The Pixel 9 Pro is Google's best phone
Maybe it does look a bit like an iPhone though...
I've finally received my Pixel 9 Pro! At long last, Google has offered up a phone that isn't obnoxiously large but still delivers all of the top end specs. It seems like they've listened to the cries of small(ish) phone lovers like me and decided it makes sense to offer a phone in two sizes with all of the same specs. Just because I want a small screen doesn't mean I want a lesser quality camera or no wide angle lens. These are all reasonable requests right?
Well, I've been using the phone this week and so far it has not disappointed. Let's take a look at what's been great so far.
The Design
I went with the Hazel color option and it really does seem to look totally different in different lighting. It was hard to get a sense of exactly what the color was in the promotional photos from Google. I'd definitely say it leans more toward gray than green. It looks classy but I sorta wish they offered up a brighter color in the smaller pro size. My last two Pixel phones have been in Bay Blue and Wintergreen colors and those were fun! People noticed them and they stood out in the sea of drab black and white phones.
Aside from the color, I love the phone's design. The matte texture on the back of the phone is lovely. Yes, it's a bit slippery still but I think less so than previous Pixels. The shiny rails were a bit off putting at first. I guess I understand wanting to create some contrast between matte back and shiny sides, but I wonder what it would have looked like if the sides were a matte finish as well. Either way, it's a nice looking design but the reflecting rails do attract more fingerprints than the hazel-colored backside.
Yes, let's be real. This phone looks like an iPhone from the front. That bothers me a little bit. It's taken Google a while to find their own design language and this year they did borrow a bit more from Apple than I would have liked to see. There is nothing wrong with the way an iPhone looks, I'm just in favor of variety and innovation when it comes to the look of our phones.
The camera bump on the back will certainly separate it from the iPhones though. It's a bit unsightly but super functional. I do like the way it lets your finger rest when you're holding it. I used to like the way the previous generation of camera bump wrapped around the edges but this look has grown on me. It does give off the illusion that you can just push the whole bump down and it would retract into the phone's body, but alas that isn't possible. I remember the novelty of the pop-up selfie cam on the front of my old One Plus phone. There is a reason why we haven't figured out a smooth execution for that design yet.
The Software
Pixel phones are really all about the software, and the Pixel 9 Pro doesn't disappoint on that front. While it is a shame that this year's Pixel doesn't ship with a new version of Android, it will get a software update in the coming weeks. With the shift of release date from the usual October timeframe to early September, delays were inevitable.
AI is front and center with this phone and it's mostly executed well. I've loved using Pixel Studio for some quick image generation. I was impressed with how easily it helped me whip up some fantasy football team logos. Gemini is the crown jewel in Google's plan for AI dominance and the virtual assistant is finally impressive enough to use daily.
Gemini Live offers an extremely lifelike virtual conversation with the voice of your choosing. While it did a great job of understanding and responding to all my queries in a really natural manner, I wish it had the ability to send files and additional info for me to process at a later time. Hopefully that ability comes soon.
What's not so great?
The battery life has been decent so far but nothing incredibly better than the last generation. The camera is amazing like every Pixel phone but the AI photo features still feel a little half baked. I'm not sure that I really need the ability to add additional people to images that they weren't physically in to begin with. But I'm sure I'll come across a scenario where that may come in handy soon.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the phone and eager to put it through all the paces of daily use. I'll be sure to share any additional findings that come up over the next few weeks.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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