The start of a brand new route – Firstpost

Professionals:
– Premium construct and end with IP68 ingress safety
– Glorious principal and ultra-wide cameras
– Sharp and vibrant 120Hz OLED show
– Easy and clear Android expertise
– A handful of AI function with extra anticipated over time
– 7 years of software program updates promised
– Good total efficiency with comparatively lesser throttling

Cons:
– Sluggish charging; no charger within the field
– No telephoto digicam but
– Costly

Value: Rs 79,999
Score: 4/5

The Pixel 9 arrived so much sooner than regular; the truth is, even earlier than Android 15 confirmed up. Fortunately, we had it with us lengthy sufficient to expertise two main variations of the OS on this machine. So how does it stack up towards its predecessor and the competitors? Are there any main upgrades this time? Is it price shopping for but? Time to reply all these questions and extra.

Google Pixel 9 Design: Not as compact as earlier than however extra sturdy and polished

There’s a noticeable change in design this time and largely for the higher. The curved edges of the body have been changed with iPhone-esque flat ones, and the edge-to-edge digicam band on the again is now a pill-shaped island; it nonetheless protrudes fairly a bit. The cellphone does look higher, and although nonetheless pretty compact as in comparison with most telephones round, it isn’t as compact because the Pixel 8. However it nonetheless feels nice in hand because of its rugged construct and a premium end with none tough edges.

The Pixel 9 has an aluminium body and a glass again and the load is slightly below 200 grams. The IP68 ranking for mud and fluid resistance has been retained. The display screen is completely flat and merges seamlessly into the body; no curved edges this time. The bezels are slim, and that features the underside bezel too. The show and the again are protected towards scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The body and the digicam island have a matte end, whereas the again is shiny. Regardless of that, fingerprints or smudge marks had been barely seen on the Peony (pink) variant that we obtained for evaluation.

The amount rocker in addition to the ability button are positioned alongside the correct edge. Their placement in addition to that of the in-display fingerprint scanner are spot on, and one can entry them with out stretching the fingers a lot. The scanner is well essentially the most responsive among the many previous three generations of Pixel telephones. The SIM tray is situated on the backside together with a USB-C port and a speaker. One can use an eSIM too. A reminiscence card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack stay absent.

Google Pixel 9 Show: Barely bigger and brighter with 120Hz refresh price

Google lowered the dimensions of the show from 6.3-inch to six.2-inch on the Pixel 8 however is again to the previous once more on the Pixel 9. The HDR10+ compliant OLED show nonetheless sports activities Full HD+ decision and 120Hz refresh price, however is so much brighter now with a peak brightness of 2700 nits. You don’t get granular refresh price changes like in case of telephones with LTPO shows and you may solely select between 60Hz (default) and 120Hz after enabling Easy Show from the underside of show settings, one thing I might advise you to do.

The display screen is shiny and sharp with glorious color copy and distinction out of the field. Pixel shows are usually tuned properly, which is extra of a necessity as you hardly get any color changes. You simply get two modes – Adaptive and Pure. The previous makes the colors look barely extra vivid, whereas the latter does what the title suggests. Strive each and select one which fits your style. All the time-on show function can also be obtainable for those who like.

Google Pixel 9 {Hardware} and efficiency: Evolutionary improve in efficiency

The Pixel 9 is powered by Google’s fourth-generation Tensor G4 SoC that powers all the Pixel 9 sequence. The corporate has dropped the additional core used within the Tensor G3 and gone again to an 8-core structure. Regardless of that, there was a soar in total efficiency, even when it isn’t an enormous one. By way of uncooked processing energy, it’s nonetheless no match for Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip however has actually caught up with their Gen 2 SoC in artificial benchmarks.

I need to add that artificial benchmarks aren’t the be-all and end-all of efficiency. Additionally, it’s laborious to gauge the AI crunching capabilities of the Tenson G4 utilizing our present set of benchmarks, and people talents could get even higher with time. That mentioned, the Tensor G4 breezes by means of day-to-day duties like accessing social media or chat apps, watching movies, shopping the web, opening a number of tabs on a browser and switching between them with out a hiccup.

The Pixel 9 comes outfitted with 12GB RAM and 256GB inside storage. It’s nice to see 256GB on the bottom variant itself (given its price ticket), nonetheless, the corporate has nonetheless caught to UFS 3.1 storage as a substitute of shifting on to UFS 4.0. Even some lower-priced telephones from competing manufacturers have been flaunting the sooner UFS 4.0 storage for nearly a few years now.

Transferring on, the cellphone usually stays cool however does get a little bit heat after half-hour of gaming or for those who click on dozens of pictures at a go. It doesn’t get alarmingly sizzling however the efficiency does throttle because the temperature rises. However there was a noticeable enchancment on this entrance, with the efficiency dropping to about 70 per cent and to not 50 per cent as in case of the Tensor G3. The efficiency throttling does influence the body charges in gaming however isn’t noticeable in day-to-day duties.

We ran a couple of artificial benchmarks to gauge its efficiency and examine it with that of its predecessors and final two generations of OnePlus flagship telephones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Gen 3 chips. You may verify the precise scores of the Pixel 9 within the picture under, whereas I paint a comparative image. In Geekbench 6, the Tensor G4 managed to outscore the G3 on the Pixel 8 by 13 per cent in single-core efficiency and by a robust 24 per cent in multi-core. Apparently, the scores are neck and neck with the Pixel 8 Professional that can also be powered by the Tensor G3.

One factor to notice right here is that the G4 has one much less core than the G3, so fewer newer cores do the job higher. As in comparison with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 on the OnePlus 11, the Pixel 9 scores 21 per cent and three per cent higher within the single-core and multi-core benchmarks respectively. Equally, within the PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark, the Pixel 9 manages to attain 12 per cent greater than the Pixel 8 however is kind of at par with the Pixel 8 Professional and OnePlus 11.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip manages to keep away from the competitors by an enormous margin with a 20 per cent and 44 per cent lead in Geekbench (single and multi-core respectively) and a 20 per cent greater rating in PCMark as in comparison with the Tensor G4 right here.

A lot of catching as much as do for Google. On the intense aspect, the Pixel 9 grew to become the primary Google cellphone to max out the 3D Mark Wild Life benchmark. However within the Wild Life Excessive benchmarks, the outcomes weren’t spectacular with the Pixel 9 simply getting its nostril forward of the Pixel 8 and eight Professional whereas lagging behind the OnePlus 11 and 12 by an enormous margin of 40 per cent and 90 per cent respectively.

Having mentioned that, the real-world gaming efficiency of the Pixel 9 is completely acceptable, and you may play many of the video games on the market on it. You might have to decrease the graphics setting in some circumstances for good body charges. Transferring on to different issues, the sound output is fairly good. The 2 audio system on the cellphone produce a loud and punchy sound output with good stereo separation. The cellphone is Bluetooth 5.3 compliant and has tri-band WiFi with help for a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7 requirements. The decision high quality and reception on this 5G-compliant cellphone had been completely high quality through the course of our testing.

Google Pixel 9 Battery backup: Improved battery life however not the charging pace

The battery capability has seen a marginal increment from 4575 mAh on the Pixel 8 to 4700 mAh right here, however the precise battery life is noticeably higher. The battery lasts properly over a day of reasonable use, and nearer to a day and a half if there is no such thing as a gaming or plenty of images concerned. What hasn’t modified in any respect is the charging pace. Identical to its predecessor, the Pixel 9 helps 27W quick charging utilizing USB-PD 3.0 chargers. Google nonetheless doesn’t embody a charger within the bundle; only a USB-C cable.

We tried a bunch of third get together 30W and better USB-PD chargers together with the Raegr RapidLink 1180 GaN charger that may go as excessive as 65W. The quickest time we clocked for charging the Pixel 9 from 1 per cent to 100 per cent was 88 minutes – precisely what we obtained for the Pixel 8. That makes it one of many slowest-charging telephones round. The one saving grace right here is that the Pixel 9 has a barely higher-capacity battery. Most telephones priced at half of the Pixel 9 get the job achieved in lower than half the time. A sooner charging answer is lengthy overdue for the Pixels.

Google Pixel 9 Digicam efficiency: Glorious principal digicam, upgraded ultra-wide digicam

Identical to Pixel telephones from the previous three generations with out the Professional suffix, this too has two cameras on the again. There’s a 50MP major digicam with dual-pixel PDAF and optical picture stabilisation (OIS) that appears to have been carried ahead from the Pixel 8, and its efficiency isn’t too completely different both. The ultra-wide digicam right here sees an enormous change. The 12MP digicam on the Pixel 8 has been changed with a 48MP unit right here with dual-pixel PDAF; this one has been borrowed from the Pixel 9 Professional fashions, which is nice.

The ultra-wide digicam additionally doubles up as a top quality macro digicam. A devoted telephoto digicam current on the Professional fashions stays an absentee. The primary digicam captures some glorious pictures in shiny in addition to low mild circumstances. The colors are pretty correct and the dynamic vary is superb, and the identical goes for the distinction in photos. The captured photos have ample element in regular in addition to low mild. It’s laborious to say if it performs any higher than the Pixel 8 (which itself was nice) nevertheless it actually isn’t inferior.

The cellphone robotically switches to Night time Sight mode when the sunshine is low or you are able to do so manually. It brightens up the darkish areas within the picture simply sufficient with out going overboard or compromising on the element. Pixel telephones have been nice at portrait images and the Pixel 9 isn’t any completely different. In portrait pictures, the sting detection is spot on with a near-perfect background separation. It really works properly with people in addition to different issues like flowers and animals.

As I discussed, there is no such thing as a devoted telephoto digicam right here however the digicam app does provide you with a 2X zoom toggle, which might be termed as hybrid or digital. Whereas they aren’t precisely lossless, the 2X zoomed pictures come out sharp, nearly what one would count on from an optical zoom. The cellphone helps you to zoom in until 8X, however issues begin to get noticeably delicate past 5X with a pointy drop intimately. The AI does its trickery to an extent however don’t get too formidable.

Transferring on to the 48MP ultra-wide digicam, the output is spectacular and the colors and dynamic vary are corresponding to that of the primary digicam. The largest enchancment over the Pixel 8’s is its low mild efficiency, and the colors and particulars are so much nearer to that of the primary digicam as in comparison with its predecessor. This is without doubt one of the few ultra-wide cameras you need to use in low mild with out worrying about drop in high quality. The ultra-wide digicam has auto-focus and may seize some superb macro pictures from up shut.

The ten.5MP selfie digicam appears to be ported from the Pixel 8 nevertheless it now will get auto-focus which boosts its efficiency. The entrance digicam captures some noticeably sharper selfies with pure pores and skin tones. It has a reasonably broad FOV and is sweet at clicking portrait selfies too. The rear cameras can file 4K movies at 24, 30 and 60 fps and slow-mo 1080p movies as much as 240 fps. OIS and gyro-EIS lend stability to the captured footage. A ten-bit HDR possibility can also be obtainable. The recorded movies from the rear cameras are sharp and stabilised and fairly good for this section. The entrance digicam also can file 4K movies at 30 and 60 fps.

Listed below are some pattern pictures from the Google Pixel 9:

Google Pixel 9 OS and consumer interface: Nearly as good as its will get on Android, now with extra AI tips

For the majority of this evaluation, barring the ultimate week or so, this cellphone ran Android 14. Like all Pixel telephones, you get the cleanest and the very best Android expertise in the intervening time. You get a pure Android expertise with none bloatware and with the Materials You design language. The consumer interface is fluid, completely lag-free and void of any main bugs; Android 14 had ample time to calm down in any case. Only a week in the past (on the time of writing), the cellphone acquired an Android 15 replace.

That’s simply the primary of the 7 main software program updates Google has promised for the Pixel 9 sequence. They began these further long-term software program commitments with the Pixel 8 sequence and it’s good to see them proceed the custom right here. Put up the Android 15 replace, there hasn’t been any main change in UI, nor have we come throughout any bugs price reporting thus far. However there’s much more left to discover.

The buzzword for the Pixel 9 sequence is AI, or ought to I say Gemini? You do get a handful of instruments on this cellphone to mess around with, together with the favored Google apps which are seamlessly built-in. However extra importantly, you get a super-charged digital assistant that’s able to doing much more than the same old Google assistant present in different telephones.

Options like object recognition utilizing Google Lens or speech recognition or translation had been already obtainable. Now you will have issues like ‘circle to look’ whereby you circle an object on the display screen and Google offers you extra details about it. Along with the Magic Eraser and Camouflage choices, you additionally get the Magic Editor to boost your photos in several methods. Oh and Google additionally packs the Pixel Studio to utilize generative AI and let your creativity run wild and create photos starting from regular to summary.

There are much more issues to discover and that will be a separate article in itself. Examine Pixel Tips about the cellphone infrequently to discover the brand new or enhanced options made obtainable. Additionally word that AI, although enjoyable to make use of, remains to be in its infancy and can solely get higher with time. So hold your expectations in verify until then.

Google Pixel 9: Value, options and verdict

The Google Pixel 9 is priced at Rs 79,999 for the 256GB inside storage variant with a one-year guarantee. The pricing, although not tempting, is healthier than that of the Pixel 8 at launch. It’s a good all-round cellphone however I might wait a bit longer for its worth to drop earlier than swiping my card. That’s at all times the case with all Apple and Google telephones at launch; they provide a lot better worth within the following yr.

As for options, there are a handful of them so that you can think about, together with some from Google. On the time of writing, Google’s earlier flagship, the Pixel 8 Professional with 256GB storage was listed for the same worth because the Pixel 9. Along with a bigger, higher-res show, you additionally get a superb 48MP telephoto digicam that provides 5X optical zoom. You’ll miss out on a barely extra highly effective SoC and a few AI options in all probability, nevertheless it’s a really stable various.

If you’re on the lookout for one thing as compact or smaller, there are two choices – 256GB variants of the Google Pixel 8 and the Samsung Galaxy S24. The worth of the previous fluctuates greater than the inventory market however is usually noticed underneath 50K on Flipkart even outdoors of mega gross sales, the place it sells even cheaper. Something underneath Rs 50,000 is a good worth for the Pixel 8. The Samsung Galaxy S24 can simply be scored underneath 60K at present and gives nice efficiency, glorious cameras and has some AI chops too. Take your choose.