Google’s phones don’t sell anywhere near as well as Apple’s or Samsung’s, but we still think you should pay attention to the launch of the new Pixel 9 Pro.
For one thing, Google’s smart software is some of the best in the business. You get a nice clean UI and loads of clever AI tricks. For another, Pixel phones take some of the best pictures in the business.
Now, with the Pixel 9 Pro, Google for the first time offers its full suite of flagship features in a compact package. It’s arguably the most interesting phone in the entire four-strong range.
ShortList has spent the best part of a week with the Pixel 9 Pro - here are 5 things you should know about it…
1. This is the only all-new Pixel model, but it’s not cheap
There are four phones in the Pixel 9 range, but as we mentioned in the intro, the Pixel 9 Pro is the most interesting of the lot. That’s because it’s the only model that’s all-new.
Google has never before made a "Pro" phone with all the bells and whistles in a compact form. That’s precisely what we have in the Pixel 9 Pro, which does everything the Pixel 9 Pro XL can do, but with a smaller 6.3-inch display and a relatively light 199g body.
You’ll pay £100 less than you will for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, though it still feels as if Google is trying to sneak a stealthy price hike in here. Starting at £999, the Pixel 9 Pro costs the same as last year’s Pixel 8 Pro, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL now starts at £1,099.
2. The design is sleek but rather too familiar
Google has ripped up its existing Pixel design template for something altogether sharper and flatter. Ordinarily this would be a good thing, and the Pixel 9 Pro is certainly as easy on the eye as it is nice to handle.
However, in moving away from the established Pixel design, Google has moved towards Apple’s. From any angle except for the back, the Pixel 9 Pro looks a lot like an iPhone, and that’s a bit of a shame.
We’ve always admired the Pixel series for doing something different on the design front, with rounded edges and a distinctive camera visor on the back. Google has at least retained an echo of that signature camera, with an unusually wide pill-shaped module, but all-in-all the Pixel 9 family’s new look is rather overfamiliar.
3. The screen gets crazy bright
We loved how bright the Pixel 8 Pro’s OLED screen was, but the Pixel 9 Pro display is even brighter.
Google reckons it can get to 2000 nits in high brightness mode (HBM), with a 3000 nits peak when you’re watching HDR movies. After cranking the screen up to full brightness, we’re inclined to believe them.
With a maximum resolution of 2856 x 1280 pixels, it is also nice and sharp, though rather annoyingly you’ll need to select this higher resolution in the settings menu. Google selects a lower setting as standard, probably to bolster battery life.
We didn’t run into any major stamina troubles after cranking it up though, so our advice is to go all-in.
4. The cameras are superb
Just about the least surprising thing you can say about any Pixel phone is it takes brilliant photos, and that’s definitely true of the Pixel 9 Pro.
Its triple camera system isn’t all that different to last year’s Pixel 8 Pro, but it’s somehow more impressive in such a small phone. Apple offers a similarly high-end ‘Pro’ camera system in a small mobile with the iPhone 15 Pro, but even then that doesn’t match the Pixel’s 5x telephoto camera.
Shots look sharp and contrasty with whichever camera you’re using, whether it’s the 50MP main, 48MP telephoto, or 48MP ultra-wide. Meanwhile, the new 42MP front camera takes great selfies.
There are a couple of cool new AI tricks too. Zoom Enhance lets you sharpen up zoomed-in shots after they’ve been taken, while Add Me lets you add yourself into a group shot by essentially stitching two photos together via an intuitive live preview.
5. Google AI is getting better, but it’s not there yet
We’ve just mentioned a couple of new AI camera features, and Google really is going all in with artificial intelligence in the Pixel 9 Pro. Indeed, the new version of Android (Android 15) isn’t even ready for the launch of the phone, though Google’s seven-year update promise means there’s plenty of time for that.
There are a couple of new AI features to keep things fresh. Google’s Gemini AI assistant is now the default offering in place of Google Assistant, and it’s way smarter for certain things. You can interact with it using natural language, and it’ll respond accordingly, drafting messages, responding to questions, and generally acting like an actual assistant.
Conversely, it still does some dumb things, like totally blanking us when we ask it to play some Four Tet, or responding to us from the other room when we’re obviously talking to the Google Nest speaker right in front of us.
The new Pixel Studio is a cool toy, creating AI-generated artwork based on natural language parameters. I’m not sure what mood a “capybara with glasses playing chess” represents, but Google’s AI replicated it to order nonetheless.
Pixel Screenshots isn’t as show-offy, but could actually be useful. It scans all your screenshots, summarises any text and making them searchable, all whilst letting you arrange them into neat collections.
Google Pixel 9 Pro: Verdict
With the Pixel 9 Pro, Google has followed Apple’s lead, squishing all of its Pro features into a more compact form factor. It’s also followed Apple’s design playbook, which means the Pixel range no longer stands out from the crowd in quite the same way.
That’s not a huge issue, however. The Pixel 9 Pro remains an excellent phone, with a superb screen, brilliant cameras, and some of the sharpest and smartest software around.
We could have done without the stealth price bump that Google is applying right across the Pixel 9 range, but you can rest assured that your £999 (and upwards) is getting you a seriously capable and immensely pocketable smartphone.
