, provided by Qualcomm is the best there is. The scanner works even in the dark and is faster and generally more reliable.

The Pixel 9 isn't a small phone like the Pixel 8

We have a Pixel 9 for review and have found it doesn't quite feel as small as you'd expect.

When you A/B test it against the Pixel 9 Pro XL, the smaller Pixel feels smaller. But it lacks the "hey, this is impressively compact" feel of the Pixel 8. it's 11 grams heavier, but more importantly, it's 1.2mm wider and 2.3mm taller. Put a case on it and it becomes a thick and heavy phone that's only marginally more compact than the Ultras out there.