Google Pixel 9 Review: A Polished Look, But Can It Keep Its Cool?

Google Pixel 9 Review: A Mature Phone With A Hot Temperament

Google’s latest Pixel 9 lineup introduces four phones catering to diverse preferences. From the compact Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro to the large-screen Pixel 9 Pro XL and the productivity-focused Pixel 9 Pro Fold, there’s a Pixel for everyone. The new Pixel phones boast updated designs, with the smaller Pixel 9 echoing the aesthetics of the Samsung Galaxy S24 from the front, while still retaining its distinct Pixel identity. And, as anticipated with a Google phone, the Pixel 9 boasts an array of new AI features. I’ve spent almost a week with the base Pixel 9, and while it feels like a refined and mature piece of hardware, it’s not quite there yet. This full review delves into the Pixel 9’s intricacies to help you decide if it’s the right phone for you.

The Pixel 9 is priced at ₹79,999 in India for the single 12GB RAM and 256GB storage option.

Google Pixel 9 Design: Flagship Level

• Dimensions: 152.8 height x 72.0 width x 8.5 depth
• Weight: 198g
• Colours: Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, Peony

In terms of design, the Pixel 9 embraces the "flat is the new black" trend, aligning itself with devices like the iPhone 15 and Samsung Galaxy S24. The phone features a flat aluminium frame with rounded corners and a matte finish, evoking a distinct resemblance to the iPhone. The Pixel 9, while smaller than its Pro siblings, is no longer as compact as previous generations. It surpasses both the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24 in height and width. The iconic "camera visor" is gone, replaced with a horizontally spanning camera bar that resembles the visor, but in a pill-shaped design, reminiscent of the Google search bar. Despite the changes, the Pixel 9 remains instantly recognisable as a Pixel phone.

The design is very similar to the iPhone 15 and the Galaxy S24

The rear panel boasts a polished Gorilla Glass Victus 2 finish, with a centrally positioned Google logo. The right frame houses the power and volume buttons, while the top accommodates a microphone. The bottom features a USB Type-C port, speaker grille, SIM card tray, and another microphone. The left side remains devoid of any elements. This new flat design contributes to a more flagship and premium feel, but I personally prefer the curved back and camera visor of the Pixel 8.

The Pixel 9, now taller than its predecessor, primarily due to the slightly larger display, retains the IP68 rating. The camera bar remains functional as a finger rest, providing a familiar grip.

Google Pixel 9 Display: Brighter and Better

• Panel: 6.3-inch OLED, Full HD+ resolution
• Refresh rate: 60 to 120Hz
• Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2

The Pixel 9 boasts a larger and brighter display than the Pixel 8, with uniform and slim bezels across the entire perimeter. It seems Google has finally addressed the thicker chin on previous non-Pro Pixel phones by wrapping the display inwards at the bottom. The new 6.3-inch OLED display, christened "Actua," offers 2,700 nits of peak brightness, 24-bit color depth, and an adaptive refresh rate between 60 and 120Hz. While it’s not an LTPO panel, it’s undeniably an upgrade over the previous model.

The phone has an LTPS panel and only offers a 60 or 120Hz refresh rate

The display delivers excellent color output and ample contrast, rendering HDR videos with exceptional fidelity. Supporting both HDR10 and HDR10+, the panel receives Widevine L1 certification. The software offers "Natural" and "Adaptive" color modes. While outdoor visibility wasn’t an aspect of concern with the Pixel 8, the Pixel 9 further enhances this aspect, making content easier to read in bright conditions.

A hole-punch cutout graces the top of the display, housing an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. This marks a worthwhile upgrade from the optical sensor on the Pixel 8, which was plagued by slower speeds and less accuracy compared to other flagship phones. The new fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 9 finally aligns it with other flagships, providing a fast and reliable experience, even with wet fingers.

Google Pixel 9 Software: More AI

• OS: Android 14
• Software support: 7 Years
• Latest security patch: September 5

Pixel phones have long been lauded for their cameras, but they’re gaining equal recognition for their AI-powered software features, a trend that continues with the Pixel 9. The Pixel 9 ships with Android 14 out of the box and received the September security patch during my review period. While it would be standard for a new Pixel phone to launch with the newest Android version, the Pixels made an early appearance this year, and Android 15 has just hit AOSP.

You will get 7 years of OS updates on the Pixel 9

Google continues its commitment to offering 7 years of OS and security updates for its flagships, ensuring a long-lasting and secure software experience. The phone introduces a new Weather app along with extensive customization options across the system.

Now, let’s dive into the phone’s AI-centric features. With a Google One 2TB plan, you get a free month of Gemini Advanced, enabling access to Gemini Live. This utilizes the Gemini 1.5 Pro model with a 1 million token context window, allowing you to tackle complex problems with the AI assistant without any limitations. I found Gemini Live to be remarkably useful and impressively competent, functioning flawlessly with a naturally engaging tone. While I did encounter some occasional hallucinations, the capacity for free-flowing AI conversations is truly captivating, reminiscent of the ChatGPT Voice option on the ChatGPT app.

Gemini Live on Pixel 9 works great, and it feels like you’re talking to a human

Additional in-built AI features include "Help me create a list" within the Google Keep notes app and a new AI weather report in the Weather app. The former proves quite handy, but the usefulness of the AI summary remains debatable.

The Pixel Studio app lets you quickly generate AI images, but there are limitations

The Pixel 9 also introduces Pixel Studio and Pixel Screenshots apps this year. The latter aids in recalling screenshots, organizing them for easy retrieval. I didn’t find Pixel Screenshots particularly useful, as my memory falters, and I struggle to remember what screenshots I’ve taken in the first place.

Pixel Studio, on the other hand, proved entertaining, enabling AI-powered image creation. While limitations exist in what can be generated (human subjects are forbidden), you can still produce captivating images for creative endeavors. Simply open the app, tap "Create," and enter your prompt. You can experiment with different output styles, add stickers and text to the generated images, and even create stickers from existing photos on your phone.

The Pixel Studio app won’t let you create images with humans

Beyond the Gemini and AI features integrated into the UI, the Pixel 9 also boasts enhanced Camera AI features. New this year is "Add Me," which lets you insert yourself into group photos where you were the one behind the camera. This fun feature opens the door for other creative applications.

You can use the Add Me feature to create fun pictures [Tap to expand]

Google has also incorporated "Auto frame" and "Reimagine" tools within Magic Editor. Auto frame uses AI to reframe old photos for better storytelling and can even expand the image. While this feature often performed well, some of the crops produced strange results. The Reimagine tool allows you to alter the appearance of your photos, which is a highly effective tool most of the time. I managed to find an elephant on a nearby road and convince my friends that I had recently traveled to Paris. The AI-generated images can be incredibly realistic, a testament to both impressive technology and a potentially scary reality.

This is a Reimagined image. Guess what’s not real? [Tap to expand]

Asked the Reimagine tool to add an elephant, and it did [Tap to expand]

Finally, the Pixel 9 enhances the Audio Magic Eraser feature, which removes noise from videos. This feature proves effective and slightly superior to its Pixel 8 counterpart.

Sadly, the non-Pro Pixel continues to lack access to features like Video Boost, Night Sight Video, Zoom Enhance, and a few others. However, the phone is equipped with an impressive range of AI tools that simplify and enhance various aspects of everyday life, potentially even inspiring a "reimagined" life.

Google Pixel 9 Performance: Still Runs Hot

• Chipset: Tensor G4
• RAM: 12GB
• Storage: Up to 256GB

While the Tensor G4 chipset represents this year’s iteration, it continues to fall short in terms of performance and overheating, leading me to believe that Google should seriously consider switching back to Qualcomm for future Pixel processors. Even while performing basic tasks, the phone gets warm. Although you won’t experience lag or random app freezes, spending 30 minutes on Instagram is enough to induce warmth. However, this heating occurs with specific apps, and I didn’t encounter any heat issues while watching YouTube videos. Engage in gaming, and the phone heats up; open the camera, and the rear panel and frame become warm within a couple of minutes. The Pro models, equipped with a vapor-cooling chamber, manage to stay cooler, even those priced at half the cost.

The phone doesn’t have a vapour-cooling chamber

The Pixel 9 proves capable of handling all kinds of games, but the experience becomes less enjoyable after 15-20 minutes. With BGMI, for instance, I observed excellent frame rates and smooth gameplay, but the phone became uncomfortably hot after approximately 35 minutes of play. For standard usage, performance is adequate. App launches are rapid, and they remain in memory for a considerable duration. Overall, the phone doesn’t feel sluggish unless tasked with demanding operations. I ran synthetic benchmarks on the phone to compare its performance to similarly priced rivals. The results are summarized below:

However, it’s worth noting that Google’s restrictions prevented me from installing most benchmarking apps; I had to sideload them, which may explain the lower-than-expected scores. Nonetheless, if performance is a primary consideration, the Pixel 9 is not the optimal choice.

Turning to the speakers, earpiece, and cellular performance, the Pixel 9 boasts a hybrid dual speaker setup, combining a primary loudspeaker at the bottom with an earpiece that functions as the second speaker. Audio separation is commendable, and the speakers deliver ample volume without any crackling, even at maximum levels. However, they lack bass. Call quality is excellent, and connectivity has improved compared to the Pixel 8, owing to the use of a newer modem.

Google Pixel 9 Cameras: Going Wider

• Main rear camera: 50-megapixel, f/1.68, OIS, Octa PD
• Ultrawide camera: 48-megapixel, f/1.7, Quad PD, 123 degree FoV
• Selfie camera: 10.5-megapixel, f/2.2, autofocus, 95 degree FoV, Dual PD

The Pixel 9’s main rear camera utilizes the same sensor as its predecessor, but it gains a new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera shared with the Pro models. Google has also introduced autofocus to the front camera, albeit retaining the same sensor as last year. The absence of a Pro mode in the camera app remains a disappointment.

There’s a new ultrawide camera on the Pixel 9

Moving on to the camera quality, the main rear camera consistently captures exceptional daylight photos with minimal noise, outstanding dynamic range, accurate white balance, precise exposure, and impressive detail. The images exhibit a distinctive Pixel look with slightly darker shadows, resulting in a very natural aesthetic. Saturation is not boosted like on the Galaxy S24, and the pictures are less warm than the iPhone 15. Skin tones are rendered flawlessly on the Pixel 9.

The phone’s 2x digital zoom is largely similar in quality to last year’s model. These images retain a good deal of detail and sharpness, especially in well-lit conditions, surpassing the quality of the iPhone 15’s 2x zoom images. While the Pixel 9 delivers decent portrait photos, they are not quite exceptional. I found that many shots had excessive blur, which proved unflattering in photos of people. Edge detection is generally good, but hair can pose challenges for the software. Skin color is consistently accurate in Portrait shots.

The new ultrawide camera doesn’t immediately stand out as a significant upgrade over the Pixel 8. While there’s increased detail in the corners compared to the Pixel 8, the center of the image appears nearly identical. I particularly appreciate the color consistency between the main and ultrawide cameras. The sensor also enables Macro photography, allowing you to get incredibly close to your subject – 15mm to be exact. This Macro mode delivers stunningly detailed close-up shots.

Daylight photos from Main camera, Ultrawide, and 2x Digital zoom [Tap to expand]

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