Google Pixel 9 Hands On: More Size, More AI

The Pixel Pro phones were already the big boys of Google’s phone lineup, but the long-rumored and constantly leaked Pixel 9 Pro XL is truly the first plus-sized Pixel made for Hulk-sized hands and those with deep pockets. The company is hoping you’ll be enticed by that size and (inhales) more AI-centric features. Some of them are actually useful on the Google Pixel 9. 

This year, the regular $800 Google Pixel 9 ($100 more than last year’s starting price) and $1,000 Pixel 9 Pro are the same shape and size, but the $1,100 XL is where things get big. At the same time, the other 9s have a 6.3-inch display (slightly bigger than the Pixel 8), and the Pro sports a 6.8-inch screen. For comparison, that’s slightly bigger than Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Pixel 8 Pro. 

Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro: Screen Size

Google’s Betting Big on Big

The redesign has shaved off much of the rounded edges from both the sides and rear of the Pixel. The sides are now flat with an aluminum frame, while the good old camera bar has been shrunk into a pill-like form. I like this design’s feel in hand more than past Pixels, though I’m also getting a routine feeling that many phones are starting to look very same-y (even more than they already were). 

You can’t really tell the difference in size unless you stack each generation of phones next to each other, but The Pixel 8 Pro came with 12 GB of RAM, though the Pro and Pro XL are getting a boost of up to 16 GB of memory. The regular 9 will get an upgrade to 12 GB. This is probably an effort to aid all the extra Gemini capabilities now flooding Google’s phones, but it’s a boost nonetheless especially for multitasking.

Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro: Software

It’s All About that Gemini

Much of the big marketing push behind Google’s latest hardware is going toward AI integration. The focus is on Gemini’s expanding integration with Pixel phones. The new Tensor G4 chip is supposed to handle all that better than before, but the phone will still heavily rely on cloud-based computing for all but the most routine AI tasks. You can bring up Gemini with a long press of the power button. There are some pretty interesting AI capabilities, like the ability to take details from Gmail and send them to Maps, but we didn’t get to test out much of that in our demos.

Instead, my most anticipated feature is—strangely enough—a dedicated screenshots app. In effect, Pixel Screenshots works akin to Microsoft’s derided Recall feature. Still, instead of automatically screenshotting your work every few seconds, it will only ever read what you’ve decided to snap. Like Recall, Google’s AI will use image and text recognition to search through your screen photos, whether receipts or texts, to find what you’re looking for based on a simple prompt.

Google told us this feature works fully on the device, so no information should be sent to the cloud. At the very least, it will be a good option if I want to keep all my screenshots from cluttering up my Google Photos.

Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro: Camera

A Few Camera Tweaks, Plus Better Night Sight

The other AI capabilities have more or less immediate use. There are a few updates to the Magic Editor suite, including Add Me, which we found works a bit easier on the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold. There’s also a new feature that will help reframe your photo automatically. It’s akin to Photoshop and other editors’ AI cropping tools that fill empty space with AI image generation. However, this feature will give you a choice of reframed photos better to emphasize simple photographer tricks like the rule of thirds. 

This reframing tool worked relatively well in our tests and was far more immediately useful than the “Reimagine” feature. You can select an area of your image to imprint some AI-generated texture. For example, you can make a blank wall look like the surface of the sun. Still, the AI is pretty restrictive about how much of the photo it will reimagine, and in our tests, it refused to reimagine any people or pets in the photo.

The new Pixels are getting a few camera updates, but the regular Pixel 9 is getting an extra boost from its previous 12 MP ultrawide to a 48 MP ultrawide lens with a ƒ/1.7 aperture. The 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL have the 50 MP wide ƒ/1.68 aperture, 48 MP ultrawide ƒ/1.7 aperture, and the 48 MP 5x telephoto with ƒ/2.8 aperture.

The improved night vision on video and panorama should be a big boon to Pixel’s camera software suite. Still, there are some odd inclusions. The Pro models get a surprisingly large 42 MP selfie camera with autofocus if you really, really demand the best-quality duck faces compared to any other camera that’s not flip-foldable.

The whole Pixel 9 lineup this year is sporting some interesting color choices. Yes, that includes the bright, Pepto Bismol pink of the “peony” color on the regular Pixel 9. Despite that, the standout this year is the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL’s rose quartz, with a much more subtle hue that first reminds me of springtime.