Final yr, 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 possibility to leap ship.
My objective 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 subsequent Nothing Cellphone would leverage the know-how in methods no different system had.
Foiled once more.
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Shortly after, I regarded into the Pixel 9 Pro series, which Google has made clear it is critical about returning the “flagship” moniker to the lineup. As a substitute of questionable design selections for the {hardware} (just like the ugly digital camera 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 obtained 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 cellphone on.
The very first thing you may discover with the Pixel 9 is the flat edges, which give the cellphone a really polished look. Virtually talking, these flat edges make the Pixel 9 Professional exponentially simpler to choose up.
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This was one in all my massive complaints with the Pixel 8 Professional. When the Pixel 8 cellphone is on a flat floor, it may be onerous to choose up with any confidence. Due to the slick floor, the cellphone is susceptible to slide from between my fingers. Not that dropping a cellphone just a few inches to a desk floor would injury the system, but it surely’s definitely irritating.
The Pixel 9 Professional could be very simple to carry with one hand.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
That subject is not any extra. The Pixel 9 Professional is much simpler to choose up.
Past the texture of all of it, the Pixel 9 look is simply spot on. Sure, it’s extremely 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 digital camera hump is a lot nicer. On the Pixel 7 Professional and Pixel 8 Professional, the digital camera hump made the cellphone look low cost. It virtually appeared “unintentional.” Now? The digital camera hump appears to be like intentional in design, and it suits the feel and appear of the system a lot better than in earlier iterations.
Lastly, the scale of the Pixel 9 Professional is ideal. It is a bit 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 knowledge from one Pixel to a different, you are prompted to attach the telephones by way of 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 finished by way of 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 for the reason that early Pixel days).
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In fact, not all the things transferred. When it comes to credentials, solely my Gmail account was robotically 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 for the reason that Pixel 6 Professional, I’ve discovered Google’s high cellphone’s efficiency excellent. The Pixel 9 Professional takes this up a notch, and eventually, Android can actually showcase animations on par with iOS. All the things 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 unimaginable. 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, but it surely by no means will get too dim to see clearly.
If I manually alter the brightness all the way in which up, it is very vivid. Actually, that is the primary cellphone I’ve used the place I assumed the show at full brightness was virtually too vivid. Photos have extra depth and readability when displayed on the Pixel 9 Professional.
The evening earlier than final, I forgot to place my cellphone on the charger in a single day. After I awoke the subsequent morning and noticed it on my desk, the proportion of the remaining battery was 76%. As a substitute of inserting it on its cradle so it may cost, I made a decision to make use of it and wait till my typical time (round 6 PM — I prefer to fully disconnect on the finish of the day) to set it on the Pixel stand.
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By the top of the day, the cellphone was at 50%. Granted, I am not on my cellphone continuously all through the day however, even so, that is spectacular. It is not any form of battery benchmark that I may truthfully go by, however understanding the cellphone can go with out an in a single day cost and the battery barely budges an inch downward is a fairly good indication that this cellphone will greater than go the gap.
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 cellphone worthy of the flagship title. I can not 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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