Pixel 9 Review: Yup, It’s That Good

To say that I have been waiting for a phone like the Pixel 9 from Google for many years feels like an understatement, but I didn’t know I needed this particular phone until I saw the first leaks of its design back in January of this year. At that time, we had no idea that we’d get treated to four different Pixel 9 models, but as an Android fan, we’re so here for it.

I have been running the base Pixel 9 for over a week now, pairing it with my Pixel Watch 2. I have come to form an opinion on the device that I am now ready to share with you.

This is our Pixel 9 review.

What I Like

Hardware and Design – I’ll get this part out of the way. I think it’s a fair comparison that the Pixel 9 feels like an iPhone in hand, but thankfully, that rear camera bar helps the device differentiate itself from Apple’s offerings to the eye. There, that’s all the iPhone talk you’ll get out of me for the duration.

We at Droid Life do relatively subjective reviews, so speaking my humble opinion, I believe the Pixel 9 lineup is the best hardware Google has ever produced. It looks amazing and feels fantastic in hand. For a smartphone, I can’t ask for much else from hardware. Google has provided Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back, plus the upgraded ultrasonic fingerprint reader has yet to annoy me like the optical sensors did. Pretty much across the board the phone feels like an upgrade.

I also feel obligated to discuss the camera bar bump on back. I know it has turned off a few people, but allow me to tell you why it’s awesome. For one-handed use, that camera bar allows you to brace the phone well with your index finger, giving you a more secure hold on the device. When sliding your thumb up to bring down the notification shade, it also acts a nice little push off/anchor spot. I get that to the eye it sticks out a little bit, but at least it doesn’t wobble on a flat surface like 95% of all other phone designs. And let’s be real, those complaining are the same ones that put their phones in an armor case. Lol, as if they can discuss design with us naked and afraid phone users.

Software and Performance – Interestingly, Google opted to ship the Pixel 9 with Android 14, presumably because Android 15 wasn’t quite ready. A recent report essentially confirms that Google wants Android 15 to be perfectly stable and fully baked before shipping it out, hopefully by mid October at the latest. From a reviewer’s standpoint, it’s pretty lame, since there isn’t very much new stuff to play with outside of Gemini-powered stuff, but at the same time, Android 14 is a very robust build and it runs perfectly fine on this hardware. If anything, it gives folks very little complain about because I haven’t come across any sort of bugs or jank to speak of.

Google outfitted the Pixel 9 with Pixel Studio, the new generative AI feature that allows you to use keywords and themes to create shareable images. Sadly, we think Google could go the extra step and make the feature even better. For example, the images you can create are hardly large enough to use as wallpapers on the phone (2048 x 2048). That seems like a missed opportunity. And while I do appreciate a free (for now) generative AI feature to use, there is definitely limitations to what you can create. Anyone trying to generate images of large-chested individuals will find that creating those sort of pictures isn’t possible. You can however create images of dogs riding dinosaurs and sweet softball stickers.

Gemini itself is also becoming more robust, with Google eyeing it as a replacement for Assistant in the future. We still aren’t 100% there, but it’s coming along. I didn’t find myself needing to use Gemini too often, but when I did, it seemed to answer my simple questions and perform basic system tasks with no issue. Pixel Screenshots is another feature that sounds very impressive, but I didn’t ever need it. I don’t take a million screenshots, but maybe someone out there does and needs a way to quickly search through those images using AI. It sounds very helpful, but alas, I didn’t use it.

Discussing performance also seems important. Powered by a Tensor G4 along with 12GB RAM, it’s been smooth sailing for the Pixel 9. A Googler recently provided an interview in which they said the company set out to create a phone for consumer use cases, not benchmarks. I’m a fan of that. I don’t care how high a phone scores, so long as it performs the tasks that I want, such as opening and snapping a photo with the camera quickly or scrolling through apps smoothly. The Pixel 9 does all of that flawlessly. With each passing year, Pixel phones seem to perform better and better. I don’t think any phone can run 100% perfect all of the time, but Google has really gotten into a groove it seems. It will be interesting how the update to Android 15 may affect my experience, but my fingers are crossed for a smooth update process with little to no major bugs.

Display – Pixel 9 features a 6.3-inch Actua OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2424 and refresh rate of up to 120Hz. In terms of upgrades to the naked eye, the display gets much brighter when in direct sunlight with a peak brightness of 2,700 nits. That’s a big jump from Pixel 8’s 2,000 nit peak. If you’re upgrading from the Pixel 7, with a 1,400 nits peak, then you’re looking at a massive difference.

Compared to displays found on Samsung devices, I describe Google displays as tame, with color saturation not overdone. That’s not a bad thing by any means, some people prefer that. To me, this more natural approach makes photos you take and videos you watch seem a bit more like reality, which can be important when sharing things to social media.

My other love for this phone’s display could also belong in the hardware section, but the fact that it’s flat and not curved. It makes me laugh how much we seemed to love curved glass back in the day, but I’m happy companies are moving away from it. Phones are now more durable, plus for gesture controls, it feels so much better. Long live the flat glass on these displays.

Battery Life – Before I tell you about how much I loved the Pixel 9’s battery life, it must be prefaced that for me, 4-5 hours of screen on time is good. Like Kellen, I’ve never been someone who pulls 10 hours of SoT with 50% battery remaining. I have no idea how people are doing that, but it’s not my reality and thought it was very funny that people took issue with Kellen saying he had good battery testing results on the Pixel 9 Pro. As for my Pixel 9 testing, it’s been great. I am easily getting 4+ hours of screen on time every day with plenty of residual juice left, with my typical day being from about 7am to 11pm. Some days I game more than others, but during the review period, I’m always using the phone a bit more than I typically would. There’s a lot of pictures getting taken, gaming, and Chrome browsing taking place. The Pixel 9 has held up exceptionally well.

Pixel 9 comes packing a 4,700mAh battery, with charging specs listed as 27W max speed when using Google’s 45W Type-C charger. Users should be able to get 55% battery back with 30 minutes of charging, which for most people should be plenty fine. The device also support Qi wireless charging (15W), as well as Battery Share.

What Could be Better

Camera – When reviewing a phone as good as this, you’re sometimes forced to get a little nit picky with things. Overall the camera on this phone is very good, but if you were to ask me what could be better, the lack of the telephoto lens is very much noticed. I have grown so accustomed to zooming in on whatever I want that when a phone lacks that capability, I get a little bummed. The best I can do on the Pixel 9 is 8x (optical up to 2x), which is really nothing when compared to 30x or even 100x on some devices. I get that Google has to cut in certain places to meet a particular price point, so it’s fine, but I’m still going to say my piece.

Speaking to what this camera can do, it does its job very well. It’s a Pixel after all. On board is a 50-megapixel wide angle lens and 48MP ultrawide lens with Macro Focus. If you’re someone who merely opens the camera and expects great results, the Pixel 9 is perfectly suited for that. It captures great color and contrast, plus Night Sight is still the benchmark for all other OEMs.

You’ll also have access to the latest editing tools and features from Google, such as Add Me, where you can add yourself to shots via alignment tools. It’s nifty and I’m sure someone out there will get a kick out of it. While overall barebones, the camera works very well and should be quite a little workhorse for buyers. It’s pretty much the perfect point and click camera. Again, it’s a Pixel, so all of this is expected.

Here are some camera samples, resized for the site. You can view high-res images here.

Speakers – My only real beef with the phone are the speakers. They don’t get very loud. There isn’t much else to say about it. Coming from some phones that get very loud, the Pixel 9 is pretty quiet. I’ve tried to play with the equalizer and all of that, but haven’t had much success. They make 3rd-party apps that can push your volume limits, but I’d rather not mess something up. Seriously, this is my only true gripe with the device.

Pixel 9 Lineup Specs

Other Notes

• Wife Impression: “Love the size. Really don’t like how big the camera hump is, although it does serve as a nice resting spot for your index finger when you’re holding the phone. The ultrasonic fingerprint reader is amazing, I love not being blinded when I unlock the phone. I like the way the frame feels. Feels very premium.”
• Software Updates: 7 years, baby. That’s OS and security updates. This phone will be officially supported until 2031. If society is even a thing that far in the future, the Pixel 9 should still be going strong.

Availability and Price

Pixel 9 starts at $799. For a phone of this caliber, that seems fair to me. It also leaves room for a more affordable Pixel 9a, then you have the Pro models start at a whopping $999. I was initially bummed at the $799 price, but now having used the phone and seeing the quality, I’m happy with the price. Will some folks think it should come with faster charging, expandable storage, and a headphone jack? Of course, but Google is trying to add value via software (AI) features and quality hardware. You can find Pixel 9 at all major retailers and carriers. And don’t forget, trade-in deals are also available for you to lower that price.

The Verdict

Usually I would always suggest getting a Pro version, simply because you’d want all of the goodies. However, if you can live without the 16GB RAM and extra telephoto camera, I think the Pixel 9 is a perfectly great smartphone option. This is one of the first times I feel that the base option isn’t a plastic, cheap counterpart to the more premium models. The Pixel 9 feels and looks like a premium smartphone, complete with a great camera, tons of software to play with, and hardware that performs well.

Honestly, Google knocked it out of the park here.

Buy Pixel 9: Amazon | Best Buy | Google Store