Google Pixel 9 5G 128GB (Peony)
Meet the Pixel 9 with Gemini. Engineered by Google, Pixel gets the best of Google's AI first. So that you can take amazing photos, make edits like magic and get things done even easier. Pixel can protect against spam and other threats. It helps you in an emergency. Âą And it's built to last.
Meet the Pixel 9 with Gemini. Engineered by Google, Pixel gets the best of Google's AI first. So that you can take amazing photos, make edits like magic and get things done even easier. Pixel can protect against spam and other threats. It helps you in an emergency. Âą And it's built to last.
Meet the Pixel 9 with Gemini. Engineered by Google, Pixel gets the best of Google's AI first. So that you can take amazing photos, make edits like magic and get things done even easier. Pixel can protect against spam and other threats. It helps you in an emergency. Âą And it's built to last.
Meet the Pixel 9 with Gemini. Engineered by Google, Pixel gets the best of Google's AI first. So that you can take amazing photos, make edits like magic and get things done even easier. Pixel can protect against spam and other threats. It helps you in an emergency. Âą And it's built to last.
in 38 offers
The lowest price for Google Pixel 9 5G 128GB (Peony) right now is $535.00 at CeX, compared across 17 retailers.
The all-time low was $535.00 on 14 July 2026. That's the lowest price we've ever tracked — a great time to buy.
Prices last updated 3 Aug 2026.
Last updated at 03/08/2026 09:30:11
Google Pixel 9 128GB Peony, Unlocked C
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Google Pixel 9 128gb 256gb Black Green Pink White - Good Refurbished
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Google Pixel 9 Peony 128gb Premium 100%
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Brand Google Pixel 9 5g 6.3" 128gb/256gb Brand Original Unlocked
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Google Pixel 9 5g 128gb (peony)
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Google Pixel 9 5g Peony 128gb + 12gb Dual-sim Factory Unlocked Global
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Google Pixel 9 5g 128gb - Peony (ga05841-ca) Au Stock 6.3' Oled 120hz
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Google Pixel 9 128GB Pink - Good Refurbished
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Google Pixel 9 5G 128GB, Peony Australian Stock - Excellent - Refurbished
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Google Pixel 9 5G 128GB, Peony Global Ver - Excellent - Refurbished
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originally posted on bestbuy.com
The Google Pixel I think is a decent smartphone that has no bloatware of any kind, though I won't say as compared to the other brand of a smartphone of a different OS that I have (iPhone with IOS), it can be a learning curve being introduced to the Android OS, however there can be similarities with different twists when its commonly navigating the home screen, accessing settings, taking photos and video, switching between apps and so on.I have taken photos so far with the smartphone which features a 50 megapixel main camera and what I like with the camera app is the feature of having the photo always level, to which we always want the photo at zero degrees; I haven't so far encountered or seen a setting for that for the iPhone's main camera app as I have looked as ... MoreThe Google Pixel I think is a decent smartphone that has no bloatware of any kind, though I won't say as compared to the other brand of a smartphone of a different OS that I have (iPhone with IOS), it can be a learning curve being introduced to the Android OS, however there can be similarities with different twists when its commonly navigating the home screen, accessing settings, taking photos and video, switching between apps and so on.I have taken photos so far with the smartphone which features a 50 megapixel main camera and what I like with the camera app is the feature of having the photo always level, to which we always want the photo at zero degrees; I haven't so far encountered or seen a setting for that for the iPhone's main camera app as I have looked as much of the settings as I can.Going back to the Pixel, the Magic Editor is quite a feature I have read about, but will be needing some practice on moving objects, expanding, as I know what's great is the Add Me feature in group photos which the person taking the photo, can be in the group photo as well being added later and that places of a person in the group trades to take the other photo, which is convenient than having two pictures with the two different persons; its just one.Video recording was briefly taken and seems to be on par and usual; much more to tinker settings and experiment with later on, but it feels common with the zooming in and out and so on.Regarding the phone and dimensions and though this is a non pro size, its fits well and has quite some screen area as front facing camera is a dot.I have used a nan sim card with ATT from a family members phone and it works well accepting the network, making calls, etc. I think Google can do a better job of the placement of the sim card tray; i is at the bottom which could be where the speakers and microphone are placed and the hole for the sim card ejection, is on the same area of the sim card slot but the adjacent/opposing microphone hole can be mistaken for the sim ejection hole to put in your sim ejecting tool or safety pin and it did however unfortunately happened with me for a split second of putting the tool in that microphone hole. Of course I was careful in time, but others may need to be aware about this. I think the sim card slot (if google pursues in next pixel models that support a sim card) should be on either side of the phone.This phone will serve as an travel overseas phone and to use the country's service provider whenever we visit, and use it to make calls and surf the web, and use it as a tethered hotspot with our smartphones to make voip calls and also surf the web are our phones still are currently locked to our service provider at moment (and though our service provider has "international day passes", it more costly). But also it would be used to add a line to our account which we'd port our landline # soon since the old POTS will be phased out very shortly.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
So the Pixel 9 continues the industry trend to market primarily on Artificial Intelligence features and capability. Google Gemini, Add Me, Screenshots, Pixel Studio, etc. I'm of the mind that AI things are interesting, and can be fun, but there is too much mud in the water as far as the morality of how these companies have obtained their datasets that kind of puts a damper on the whole thing for me, and this is the biggest issue in the Image generation side of the whole AI generative content thing. But my personal feelings on all that aside, the Pixel 9 is a solid new entry in the Pixel lineup, and this years entry feels far more like a flagship device than they have in years past.I love the matte finish on the frame, but wish they would have continued that with ... MoreSo the Pixel 9 continues the industry trend to market primarily on Artificial Intelligence features and capability. Google Gemini, Add Me, Screenshots, Pixel Studio, etc. I'm of the mind that AI things are interesting, and can be fun, but there is too much mud in the water as far as the morality of how these companies have obtained their datasets that kind of puts a damper on the whole thing for me, and this is the biggest issue in the Image generation side of the whole AI generative content thing. But my personal feelings on all that aside, the Pixel 9 is a solid new entry in the Pixel lineup, and this years entry feels far more like a flagship device than they have in years past.I love the matte finish on the frame, but wish they would have continued that with the back glass like they did on the pro models. The smooth back glass feels slippery, almost greasy, and that sucks because otherwise the phone looks amazing. and makes me feel like a skin, or case is almost mandatory to keep it from feeling like dropping it is an inevitability rather than a bad handling issue.Performance wise we aren't really looking at any major gains from last year, but we did get increased ram, mainly to handle those AI workloads on device. Add Me, in the camera, being probably the most interesting if you remember that it's there after the initial novelty wears off. This lets you, as the name suggests, add yourself to group photos in instances where you don't have someone outside the group to take the picture or have a reliable way to prop the device up and use a timer. It's also just interesting in that you can just use it to take pictures that can't exist, like a picture of yourself, hanging out with, yourself... Good fun nonsense. But I feel like this is less of an AI feature and more of an editing feature that's automated?Contrary to the popular opinion from what I have seen others saying, I happen to like the screenshots app. Keeping my screenshots out of my photo gallery, and separated out and indexed in a clean and easy to navigate way is nice, an added bonus being if your pulling up a screenshot to show someone, and they accidentally swipe or back out there's no chance of them seeing the nonsense photos you have taken as well, so that's a fringe benefit. If you know, you know.We get the same main cameras as the Pro this time minus the telephoto one, and that means not losing out on camera quality, though the pro still gets the better front facing camera, so if your big into the selfie game, you might still prefer that one. I myself don't tent to take pictures of myself, so no loss for me. Overall the camera quality is good, though the sometimes can look a little over processed to me, sometimes a little too sharp, but still good quality, and I don't think it will make your pictures look bad on your insta.For mobile gamers, sorry to say, your still getting left out. The latest Snapdragon in competing phones still puts this to shame, that isn't to say you can't game here, but your not going to be putting the settings on Max in every game you try, CoD Mobile runs well though, I myself do not game on my phone that often, I have plenty of other devices for that, and the few mobile games I do play, I tend to play on a tablet because my eyes suck and a smaller phone screen doesn't let me enjoy the experience as much as I'd like.Overall the Pixel 9 is a nice phone, I think the focus on AI is more of a detractor from the phones general premium feel and smooth operation. There's a lot to like here, it's been a joy to use, and coverage is generally pretty good in my area, but I've not had any signal quality issues, dropped calls, or other problems of note. So if your looking for a clean android experience with a solid camera and smooth performance with a longer software support cycle than most, the Pixel 9 is a pretty good choice.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
Being a digital creator means I’ve got my phone on me at all times to capture content, take notes, take calls, and do research. The Google Pixel 9 is the fourth Pixel phone I’ve had over the years and so far it does not disappoint. Whether I’m capturing footage at events for my small business or being the designated photographer at a friend’s party, I’m always ready with my trusty Google Pixel phone. Not only am I regularly using my phone to capture good footage for multiple social media accounts, I also listen to plenty of music, audio books, and videos throughout my day. Having a reliable phone with a good camera and a long-lasting battery is a must. The Pixels improve every year, and the Pixel 9 is offering a newer processor, higher quality camera, and 12GB RAM ... MoreBeing a digital creator means I’ve got my phone on me at all times to capture content, take notes, take calls, and do research. The Google Pixel 9 is the fourth Pixel phone I’ve had over the years and so far it does not disappoint. Whether I’m capturing footage at events for my small business or being the designated photographer at a friend’s party, I’m always ready with my trusty Google Pixel phone. Not only am I regularly using my phone to capture good footage for multiple social media accounts, I also listen to plenty of music, audio books, and videos throughout my day. Having a reliable phone with a good camera and a long-lasting battery is a must. The Pixels improve every year, and the Pixel 9 is offering a newer processor, higher quality camera, and 12GB RAM (an improvement on the Pixel 8’s 8GB RAM).CAMERA APPThe main difference I noticed about the rear camera is that the Pixel 9’s Ultrawide lens (0.5x zoom) now has 48MP compared to the Pixel 8’s Ultrawide 12MP lens. The field of view is just a few degrees narrower on the Pixel 9, but I’m okay with that if I’m getting better quality overall. The Macro Focus was one of my favorite updates on the Pixel 8 so I’m happy that the Pixel 9 macro’s closest distance limit improved from 3cm (Pixel 8) to 2cm (Pixel 9). The macro focus is great for detail shots on a product shoot so even having that little bit of extra wiggle room is great.Portrait mode is such a great feature to have when I don’t have a professional camera on me. Back in April I went to a couple birthday parties and I was the unofficial photographer for the events which led me to take beautiful portraits of the birthday ladies with my Pixel 8. There were no special events the week of this review, but if the Pixel 8 can take great photos, I know the Pixel 9 can surpass or at least match the quality. One of the parties was outdoors during the day, so the footage I got was crisp and clear. The portraits outdoors were gorgeous. The second party I went to was at a salsa bar at night so while it was a low-light environment, the camera quality was still top notch. (I debated sharing the portraits in this review but since they were not taken with the Pixel 9, I decided against it. I’ll include other photos I took with the Pixel 9.)GOOGLE PHOTOS: MAGIC ERASER, EDITING TOOLS, BEST TAKEI am on the Photos app all the time! I love looking through my photos, creating albums, and sharing them with friends & family. It’s great to be able to share a link with a group of people so they can either download the photos/videos for themselves or even just write comments for me to look back on later. Not only do I love being able to organize my media in Photos, but I love all the editing options too. The editing tools just keep getting better as the years go by. Photos editing is great because I have access to sky enhancements, filters, highlights/shadows, contrast, brightness, and so many basic editing features along with more advanced ones. I’ve been a fan of the Magic Eraser since it was available - it’s so convenient to get rid of things like power lines in a background or a crumpled napkin on a table in a group photo directly on my phone rather than pulling the image into a desktop photo editing program. Speaking of pulling photos into an editing software, I’m so used to having to do this with group photos to get everyone’s best smile but the Pixel’s “Best Take" feature works well in a pinch!BATTERY LIFEWith as much as I use my phone on a daily basis, good battery life is very important to me. The Pixel 9 has an improved battery rating at 4700 mAh, compared to the Pixel 8’s 4575 mAh rating. I’m confident that the new Google Tensor G4 processor can handle the upgraded battery rating - I haven’t had any issues yet. My screen time Monday - Friday is about 8h per day, which I classify as somewhat heavy usage, so on my heaviest usage day this week I went from 100% charge at 6:30 am to 18% at 9:15 pm. On camera-heavy days, I definitely make a point to charge my phone beforehand and carry a portable charger with me. I personally like adaptive charging to keep my battery healthier for longer.SCREENSHOTS APPScreenshots can get real messy, real quick. But now that I’ve found the Google Screenshots app, I’m finally able to organize and review my screenshots in a helpful and productive way. The Screenshots app allows you to select screenshots and put them in a collection for maximum organization. Viewing one of the screenshots lets you see an AI generated summary which usually writes out any text in the image. So for example if I’m looking up gift ideas and I screenshot something from the shopping tab in my Google search, the screenshot summary will have titles, descriptions, ratings, price, etc. There are also quick features like image sharing, image editing, setting reminders, or doing a Google search on that specific screenshot.GOOGLE AI FEATURESThe AI features that I like the most on the Pixel 9 are the Magic Editor in Google Photos and the generated summaries on the Screenshots app. The Magic Editor is so neat to use especially when I just want to edit a portion of a background. The Auto Frame feature is great because it generates any missing piece of the image in order to frame the subjects better. Sure, I could just crop or re-frame myself, but the generative feature is helpful. I use AI as an aid, so I don’t expect it to be perfect. When using the Reimagine tool, I got better results asking for something like “blue and yellow flowers and a sunset background” in comparison to the questionable results I got when I asked it to “create a bowl of dog treats”. I had to find a balance between asking for a general change and specific material generation.Pixel Studio was interesting to use, but I noticed it only creates square images and I’d like to have more sizing options. I don’t know how much I’ll continue to use this app given that I can’t seem to use any of the stickers I made outside of Pixel Studio. I’m not a huge fan of completely AI generated images because I like to create my own photos, but I suppose it’s just another tool to have in my pocket.OVERALLThe Google Pixel 9 does a great job of meeting my daily phone needs. If I’m not using my phone for entertainment, I’m using it to capture content for work and leisure. The two things I value most in a phone are camera quality and battery life so my favorite upgrades on the Pixel 9 are the ones that improve on those two features. I’ve been making social media content and photo albums with ease for the last few years and the Pixel is my most used tool to achieve those goals. The fact that I can edit and organize directly in-phone or in Photos is a huge plus for me. There are a lot of extras, like AI features, that are nice to have but I may not use on a regular basis, however I don’t think it’s fair to dock points for having more features than I need.
| Release date | 22 Aug 24 |
Google Pixel 9 128GB Peony, Unlocked C
Free delivery
Google Pixel 9 128gb 256gb Black Green Pink White - Good Refurbished
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Google Pixel 9 Peony 128gb Premium 100%
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Brand Google Pixel 9 5g 6.3" 128gb/256gb Brand Original Unlocked
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Google Pixel 9 5g 128gb (peony)
Delivery $9
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
The Google Pixel I think is a decent smartphone that has no bloatware of any kind, though I won't say as compared to the other brand of a smartphone of a different OS that I have (iPhone with IOS), it can be a learning curve being introduced to the Android OS, however there can be similarities with different twists when its commonly navigating the home screen, accessing settings, taking photos and video, switching between apps and so on.I have taken photos so far with the smartphone which features a 50 megapixel main camera and what I like with the camera app is the feature of having the photo always level, to which we always want the photo at zero degrees; I haven't so far encountered or seen a setting for that for the iPhone's main camera app as I have looked as ... MoreThe Google Pixel I think is a decent smartphone that has no bloatware of any kind, though I won't say as compared to the other brand of a smartphone of a different OS that I have (iPhone with IOS), it can be a learning curve being introduced to the Android OS, however there can be similarities with different twists when its commonly navigating the home screen, accessing settings, taking photos and video, switching between apps and so on.I have taken photos so far with the smartphone which features a 50 megapixel main camera and what I like with the camera app is the feature of having the photo always level, to which we always want the photo at zero degrees; I haven't so far encountered or seen a setting for that for the iPhone's main camera app as I have looked as much of the settings as I can.Going back to the Pixel, the Magic Editor is quite a feature I have read about, but will be needing some practice on moving objects, expanding, as I know what's great is the Add Me feature in group photos which the person taking the photo, can be in the group photo as well being added later and that places of a person in the group trades to take the other photo, which is convenient than having two pictures with the two different persons; its just one.Video recording was briefly taken and seems to be on par and usual; much more to tinker settings and experiment with later on, but it feels common with the zooming in and out and so on.Regarding the phone and dimensions and though this is a non pro size, its fits well and has quite some screen area as front facing camera is a dot.I have used a nan sim card with ATT from a family members phone and it works well accepting the network, making calls, etc. I think Google can do a better job of the placement of the sim card tray; i is at the bottom which could be where the speakers and microphone are placed and the hole for the sim card ejection, is on the same area of the sim card slot but the adjacent/opposing microphone hole can be mistaken for the sim ejection hole to put in your sim ejecting tool or safety pin and it did however unfortunately happened with me for a split second of putting the tool in that microphone hole. Of course I was careful in time, but others may need to be aware about this. I think the sim card slot (if google pursues in next pixel models that support a sim card) should be on either side of the phone.This phone will serve as an travel overseas phone and to use the country's service provider whenever we visit, and use it to make calls and surf the web, and use it as a tethered hotspot with our smartphones to make voip calls and also surf the web are our phones still are currently locked to our service provider at moment (and though our service provider has "international day passes", it more costly). But also it would be used to add a line to our account which we'd port our landline # soon since the old POTS will be phased out very shortly.
So the Pixel 9 continues the industry trend to market primarily on Artificial Intelligence features and capability. Google Gemini, Add Me, Screenshots, Pixel Studio, etc. I'm of the mind that AI things are interesting, and can be fun, but there is too much mud in the water as far as the morality of how these companies have obtained their datasets that kind of puts a damper on the whole thing for me, and this is the biggest issue in the Image generation side of the whole AI generative content thing. But my personal feelings on all that aside, the Pixel 9 is a solid new entry in the Pixel lineup, and this years entry feels far more like a flagship device than they have in years past.I love the matte finish on the frame, but wish they would have continued that with ... MoreSo the Pixel 9 continues the industry trend to market primarily on Artificial Intelligence features and capability. Google Gemini, Add Me, Screenshots, Pixel Studio, etc. I'm of the mind that AI things are interesting, and can be fun, but there is too much mud in the water as far as the morality of how these companies have obtained their datasets that kind of puts a damper on the whole thing for me, and this is the biggest issue in the Image generation side of the whole AI generative content thing. But my personal feelings on all that aside, the Pixel 9 is a solid new entry in the Pixel lineup, and this years entry feels far more like a flagship device than they have in years past.I love the matte finish on the frame, but wish they would have continued that with the back glass like they did on the pro models. The smooth back glass feels slippery, almost greasy, and that sucks because otherwise the phone looks amazing. and makes me feel like a skin, or case is almost mandatory to keep it from feeling like dropping it is an inevitability rather than a bad handling issue.Performance wise we aren't really looking at any major gains from last year, but we did get increased ram, mainly to handle those AI workloads on device. Add Me, in the camera, being probably the most interesting if you remember that it's there after the initial novelty wears off. This lets you, as the name suggests, add yourself to group photos in instances where you don't have someone outside the group to take the picture or have a reliable way to prop the device up and use a timer. It's also just interesting in that you can just use it to take pictures that can't exist, like a picture of yourself, hanging out with, yourself... Good fun nonsense. But I feel like this is less of an AI feature and more of an editing feature that's automated?Contrary to the popular opinion from what I have seen others saying, I happen to like the screenshots app. Keeping my screenshots out of my photo gallery, and separated out and indexed in a clean and easy to navigate way is nice, an added bonus being if your pulling up a screenshot to show someone, and they accidentally swipe or back out there's no chance of them seeing the nonsense photos you have taken as well, so that's a fringe benefit. If you know, you know.We get the same main cameras as the Pro this time minus the telephoto one, and that means not losing out on camera quality, though the pro still gets the better front facing camera, so if your big into the selfie game, you might still prefer that one. I myself don't tent to take pictures of myself, so no loss for me. Overall the camera quality is good, though the sometimes can look a little over processed to me, sometimes a little too sharp, but still good quality, and I don't think it will make your pictures look bad on your insta.For mobile gamers, sorry to say, your still getting left out. The latest Snapdragon in competing phones still puts this to shame, that isn't to say you can't game here, but your not going to be putting the settings on Max in every game you try, CoD Mobile runs well though, I myself do not game on my phone that often, I have plenty of other devices for that, and the few mobile games I do play, I tend to play on a tablet because my eyes suck and a smaller phone screen doesn't let me enjoy the experience as much as I'd like.Overall the Pixel 9 is a nice phone, I think the focus on AI is more of a detractor from the phones general premium feel and smooth operation. There's a lot to like here, it's been a joy to use, and coverage is generally pretty good in my area, but I've not had any signal quality issues, dropped calls, or other problems of note. So if your looking for a clean android experience with a solid camera and smooth performance with a longer software support cycle than most, the Pixel 9 is a pretty good choice.
Being a digital creator means I’ve got my phone on me at all times to capture content, take notes, take calls, and do research. The Google Pixel 9 is the fourth Pixel phone I’ve had over the years and so far it does not disappoint. Whether I’m capturing footage at events for my small business or being the designated photographer at a friend’s party, I’m always ready with my trusty Google Pixel phone. Not only am I regularly using my phone to capture good footage for multiple social media accounts, I also listen to plenty of music, audio books, and videos throughout my day. Having a reliable phone with a good camera and a long-lasting battery is a must. The Pixels improve every year, and the Pixel 9 is offering a newer processor, higher quality camera, and 12GB RAM ... MoreBeing a digital creator means I’ve got my phone on me at all times to capture content, take notes, take calls, and do research. The Google Pixel 9 is the fourth Pixel phone I’ve had over the years and so far it does not disappoint. Whether I’m capturing footage at events for my small business or being the designated photographer at a friend’s party, I’m always ready with my trusty Google Pixel phone. Not only am I regularly using my phone to capture good footage for multiple social media accounts, I also listen to plenty of music, audio books, and videos throughout my day. Having a reliable phone with a good camera and a long-lasting battery is a must. The Pixels improve every year, and the Pixel 9 is offering a newer processor, higher quality camera, and 12GB RAM (an improvement on the Pixel 8’s 8GB RAM).CAMERA APPThe main difference I noticed about the rear camera is that the Pixel 9’s Ultrawide lens (0.5x zoom) now has 48MP compared to the Pixel 8’s Ultrawide 12MP lens. The field of view is just a few degrees narrower on the Pixel 9, but I’m okay with that if I’m getting better quality overall. The Macro Focus was one of my favorite updates on the Pixel 8 so I’m happy that the Pixel 9 macro’s closest distance limit improved from 3cm (Pixel 8) to 2cm (Pixel 9). The macro focus is great for detail shots on a product shoot so even having that little bit of extra wiggle room is great.Portrait mode is such a great feature to have when I don’t have a professional camera on me. Back in April I went to a couple birthday parties and I was the unofficial photographer for the events which led me to take beautiful portraits of the birthday ladies with my Pixel 8. There were no special events the week of this review, but if the Pixel 8 can take great photos, I know the Pixel 9 can surpass or at least match the quality. One of the parties was outdoors during the day, so the footage I got was crisp and clear. The portraits outdoors were gorgeous. The second party I went to was at a salsa bar at night so while it was a low-light environment, the camera quality was still top notch. (I debated sharing the portraits in this review but since they were not taken with the Pixel 9, I decided against it. I’ll include other photos I took with the Pixel 9.)GOOGLE PHOTOS: MAGIC ERASER, EDITING TOOLS, BEST TAKEI am on the Photos app all the time! I love looking through my photos, creating albums, and sharing them with friends & family. It’s great to be able to share a link with a group of people so they can either download the photos/videos for themselves or even just write comments for me to look back on later. Not only do I love being able to organize my media in Photos, but I love all the editing options too. The editing tools just keep getting better as the years go by. Photos editing is great because I have access to sky enhancements, filters, highlights/shadows, contrast, brightness, and so many basic editing features along with more advanced ones. I’ve been a fan of the Magic Eraser since it was available - it’s so convenient to get rid of things like power lines in a background or a crumpled napkin on a table in a group photo directly on my phone rather than pulling the image into a desktop photo editing program. Speaking of pulling photos into an editing software, I’m so used to having to do this with group photos to get everyone’s best smile but the Pixel’s “Best Take" feature works well in a pinch!BATTERY LIFEWith as much as I use my phone on a daily basis, good battery life is very important to me. The Pixel 9 has an improved battery rating at 4700 mAh, compared to the Pixel 8’s 4575 mAh rating. I’m confident that the new Google Tensor G4 processor can handle the upgraded battery rating - I haven’t had any issues yet. My screen time Monday - Friday is about 8h per day, which I classify as somewhat heavy usage, so on my heaviest usage day this week I went from 100% charge at 6:30 am to 18% at 9:15 pm. On camera-heavy days, I definitely make a point to charge my phone beforehand and carry a portable charger with me. I personally like adaptive charging to keep my battery healthier for longer.SCREENSHOTS APPScreenshots can get real messy, real quick. But now that I’ve found the Google Screenshots app, I’m finally able to organize and review my screenshots in a helpful and productive way. The Screenshots app allows you to select screenshots and put them in a collection for maximum organization. Viewing one of the screenshots lets you see an AI generated summary which usually writes out any text in the image. So for example if I’m looking up gift ideas and I screenshot something from the shopping tab in my Google search, the screenshot summary will have titles, descriptions, ratings, price, etc. There are also quick features like image sharing, image editing, setting reminders, or doing a Google search on that specific screenshot.GOOGLE AI FEATURESThe AI features that I like the most on the Pixel 9 are the Magic Editor in Google Photos and the generated summaries on the Screenshots app. The Magic Editor is so neat to use especially when I just want to edit a portion of a background. The Auto Frame feature is great because it generates any missing piece of the image in order to frame the subjects better. Sure, I could just crop or re-frame myself, but the generative feature is helpful. I use AI as an aid, so I don’t expect it to be perfect. When using the Reimagine tool, I got better results asking for something like “blue and yellow flowers and a sunset background” in comparison to the questionable results I got when I asked it to “create a bowl of dog treats”. I had to find a balance between asking for a general change and specific material generation.Pixel Studio was interesting to use, but I noticed it only creates square images and I’d like to have more sizing options. I don’t know how much I’ll continue to use this app given that I can’t seem to use any of the stickers I made outside of Pixel Studio. I’m not a huge fan of completely AI generated images because I like to create my own photos, but I suppose it’s just another tool to have in my pocket.OVERALLThe Google Pixel 9 does a great job of meeting my daily phone needs. If I’m not using my phone for entertainment, I’m using it to capture content for work and leisure. The two things I value most in a phone are camera quality and battery life so my favorite upgrades on the Pixel 9 are the ones that improve on those two features. I’ve been making social media content and photo albums with ease for the last few years and the Pixel is my most used tool to achieve those goals. The fact that I can edit and organize directly in-phone or in Photos is a huge plus for me. There are a lot of extras, like AI features, that are nice to have but I may not use on a regular basis, however I don’t think it’s fair to dock points for having more features than I need.
There's a lot to like about the Google Pixel 9 and I have been a fan of the Pixel phones since the Pixel 5. There are moderate improvements in the Pixel 9.Physically the phone is slightly larger in every dimension than the Pixel 8 (by 1-2mm L/W/D) and slightly heavier (by 10g). This doesn't sound like much, but I found it to feel noticeably larger in my hand and pocket.Setup was very easy with the setup wizard and all my apps and setting transferred over effortlessly.With the Tensor 4 processor and 12GB of onboard RAM everything is smooth, smooth, smooth! I have some apps that on other phones seemed a bit laggy or glitchy, but on the Pixel 9 I don't notice anything of the sort. The screen is nice and bright and the adaptive brightness works surprisingly ... MoreThere's a lot to like about the Google Pixel 9 and I have been a fan of the Pixel phones since the Pixel 5. There are moderate improvements in the Pixel 9.Physically the phone is slightly larger in every dimension than the Pixel 8 (by 1-2mm L/W/D) and slightly heavier (by 10g). This doesn't sound like much, but I found it to feel noticeably larger in my hand and pocket.Setup was very easy with the setup wizard and all my apps and setting transferred over effortlessly.With the Tensor 4 processor and 12GB of onboard RAM everything is smooth, smooth, smooth! I have some apps that on other phones seemed a bit laggy or glitchy, but on the Pixel 9 I don't notice anything of the sort. The screen is nice and bright and the adaptive brightness works surprisingly well.Of course, AI is the latest fad for all things electronic and the Google Gemini AI works well without being overbearing or obtrusive, but I have not used it to the full potential.As a photographer and specifically an astrophotographer who regularly shoots in low light situations, I think where the Pixel 9 differentiates itself is in the camera and in low light situations. Taking video in a moderately dim basement living space, there is a HUGE improvement in the clarity and colors of video. Think SD vs HD quality. I was honestly shocked by this improvement. Low light video is much sharper and far less grainy. I didn't have a chance to try the camera for night time photography, but I am excited to see how the camera performs for things like the Milky Way and northern lights with the long exposure feature.The only negative I would point to is the battery life does not seem as robust as compared to the Pixel 8, by about 20% over a 12 hour span.
If you’re looking to save a few dollars and not interested in the pro features found on the…well, pro models, then the baseline pixel 9 is not going to disappoint. There are really not too many mega features added to the pro models that the average user will miss. Of course, if you’re typically a user of the more advanced features, you’ll want to jump up to the pro level, but the basic everyday user will be more than happy with the 9. Actually, I was surprised to see just how many new and old features were included in the base model and really was only bummed to find the “pro” setting in the camera was missing. But given the name, it makes sense why it is exclusive to the pro models. Still, other phone makers will include the pro settings in all levels and I am ... MoreIf you’re looking to save a few dollars and not interested in the pro features found on the…well, pro models, then the baseline pixel 9 is not going to disappoint. There are really not too many mega features added to the pro models that the average user will miss. Of course, if you’re typically a user of the more advanced features, you’ll want to jump up to the pro level, but the basic everyday user will be more than happy with the 9. Actually, I was surprised to see just how many new and old features were included in the base model and really was only bummed to find the “pro” setting in the camera was missing. But given the name, it makes sense why it is exclusive to the pro models. Still, other phone makers will include the pro settings in all levels and I am kinda confused why google would pull it. The ability to change shutter speed and manual focus etc is not all that “pro” despite the mode name, and as a photographer, I really prefer to have manual controls as an option. And while on the subject of the camera, I personally also don’t like all the auto post editing being done to my photos to “enhance” them, but I know I’m going to be in the minority here and most people will welcome the auto adjustments being made. This includes things like color adjustments, lighting and sharpening. To be fair, it usually does make the image look better, but I would prefer to have an option to leave my shots untouched. (and maybe I haven’t found that toggle yet.)That said, the camera is very good, it has the same lenses as the pro model minus the tele lens. I don’t know why phone makers are doing this, but the idea that we all would rather have a wide angle lens vs a tele zoom lens as our second lens is confusing to me. The wide angles are usually useless and have such bad distortion on the edges that the images are usually useless. I do find myself wanting to zoom in on something far away much more often. But the 2x digital zoom is at least better quality than other phone makers attempts at this. Again, if you feel the need for another lens, buy the pro model. If you’re just a casual shooter, this will work just fine.Design:The new look of the pixel 9 is mostly welcomed. The gorilla glass 2 front AND back is a nice addition. Protecting your device from scratches and cracks better. But I don’t really like the feel/weight of the device. It’s top heavy from the giant camera bulge that makes holding the phone a little awkward at first. After a few days I got used to it more, but it’s still noticeably heavier and top heavy. I also don’t like the apple style straight sides. They make holding the phone feel a little less comfortable than rounded edges and the desire to look more like an iPhone always makes me unhappy. If I want an apple product, I’d buy it. I like android because it’s NOT apple. But that’s personal preference obviously, the part that matters is it’s also just more uncomfortable in the hand. This is all not super important though if you plan on getting a case on the device. Which I would recommend because the camera bump makes laying the phone on it’s back a little awkward, but laying it on it’s face without a case will risk scratching the front screen without a case to provide a little lift. The bezels are flush without a case. That said, I haven’t put a case on it yet, and other than being a little too slippery for my pockets (the phone would fall out of short pockets in the car and couch often) it’s not so slippery or awkward that I’m desperately trying to get a case on it.Battery:The battery is a little bigger than the pixel 8 but having come from a samsung device and not an older pixel, I’m not sure about the comparison to older models. What I do know is there is little to no chance you will run out of battery before the end of day. Even with massive screen use, camera use, voice calls etc, I was still able to make a full day on a charge. Which is a good thing because charging is still insanely slow compared to other phone designs. 30 minutes gets you about 50% charge and a full charge takes over an hour. Unless you wireless charge, which will then take….well too long to clock. I haven’t actually checked because I never had time to waste. What I do know is my car charger is wireless and while running google maps for driving and the screen on, it pretty much held the battery steady but didn’t charge very fast. Over a couple hour drive it went up maybe 10 percent. This will vary based on chargers and use obviously but the idea of getting a quick top up while driving doesn’t sound possible unless you plug it in. Again, not a big deal though because I’m still not running into low battery issues. I also love the adaptive charge option which will slow charge overnight so it’s full by the time your alarm goes off. I had an alarm for 9am and woke up early at 8 and it was full charged. I was asleep so I don’t know how long it took, but in theory it should help long term battery life.Last Thoughts:There are a few other things worth mentioning, although I’m not sure they are all exclusive to the pixel 9. Among all of the new AI features we’re seeing in basically everything with a network connection now, there are a few handy features. I love the ability to screen calls, something that was perfect timing as I have recently had my number sold or hacked because I get about 15 spam calls a day. Now the auto screening is taking care of that for me. However, googles support site says that pixel 7 and above has the option to manually choose which calls to screen, but I do not have that option as of now. I also was told by google that there is an option to make a private partition where you can have applications and files etc behind a password or lock pattern/fingerprint. I have not been able to find this feature yet either but seems similar to samsungs “secure folder” and I assume it’s somewhere, I just haven’t found it yet. This MAY also just be a feature coming in the next android version. Which brings me to the next point, with the release coming earlier than normal, the pixel 9 has the same android version as the others but will of course get the latest update when it comes out. And that is going to be the theme for 7 years, with google saying they will cover 7 years of updates so assuming your battery, screen, or apps don’t get outdated, you can use this phone for a long time.The pixel also comes with gemini, but I have not been impressed YET and still prefer google assistant but I think as time goes on, gemini will be a much better AI assistant. I don’t love that you have to pay for a “premium” version, and will not be doing that, but if you don’t mind throwing more money at google, it will not be a regrettable purchase.Lastly, the new feature to have satellite supported SOS is really nice piece of mind. Although, I don’t usually go places without cell coverage, it does seem most of the time that I am out of range is when I am most likely to need help. Things like snowboarding on the backside of a mountain or hiking deep in the woods. It’s nice to know you can still get help if you need it.Rounding out the new stuff is a load of camera AI features and editing help that you can find info on alllll over the internet, so I won’t get into that now, but suffice it to say, there's plenty of stuff to do to scratch your creativity itch.OVERALL I am enjoying the pixel 9 as a daily driver and although I’ve always been partial to the samsung phones, I think Pixel has really stepped up their game and made a device worth getting over others. Despite a few buggy issues with apps and battery charging woes or the occasional awkward drop on my face, I still think the pixel 9 brings a lot of amazing features and sleek new look to the pixel family. The fingerprint sensor works well from the start and learns as it goes, getting even more accurate along the way, the inclusion of new AI features and all the tools provided by google make this device a pro level phone without the pro name.
I recently picked up the new Pixel 9, and after spending a week with it, I’m ready to share my thoughts. First off, the new design of the Pixel 9 is sleek and modern, but it’s hard to ignore that it looks quite similar to a phone from another big-name manufacturer.... While it’s visually appealing, it doesn’t bring any groundbreaking design innovations to the table.On the plus side, Google’s integration of the rear cameras is a highlight. The camera setup on the Pixel 9 is clean and well-integrated, looking far better than some of the three or four-camera monstrosities you see on other phones. Personally I'd prefer if they would just pick a design and stick with it for a few years instead of changing it every year.In terms of hardware, the improvements are not ... MoreI recently picked up the new Pixel 9, and after spending a week with it, I’m ready to share my thoughts. First off, the new design of the Pixel 9 is sleek and modern, but it’s hard to ignore that it looks quite similar to a phone from another big-name manufacturer.... While it’s visually appealing, it doesn’t bring any groundbreaking design innovations to the table.On the plus side, Google’s integration of the rear cameras is a highlight. The camera setup on the Pixel 9 is clean and well-integrated, looking far better than some of the three or four-camera monstrosities you see on other phones. Personally I'd prefer if they would just pick a design and stick with it for a few years instead of changing it every year.In terms of hardware, the improvements are not as pronounced as you might expect. The Pixel 9’s performance isn’t a giant leap forward from the Pixel 8. I don't feel like you're going to see giant leaps in terms of performance at this point in the technology of cell phones. As far as performance differences between the 6, 7, 8, and 9, all of which I have owned, honestly most people aren't going to notice any difference. The real strength of the Pixel 9 lies in its new software features. Many of these new capabilities will probably make their way to the Pixel 8 and 7 through updates, so the hardware alone might not justify an immediate upgrade if you're coming from a current Pixel phone. But the Pixel's strong point has always been it's cameras and they are great as usual, as well as the simplicity of the software and the features they have and add with updates.Google claims that the Pixel 9 is twice as durable as the Pixel 8, which is certainly an impressive claim. However, I’m not about to test that claim, not on purpose—let’s just say I'll take their word for it. I can say that my Pixel 8 Pro, although I do have a dBrand Grip case on it, which isn't anywhere near an Otterbox or similar, and I don't have a screen protector, but I drop the thing all the time. On the ground, on concrete, bouncing out of my lap, out of my truck onto concrete, and everytime I cringe and think that did it... but it doesn't have a scratch on it and works fine. Could be the case, could be the phone, could be both. Just sayingThe phone continues to excel in the photo and video departments, which, as mentioned, has always been a strong suit for the Pixel line. The new “add me” feature for group photos is particularly impressive. It works quite well, making it easier to ensure that everyone in your group is included in the shot without having to retake multiple photos.Some of the new AI features are a bit hit or miss, though. For example, the “Reimagine” tool in photo editing can produce some great results, but it’s not always consistent. Sometimes it enhances your photos beautifully, while other times, it falls short. The Gemini AI, which handles various queries and responses, is programmed with Google’s preferred output rather than providing straightforward answers. I tested it by asking it to say something specific, and it was surprisingly sensitive to certain inputs, which made it feel a bit restrictive.While it's not a new feature to just the Pixel 9, one standout feature is the Audio Magic Eraser. I tested it with a video I took while driving on the interstate, with the windows down, music playing, and talking to my wife. The Magic Eraser did an excellent job of selectively removing background noise so that I could focus on specific sounds, whether speech or music. This feature worked impressively well.I do like the inclusion of the eSOS feature, which you can set up in the "Safety" app. It’s a handy tool for emergency situations and worth setting up for peace of mind. Just familiarize yourself with how to access it and use it. And don't rely on it solely. It uses satellites so you do have to have a pretty clear view of the sky with the phone to connect. And as far as I can tell, it looks like it's a message only service. So if that's the case and there's no calling feature, it won't be useful in some situations.Overall, the Pixel 9 is a solid phone with several impressive features, especially in the realm of photo and video capabilities. You can now also get the Pro version in the same, smaller size. Whether it justifies spending a couple of hundred dollars more for the Pro version depends on your specific needs and whether the additional features are worth the cost to you.
I upgraded my earlier Pixel phone to the new Pixel 9 in order to be able to take advantage of the new on-device AI trends. The Gemini assistant features are alluring even though they may not yet be ready for primetime.The product specifications are comprehensive, as you would expect for a "flagship" designated device but be aware that some compromises have been made. I expect that the reduced memory, camera specifications and screen size are more about making room for Google to define advanced (more expensive) options.The build quality of the new Pixel 9 is immediately apparent and impressive. The use of Gorilla glass on both the front and back of the unit gives it a super sleek appearance. An unintended side effect for me was how slippery that makes the phone! I ... MoreI upgraded my earlier Pixel phone to the new Pixel 9 in order to be able to take advantage of the new on-device AI trends. The Gemini assistant features are alluring even though they may not yet be ready for primetime.The product specifications are comprehensive, as you would expect for a "flagship" designated device but be aware that some compromises have been made. I expect that the reduced memory, camera specifications and screen size are more about making room for Google to define advanced (more expensive) options.The build quality of the new Pixel 9 is immediately apparent and impressive. The use of Gorilla glass on both the front and back of the unit gives it a super sleek appearance. An unintended side effect for me was how slippery that makes the phone! I found myself dropping it often until I bought a case for it. The new, squared off camera "island" that houses the lenses and flash projects noticeably from the body. That actually provides some stability if you lay the phone down on a flat surface and disappears if you put the phone in a case.I am especially pleased with the screen. Even though I wish it was a bit larger, the resolution and brightness are stellar! Overall processing performance is very good. The interface is snappy. Scrolling and apps like the photo editing suite are fast and effective.As for the AI features - this is a technology that is evolving rapidly. Google has promised us seven years worth of updates for this product and we will undoubtedly see some amazing software emerge that takes advantage of this trend. If you are interested in riding this new tech curve this platform will provide you with just what you need!The combination of build quality, feature specs, and support makes the Pixel 9 a contender for your cellphone needs!
I had a Pixel 6 Pro for 3 years before getting the Pixel 9 so I’m familiar with the Pixel line and was ready for an update. I like the 6.3” size and feel this is the perfect size phone for me. The gorilla glass on the front and back along with the thin metal bezel give the phone a premium look and feel. Once you add a case to the mix it fits well in the hand and doesn’t feel oversized when holding it up to my face.Setup was extremely easy. All I had to do was transfer my sim card and it was a simple step by step process. I was up and running in just a couple of hours once the system finished transferring files and updating software.One of my favorite things about the Pixel line of phones is that the software runs so smoothly. There is no stuttering or lag when ... MoreI had a Pixel 6 Pro for 3 years before getting the Pixel 9 so I’m familiar with the Pixel line and was ready for an update. I like the 6.3” size and feel this is the perfect size phone for me. The gorilla glass on the front and back along with the thin metal bezel give the phone a premium look and feel. Once you add a case to the mix it fits well in the hand and doesn’t feel oversized when holding it up to my face.Setup was extremely easy. All I had to do was transfer my sim card and it was a simple step by step process. I was up and running in just a couple of hours once the system finished transferring files and updating software.One of my favorite things about the Pixel line of phones is that the software runs so smoothly. There is no stuttering or lag when moving from one page or application to another. The phone itself works as you would expect. The microphone (there are three of them) delivers a good clear sound to folks on the other end of the conversation and the speaker works equally as well. Bluetooth is version 5.3 and the connection with all my devices works flawlessly. The phone is capable of Wi-Fi 7 so you can get a good, fast connection with your router if it supports the same protocol. The in-screen fingerprint scanner works well, and gives me less problems than my old 6 Pro. The OLED screen is wonderful and has plenty of brightness to handle bright sunny days. The battery is 4700 mAh and even with taking pictures, surfing the web, checking email, and making and receiving phone calls I never had an issue with longevity.The camera is probably one of the strongest features of the Pixel 9. With a 50 MP wide and 48 MP ultrawide camera on the back and a 10.5 MP selfie camera I’m not sure what more you could ask for. In those moments where you don’t have your dedicated digital camera you can take some seriously good pictures with this phone. And the software that allows you to remove or add items and people is nice when you need that little extra touch to make the picture perfect.They have incorporated some AI features into the phone and there is Gemini in Google Messages. You can chat with Gemini and ask questions to get feedback. I asked Gemini how I could become a millionaire and it told me there was no guarantee, but to increase my income, reduce expenses, educate myself, save and invest, consider entrepreneurship, be patient, and seek professional advice. While neat, time will tell how useful the feature really can be.While the phone is excellent and has a lot of strong qualities there is room for improvement. The ability to use Google Pay to use NFC for contactless payments is nice, especially when you forget your wallet, but not all checkouts have that capability. It would be nice if magnetic secure transmission (MST) was incorporated into the phone so it could be used at all payment terminals regardless of whether they support contactless payments or not. Another area is with screen sharing or mirroring. The Pixel 9 only does screen mirroring so if you plug in your USB-C to HDMI adapter it will work on your TV, but the phone screen will stay on as it mirrors on your TV. It would be nice if the phones screen turned off as you watched the video on the TV. Also, when wirelessly screen mirroring not all TV’s are compatible with the Pixel. None of my LG OLED TV’s can receive a signal from the Pixel 9. My older Pixel couldn’t do this either and I was hoping it would have been updated by now, but it hasn’t been.Overall, it’s a nice phone with some powerful features with some areas for improvement. It’s an easy recommendation, especially if you’re into taking and editing photos with your phone and you want a lag free Android experience.
Google has had a long and tough road in the Android phone space since 2016 with the Pixel line. The Pixel was the first Google phone where they took full control of the hardware and the software. They’ve seen their market share only grow to about 5% total in the world, but have stuck with refining the Pixel, making improvements along the way, and trying to create a great phone for the everyday Android user. And I believe this years Goole Pixel 9 is a very good representation of the growth and strides they’ve made over the years! Let’s Dive Into the review!Initial unboxing was straightforward and super simple. Upon turning on the Pixel 9 it detected my OnePlus and asked if I wanted to transfer to the new phone using a QR code. Moving all my data over was super ... MoreGoogle has had a long and tough road in the Android phone space since 2016 with the Pixel line. The Pixel was the first Google phone where they took full control of the hardware and the software. They’ve seen their market share only grow to about 5% total in the world, but have stuck with refining the Pixel, making improvements along the way, and trying to create a great phone for the everyday Android user. And I believe this years Goole Pixel 9 is a very good representation of the growth and strides they’ve made over the years! Let’s Dive Into the review!Initial unboxing was straightforward and super simple. Upon turning on the Pixel 9 it detected my OnePlus and asked if I wanted to transfer to the new phone using a QR code. Moving all my data over was super seamless and took about 30-45 minutes total, but it even allowed me to transfer sims by using an esim with my new phone without having to call my provider! Overall, just a very easy and stress-free experience!First impressions were very positive. The phone feels great to hold in your hand, and has a nice weight and balance to it . The screen has a fingerprint sensor that is very responsive to the touch and solid facial recognition as well. The 120hz 6-inch Gorilla glass screen goes edge to edge and is plenty bright even out in broad daylight and after a week’s use has not shown any scratches on the screen without a glass protector. 128gb of storage and 12gigs of ram are standard, 256gb is the biggest storage size you can choose. Theres 2 cameras, a 50MP Wide and a 48MP Ultrawide Camera that both are packed with a lot of cool features like Night Sight, which allows you to take Astrophotography style photos! The 50 MP Wide has 4k/1080p Video capabilities and a host of video features like Dual exposure, Cinematic Blur and Pan, slo-mo up to 240fps and many others! The 48 MP Ultrawide even doubles as a macro lens and can focus on items up to 2 cm away. Battery comes in at 4700mAh, which lasts all day for me with normal usage and settings. You can use an extreme battery setting that supposedly lets your phone last up to 100 hours, but I haven’t tested that fully. The phone also features wireless charging and fast charging ability to 55% in 30 minutes with the right charger. Features like SOS which allows you to contact emergency services without a signal, and Car Crash detection for those moments when you can’t dial are useful additions! The Pixel 9 launched with Android 14 but will be the first phone to receive Android 15 and comes with seven years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates, making sure that the phone won’t become obsolete anytime soon!One of the bigger focuses for the Pixel is Google’s first foray into A.I. The Gemini is Google’s A.I assistant system that they have built into the OS to try and help with your everyday life. I am still catching on to how to really utilize A.I more, but I am enjoying figuring out a new technology and how it can best work for me. The other A.I. features they have built into the Cameras with settings like Add Me and Magic Editor are neat but take a little getting used to. I will say that my first attempts at Add Me looked pretty fake. The one feature that did work well was Best Take, which finds the best smile for each person and edits that into the photo. Taking photos with my 2 year old son is hard and it actually did a good job capturing his best smile. I believe all these features will get better as time goes on and updates are made!Overall, the Google Pixel 9 is a very solid Android phone for the everyday smartphone user. It has a lot to offer with a Gorilla Glass screen, great camera system, good battery life and with 7 years of updates will be a good phone for years to come. It should seriously be considered if you’re looking for a new Android phone, at a solid price point, with a lot of useful features. Google has made a really nice phone with the Pixel 9 and I hope its recognized and continues to gain market share.
I have used a ton of phones over the years, including the original Pixel 1 (which I still have). Prior to that, I owned every Nexus phone made. Google has taken a little extra time over the years, but I can 100% say that the Pixel line, specifically the Pixel 9, represents the culmination of amazing hardware and software engineering. This phone is really, really good. In fact, it's unlikely I will move to a different model until the Pixel 10 since this 9 is SO GOOD.Hardware: In a word, amazing. The design is, without exaggeration, is on par with, if not better than the iPhone 15 Pro. It's just so refined and mature, paying homage to the visor bar that debuted on the Pixel 6. The size of the Pixel 9 is the same as the 9 Pro, which is to say really amazing for a ... MoreI have used a ton of phones over the years, including the original Pixel 1 (which I still have). Prior to that, I owned every Nexus phone made. Google has taken a little extra time over the years, but I can 100% say that the Pixel line, specifically the Pixel 9, represents the culmination of amazing hardware and software engineering. This phone is really, really good. In fact, it's unlikely I will move to a different model until the Pixel 10 since this 9 is SO GOOD.Hardware: In a word, amazing. The design is, without exaggeration, is on par with, if not better than the iPhone 15 Pro. It's just so refined and mature, paying homage to the visor bar that debuted on the Pixel 6. The size of the Pixel 9 is the same as the 9 Pro, which is to say really amazing for a "small" phone. I prefer even smaller phones, but I have absolutely zero criticism of this design. In fact, I really like the camera bar since it not only looks iconic, but prevents the phone from rocking back and forth as it sits on a table. The screen is 1080p (for the standard 9) and is gorgeous. Gets extremely bright, which is welcome as we wind down summer in the US. It's evident that Google used a very high quality OLED panel for this phone.Camera: Well, it's a Pixel, so naturally this may be the first curiosity. Let's just say on a scale of 1-10, it's a solid 10. The regular 9 doesn't have the 5x zoom, but the rear main and ultrawide cameras are identical to the Pro and XL, which is to say CRISPY and amazing. I'm coming from the Pixel 8 Pro, and while the 5x zoom is really nice to have, I didn't use it all that much so it's not really missed on the 9. The selfie camera on the 9 is 10mp (rather than much higher on the Pro/XL) but also has OIS now, so it is honestly amazing. Of course you likely know why Google calls this line "Pixel" so you can rest assured the DNA is ever-present in the 9. Just amazing photos, no other way to put it. Very fast shutter, jaw-dropping night photos, and amazing AI goodies as you'd expect from Google. I haven't carried a dedicated camera in years, but I can confidently say the Pixel 9 is completely appropriate for capturing life's most cherished moments.Everyday usage: Google has done an amazing job with stock Android, or at least the Pixel version of Android. While the AI goodies are incredible, the simple quality of life things Google bakes into Pixels are worth it alone. Call Screening, High-quality call/voice audio, voice-to-text voice recorder, and many other assistive features that seem insignificant, but are very useful as you actually use the phone.Calls: The G-series of custom chips are built upon the Samsung Exynos platform, which is to say they are pretty good, but not on Apple's level. One criticism of the G1-G3 processor was the poor "modem" performance, leading to weak signals, slower than ideal data, and dropped calls. The G4 is still built on the same platform, but whatever Google did to it with the G4, it's shaping up to be a rock-solid modem. Data flies, bars are full, and calls don't drop easily. It's impressive, and will be even more impressive when Google moves to the TSMC production line (same as Apple).Sound, speakers, charging, durability, usability, all of it is top-notch. It's safe to say Google has a winner on it's hands, and I can easily recommend it to anyone. Especially since RCS is almost here, which will fix the "iMessage or goodbye" culture.And at $799, the regular 9 should absolutely be on everyone's short list.Pictured is the new/revised Bellroy leather case, which compared to their older cases, is phenomenal. Very soft, has wireless charging magnets, and feels very high-quality. Easy to recommend since the Pixel 9 is reeeealllyy slick.
| Release date | 22 Aug 24 |
