Google Pixel 9 Pro Review: A Pocketable Champion

2024 is the year Google finally introduced its entire range of Pixel devices in India, including the

 

Daylight samples from the primary camera (tap images to expand)

Close-up shot using ultrawide camera (tap image to expand)

 

 

Low-light photography is another highlight of the 9 Pro. I clicked some amazing low-light shots with plenty of details, controlled noise, and keeping colours in check. Pixel’s automatic night mode worked well for me. Of course, you can take things into your control and tweak settings to get better results. The portraits come out good, though, there’s scope of improvement. 

 

Low-light camera samples (tap image to expand)

Portrait shot in low light (tap image to expand)

 

 

The selfie camera on the 9 Pro is amazing; finally, the front camera upgrade has paid off—amazing skin tones captured in different light conditions. On the video front, the Pixel 9 Pro has improved greatly compared to the Pixel 8 Pro. However, it is not as good for videos as the iPhone at the moment.

Shots taken using 1x, 0.5x, 2x and 5x (tap image to expand)

Low light shots taken in 1x, 0.5, 2x and 5x (tap image to expand)

 

 

 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Battery: Decent

• 4700mAh battery
• Up to 55% charging in about 30 minutes
• Wireless charging support

Do not underestimate the Pixel 9 Pro just because of its sheer size. In my tests, I found the Pixel 9 Pro to be a capable device in terms of battery performance. With heavy usage, the Pixel 9 Pro lasted a whole day with 15-20 percent left till the end of the day. While with medium usage, the phone can easily last up to 36 hours.

Pixel 9 Pro comes with fast-charging support

 

The Pixel 9 Pro doesn’t ship with a charger like modern-day flagships. It supports 27W wired charging and up to 15W wireless charging. I tested the phone with a 45W charger, and it matched the brand’s claimed fast charging figures. The phone, however, takes roughly 100 minutes to charge fully.

The Pixel 9 Pro is a device that can outshine many compact flagships out there

 

Google Pixel 9 Pro Verdict

The Pixel 9 Pro is an excellent choice for those who want Pixel-like camera prowess. Its compact form factor is the biggest highlight, and the good thing is that Google this year hasn’t kept marquee features limited to 9 Pro XL. You get all the bells and whistles of the bigger sibling at a lesser price with the 9 Pro. The battery surprised me with its backup, and it shines in most scenarios. The extended software support should give prospective buyers confidence.

The Pixel 9 Pro comes with a single 16GB RAM and 256GB storage configuration

 

The only downgrade is the lack of heavy-duty performance credentials, which you can experience only when gaming or editing videos or photos on the device. Long thing short, where the chipset is required to handle graphic-intensive tasks is where 9 Pro feels it remains behind the competition. It’s high time that Google opts for Snapdragon or MediaTek for its chipset requirements, as Tensor cannot outrun its closest rivals.

If you want the best camera experience, you can’t go wrong with the Pixel 9 Pro, but when you add gaming and other graphics-intensive tasks, I have to ask you to look another way.

At Rs. 109,999, the Pixel 9 Pro feels slightly expensive for what it offers, but you can consider it as a premium for all the top-tier Google features arriving this year, along with AI.

When talking about alternatives, the Pixel 9 (Review) is definitely the closest sibling you can consider, minus some features. The Samsung Galaxy S24+ (Review) is also closer to the Pixel 9 Pro in terms of packaging, while you can also look at the iPhone 16 Pro, which is slightly more expensive.