Google Pixel 9 Pro - 256 GB - Obsidian - Unlocked

I've used the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL for two weeks, as an upgrade from my previous phone the Google Pixel 8, so most of my comparisons are to this.Overall, I've been really impressed - it is an excellent phone with a nice design and it definitely feels premium. The display is noticeably clearer with bright and vibrant colours. This is also translated in the camera which is excellent (Google Pixel has always trumped my husband's iPhone in terms of photo taking ability and quality). Images are much sharper (even when using the front camera). The colours are believable, I get effective night photo features and the magic eraser (the tool I have often used with photos of my kids as you can almost never get perfect photos with them) is noticeably superior to the Pixel 8. ... MoreI've used the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL for two weeks, as an upgrade from my previous phone the Google Pixel 8, so most of my comparisons are to this.Overall, I've been really impressed - it is an excellent phone with a nice design and it definitely feels premium. The display is noticeably clearer with bright and vibrant colours. This is also translated in the camera which is excellent (Google Pixel has always trumped my husband's iPhone in terms of photo taking ability and quality). Images are much sharper (even when using the front camera). The colours are believable, I get effective night photo features and the magic eraser (the tool I have often used with photos of my kids as you can almost never get perfect photos with them) is noticeably superior to the Pixel 8. Really impressed with this. I've also tried the feature to add in a person to a photograph - it worked almost flawlessly, though I struggle to think of when I realistically would need this feature. AI possibly gone too far.Processing is smoother and faster. I've noticed it doesn't overheat as much and it has a longer battery life - I can use it for over 1.5 days without needing to recharge (at least at the moment). Charging is also faster.I have set up the crash detection and SOS call function - great ideas. The temperature sensor is cool, but not sure it is essential in life from a phone! The phone has a bedtime setting, when whilst you can continue to use apps, the lights are dimmed and colour is removed. This is preset to your timings and I've found it definitely helps when working late.I'm still exploring the AI features, but so far I am really enjoying the use of AI summaries on Google search - it does feel like a quite time saving review of the content and gets me to my desired answer faster in most cases. I still find the Google assistant quite frustrating to use as any requests are overridden by my other google devices and I never actually get what I intended.Slightly less appealing is the bigger size - I felt the pixel 8 was a perfect size, large enough to allow for working from a device, but not so big that it wouldn't fit easily in pockets / phone pouches. This one is definitely larger and although the bigger screen is useful at times, the size of it is sometimes prohibitive for storage or fitting safely/comfortably in your pocket. Additionally, the weight of the phone given it is bigger is definitely noticeable, especially when you add a protective case to it.The price point is high! I feel it is difficult to justify unless the phone's additional features would really enhance your work/life, that's a personal decision! But the improvements from the previous edition are certainly there. If you can afford it, I would most definitely recommend it.

I was a tad bit skeptical when the Pixel 9 Pro was initially delivered, especially as the box was really small and compact - I was concerned that the phone was too light to hold and worried I'd drop it and break it. No need to fret though, the Pixel 9 Pro is designed in a way that makes it feel comfortable to hold and easy to carry! Moving from a Galaxy S10+ which was a bit bigger and heavier with really poor battery life, the Google Pixel 9 Pro has been nothing short of a revelation and a game changer!The Pixel 9 Pro has features I never knew I needed and is intuitive and futuristic - you get the feeling that Google really had thought about how the features and the phone itself would work in the next 3-5 years (makes sense why they offered 7 years' worth of ... MoreI was a tad bit skeptical when the Pixel 9 Pro was initially delivered, especially as the box was really small and compact - I was concerned that the phone was too light to hold and worried I'd drop it and break it. No need to fret though, the Pixel 9 Pro is designed in a way that makes it feel comfortable to hold and easy to carry! Moving from a Galaxy S10+ which was a bit bigger and heavier with really poor battery life, the Google Pixel 9 Pro has been nothing short of a revelation and a game changer!The Pixel 9 Pro has features I never knew I needed and is intuitive and futuristic - you get the feeling that Google really had thought about how the features and the phone itself would work in the next 3-5 years (makes sense why they offered 7 years' worth of Google software updates!) Gemini aka "Hey Google" is easy to use and offers super-fast and intuitive responses. It's a breeze setting reminders or getting answers to all types of questions (and the responses are saved and easily available should you need to refer to them again!).But don't let the size of the phone fool you, light it might be, but it packs a punch when it comes to the battery life duration - offering a full day's worth of charge! I have actually managed to go for over 24 hours on a single charge - this whilst still using the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Spotify, Instagram, Email, Chrome and calling features/apps on the phone! The Google Pixel 9 Pro is truly on a next level when it comes to battery life performance. When it does need a charge, rest assured it will go from 0-100% full charge within 30 mins!Next is the camera and memory - the Pixel 9 Pro comes with two camera settings - either 12MP or a whopping 50MP, with fantastic and futurist features including "Add Me" which is absolutely fantastic (maybe even bonkers)! You also get some cool inclusive features like 1 year free upgrade to Google One AI Premium offering you an extra 2 TB of storage, Fitbit Premium, VPN security, Magic Editor, storage sharing features, discounts from Google store and much more.You can screen unknown numbers like a boss thanks to the call screen feature where you get to learn who the person is calling and why they are calling BEFORE deciding to speak to them or not!The screen colours are vivid and rich, and the home display has some super cool features including some AI enabled ones and some really smart shortcuts you can activate. The battery does get very warm when playing games and this is due to all the colours and screen brightness - I am yet to find a fix to this!You also have a really cool feature called "Now Playing" which is essentially a cooler version of Shazam in that it's always listening to music playing around you and tell you the song and artist titles.Finally, the security features are great - face recognition, biometrics, pin numbers and passwords come as standard but it's the swiftness of how the whole thing works that has impressed me. I have also to set up Google Pay and also added all my loyalty cards for ease of usage - no need for multiple apps or physical cards!I really love this phone and personally it's the best phone I have ever owned! Now just need to get a decent case and a solid screen protector for this stunning piece of kit!

Selfie cam is 42 megapixel increased from 10 megapixel over the Pixel 8. Triple camera setup on the back is 50MP primary, 48MP ultrawide, and 48MP telephoto. The picture quality for the primary and ultrawide is on par with the Pixel 8, the main improvements are in the telephoto, more detail, better colour, telephoto does 5x optical zoom (or 10x depending on who you ask) and 30x total zoom, have added some zoom piccies to the review. It's particularly good at night photography compared to its rivals, presumably it's in the software, it's consistent across all 3 cameras, reviews talk about its ability to balance long exposures.Screen (I think) is the brightest you can buy right now, 3000 nits, competitors are hitting 2000, if you use it outdoors you're unlikely to ... MoreSelfie cam is 42 megapixel increased from 10 megapixel over the Pixel 8. Triple camera setup on the back is 50MP primary, 48MP ultrawide, and 48MP telephoto. The picture quality for the primary and ultrawide is on par with the Pixel 8, the main improvements are in the telephoto, more detail, better colour, telephoto does 5x optical zoom (or 10x depending on who you ask) and 30x total zoom, have added some zoom piccies to the review. It's particularly good at night photography compared to its rivals, presumably it's in the software, it's consistent across all 3 cameras, reviews talk about its ability to balance long exposures.Screen (I think) is the brightest you can buy right now, 3000 nits, competitors are hitting 2000, if you use it outdoors you're unlikely to find a better screen for sunny days, for example flying drones where you need screen visibility.Video capture is in 4K but can upscale to 8K. It's a nice feature, but worth bearing in mind it's actually 8K at source.The larger screen might not be for everyone, but I wanted the bigger screen for browsing, watching videos on the train, drone use, etc. The phone is chunky and a bit weighty, but I don't find it too big. I think many current-gen phones are getting a tad larger to accommodate the requirements for better tech.The screen is Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which has been lab-tested to withstand a 1m drop onto concrete. Obviously, it's not guaranteed to prevent a crack if dropped on a corner from a height, but it might do.It comes with Gemini, Google's AI assistant, plus a year's free subscription to Google's Gemini Advanced. I haven't used it much yet, but it seems to be Google's version of an AI assistant.IMHO, you'll need a case for this. The sides are flat, polished metal and aren't particularly grippy. I was super worried about dropping it, but a cheap silicone case sorted that out.Overall, really pleased with it.