Final 12 months, I was emphatic that my time with Pixel phones was over as a result of Google had introduced it was planning to inject much more AI “goodness” into Android. I noticed that as a chance to leap ship.
My purpose was to purchase the Nothing Phone 3. Then, as destiny would have it, Nothing CEO Carl Pei introduced that his firm was going all-in on AI, and the following Nothing Telephone would leverage the expertise in methods no different system had.
Foiled once more.
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Shortly after, I appeared into the Pixel 9 Pro series, which Google has made clear it is severe about returning the “flagship” moniker to the lineup. As an alternative of questionable design selections for the {hardware} (just like the ugly digicam hump, too-slick glass, and oddly-beveled edges), Google opted for a classier look.
The corporate succeeded.
I positioned my order, traded in my Pixel 8 Professional, and bought a whopping $700 in credit score. I sat again and waited. A few weeks later, my pink Pixel 9 Professional arrived. As quickly as I unboxed it, my first thought was, “Now this is a flagship system.”
The construct high quality is stellar, the look is gorgeous, and the texture is nice — and that was all earlier than I switched the telephone on.
The very first thing you may discover with the Pixel 9 is the flat edges, which give the telephone a really polished look. Virtually talking, these flat edges make the Pixel 9 Professional exponentially simpler to select up.
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This was certainly one of my large complaints with the Pixel 8 Professional. When the Pixel 8 telephone is on a flat floor, it may be onerous to select up with any confidence. Due to the slick floor, the telephone is susceptible to slide from between my fingers. Not that dropping a telephone a couple of inches to a desk floor would injury the system, nevertheless it’s actually irritating.
The Pixel 9 Professional may be very straightforward to carry with one hand.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
That problem isn’t any extra. The Pixel 9 Professional is much simpler to select up.
Past the texture of all of it, the Pixel 9 look is simply spot on. Sure, it is very iPhone-like, however I do not see that as a foul factor. There is a purpose why Apple has caught to the same chassis design… as a result of it really works, and it screams “I am a flagship system!”
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Additionally, the digicam hump is a lot nicer. On the Pixel 7 Professional and Pixel 8 Professional, the digicam hump made the telephone look low cost. It virtually appeared “unintentional.” Now? The digicam hump appears intentional in design, and it suits the appear and feel of the system significantly better than in earlier iterations.
Lastly, the dimensions of the Pixel 9 Professional is ideal. It’s kind of shorter than the Pixel 7 Professional and Pixel 8 Professional, which implies it is simpler to make use of with one hand.
Establishing my Pixel (from an older mannequin)
Usually, when transferring information from one Pixel to a different, you are prompted to attach the telephones through a USB-C cable and permit the info to switch (a course of that may take a while). With the Pixel 9 lineup, it is all completed through Bluetooth, and it is surprisingly quick and straightforward. I might go as far as to say that is the best and quickest switch from one Pixel to a different that I’ve skilled (and I have been doing this because the early Pixel days).
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In fact, not every part transferred. When it comes to credentials, solely my Gmail account was routinely added. I needed to enter different app logins manually. That is to be anticipated, and I did not thoughts having to log again into sure apps and add my non-Gmail accounts.
I additionally bought a transparent case for magnetic equipment from Google, which was a sensible transfer.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
My expertise
Ever because the Pixel 6 Professional, I’ve discovered Google’s prime telephone’s efficiency excellent. The Pixel 9 Professional takes this up a notch, and at last, Android can actually showcase animations on par with iOS. Every part is buttery easy, and apps launch immediately. Scroll by means of the App Drawer, and also you now not expertise stutters and jumps.
The show of the Pixel 9 Professional is nothing wanting unbelievable. Usually, I swap off the Ambient Show function as a result of the show tends to get a bit too darkish. On the Pixel 9 Professional, I’ve but to really feel the necessity to shut off that function. Certain, the show adjusts to the smallest change in ambient gentle, nevertheless it by no means will get too dim to see clearly.
If I manually regulate the brightness all the way in which up, it is very vibrant. In truth, that is the primary telephone I’ve used the place I believed the show at full brightness was virtually too vibrant. Pictures have extra depth and readability when displayed on the Pixel 9 Professional.
The evening earlier than final, I forgot to place my telephone on the charger in a single day. After I awakened the following morning and noticed it on my desk, the share of the remaining battery was 76%. As an alternative of inserting it on its cradle so it may cost, I made a decision to make use of it and wait till my common time (round 6 PM — I wish to fully disconnect on the finish of the day) to set it on the Pixel stand.
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By the tip of the day, the telephone was at 50%. Granted, I am not on my telephone always all through the day however, even so, that is spectacular. It isn’t any form of battery benchmark that I may truthfully go by, however figuring out the telephone can go with out an in a single day cost and the battery barely budges an inch downward is a reasonably good indication that this telephone will greater than go the space.
Backside line (for now)
It is early in my relationship with the Pixel 9 Pro, however I am able to proclaim that Google has lastly created a Pixel telephone worthy of the flagship title. I am unable to wait to see how Android 15 will run on this child as a result of it runs like a champ on my Pixel 7 Professional.
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