Google Pixel 9 and Pixel Pro XL review: ‘Google’s new phone is a sleeper hit’

Google has just launched its new top-tier Pixel 9 phones and I was one of the first people in Australia to test out the new features.

I was one of the first Australians to test drive the new Pixel 9 phones and two things really stood out.

Firstly, the improved camera system is excellent. The camera has long been the drawcard of Pixel phones, but they’ve levelled up with the Pixel 9.

Secondly, artificial intelligence (AI) and the new Tensor G4 chipset has the potential to be a game-changer.

I got my hands on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL almost immediately after Google’s big event in Google’s Bay View campus in Mountain View, California on Wednesday. Here’s my take on the new flagship phones.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is the larger version of the premium model.

Google’s big reveal

First of all, here’s the new tech that Google announced at Made By Google on Wednesday.

There are four new phones: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel Fold.

It also unveiled the new Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Watch 3.

One surprise at the event was the Pixel 9 Pro XL, essentially a larger version of the Pixel 9 Pro. Google explained it wanted to make available two premium phones: one that fits more easily into your hand, and the bigger XL phone for people who demand a larger screen.

I’m definitely in the second category.

The cheaper Google Pixel 9 could prove to be a sleeper hit.

Pixel 9 should not be ignored

Having said that, the Pixel 9, which is the vanilla model, should not be overlooked.

It comes with the powerful new Google Tensor G4 processor (and a Titan M2 security coprocessor for security) just like the pro versions.

This is a key point because the G4 is optimised to run artificial intelligence. It has Gemini Nano with Multimodality, giving the AI the power to understand text, and also visuals and sounds. The G4 has been described as the brain of the Pixel and unlocks advanced AI, better photos, videos and more efficient processing. AI featured heavily in the launch of the Pixel 9 as I’ll touch on more below.

The Pixel 9 is like its cousins in other ways too. The Pixel 9 battery can last up to 100 hours, there’s fast charging and it comes with Google VPN.

The battery is the real deal as a single charge lasted me for about four days on both the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL – although that would be dramatically shortened by extended use.

Given the cheaper price and fairly good stats, people are already predicting it could be a sleeper hit.

Photo that blew me away

It’s the camera system that really marks the difference between the models.

The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL have superior triple rear camera set-up while the Pixel 9 only has a dual system. The front camera on the pro phones have a vastly better selfie camera.

And the pro phones also have 16GB of RAM compared to 12GB on the Pixel 9.

Google opted to go with a 5x optical zoom on the 48 MP camera (like the iPhone 15), however this can be extended up to an astonishing 30x with digital zoom.

I put the camera system to the test, honing in on a crane which was working away in the CBD of Parramatta, Sydney.

A crane working in the CBD of Parramatta. Picture: Pixel 9 Pro XL/Andrew Backhouse

The image at 30x zoom. Picture: Andrew Backhouse

I was able to capture a surprisingly detailed image of the crane.

I was immediately impressed by the clarity, especially because I took the image holding the phone and not using a tripod.

The Macro Focus function, which allows you to shoot as close as 3cm from a subject, is also very cool.

I was amazed by the detail and focus it was able to achieve on photos of a 20c coin.

It’s super easy to use as well, you just tap the icon Macro Focus button when prompted while taking the pic.

The video zoom is also insane, going up to 20x with Super Res Zoom on the pro models – great for taking photos of animals in the wild without disturbing them.

There are also other big upgrades to the camera system.

The selfie camera has a 42 MP lens, the most powerful yet on the Pixel, with an extremely wide field of view.

There’s also improved Night Sight Video and Video Boost juicing up videos to 8K resolution.

Panorama has also been upgraded, with a new, easy-to-use UI. You can now also use Night Sight on panorama images.

Another feature called Zoom Enhance allows you to zoom in on an image, even after you’ve taken a pic.

In my view it’s the post-photo processing, handled automatically by the phone, which is what really makes the Pixel stand out. It helps capture sharper, more detailed photos, making an average photo really pop.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL allows you to zoom in for details such as on this coin. Picture: Andrew Backhouse

Different look

One of my colleagues remarked that the Pixel 9 looks a lot like the iPhone and it’s hard to disagree.

The Pixel 9 certainly has a much cleaner design than previous models. I like how the prominent “Geordi La Forge Visor” that previously housed the camera system was replaced with a smaller block.

The pastel colours (peony, green, porcelain and obsidian for Pixel 9 and rose, hazel, porcelain and obsidian for Pro and Pro XL) also give the phones a more premium look.

Artificial intelligence

A fun and somewhat useful feature Google unveiled this year is the Add Me function.

This allows the person taking a photo to be added in afterwards.

You simply take a photo of a group of people (with a space free), and then hand over the camera to someone in that group who walks over and takes a photo of you in that free spot.

The AI does the rest. Pretty smart stuff.

With the Add Me feature, you can take a photo …

Hand over the camera to a friend …

And be added to the photo afterwards.

Best Take is another function that solves annoying problems that occur during group photos, like someone blinking or looking away.

It lets you blend similar images into the best possible photo, replacing an unfortunate expression with a smile.

You can choose from a variety of photos in order to choose the best images to blend.

That annoying moment when someone isn’t looking at the camera.

You can replace the person’s expression by blending two photos together.

Pixel Studio is a fun tool that allows you to turn text into AI-generated images.

To start off, you need to download the model, which doesn’t take long.

Once it’s on your phone, Pixel Studio combines the on-device Tensor G4 with Google’s Imagen 3 text-to-image model in the cloud.

You simply write in a few words and it turns them into reality. And if you’re not happy with the result, you can regenerate a different one.

It’s also possible to add stickers and captions to the images.

An AI-image I made in Pixel Studio – and also how I feel after a long day at work. Picture: Andrew Backhouse/Pixel 9 Pro Xl/Pixel Studio (AI image)

There are heaps of other AI capabilities built into the phone.

One fun feature is the ability to circle an object in a photo — and the Google AI will help you find information about it (this reminds me of Microsoft’s new Recall app).

You can also, for example, fix the composition of a photo in editing with auto frame in Magic Editor, which suggests options to better frame an image.

Pixel Screenshots is another useful app. It allows you to save info for later — and recall it using Gemini.

And of course that brings me to Gemini, Google’s generative artificial intelligence chatbot (formerly known as Bard), which comes built in.

You can now set Gemini as your AI assistant, replacing the Google Assistant.

Gemini is better at understanding requests, and you can essentially talk to it about anything and you can even interrupt it like you would someone in a real conversation.

Gemini has the ability to understand photos and can access your data (with permission) including your Gmail and Calendar, to answer and respond to personalised questions.

Gemini can also do other fun stuff like write code and create AI images and text.

My take on the Pixel 9

The Pixel 9 has carved out a niche as one of best top-tier Android phones on the market. The exceptional camera system and Tensor G4-powered AI features alone make a compelling case.

If you have the cash on hand, I would go for the premium Pixel 9 Pro ($1699) or Pixel 9 Pro XL (1849), but the Pixel 9 ($1349) has good hardware and is also a viable option.

Check out the full specs and compare them yourself here.

Originally published as Google Pixel 9 and Pixel Pro XL review: ‘Google’s new phone is a sleeper hit’