Google thought it wasn’t sufficient to replace its Pixel telephones for 2024. Not solely did the corporate launch a brand new foldable, however the Professional mannequin additionally obtained a smaller model. We examined the Pixel 9 Professional and can inform you the way it performs in battery life, efficiency, show, and extra.
Abstract
Purchase
Good
Versatile cameras
Wonderful show
Good construct high quality
The most effective software program replace coverage
Dangerous
Outdated efficiency
Sluggish charging speeds
Google Pixel 9 Professional: All offers
In a Nutshell
Launched throughout the 2024 Made by Google occasion in August, the Pixel 9 Professional isn’t a successor to the Pixel 8 Professional however a totally new mannequin within the Pixel vary. It options the identical compact dimension as the bottom Pixel 9 with all of the options of the big-screened Pixel 9 Professional XL Antoine Engels examined just lately.
In sensible phrases, this implies a high-resolution OLED show that refreshes as much as 120 instances per second however can throttle again to 1 Hz (one replace per second) to avoid wasting energy. It additionally features a triple digicam setup with a 5x zoom lens, extra RAM, and a UWB radio.
Premium construct — iPhone-inspired design
The Pixel 9 Professional options the identical total design and construct high quality as the larger XL mannequin, with flat sides and a extra premium look in comparison with the earlier generations. The 6.3-inch OLED display screen not solely is vivid and quick however may also be dimmed again and sluggish, relying in your wants.
Execs:
Premium look and construct high quality.
Shiny show that may go darkish.
Variable refresh price display screen.
Cons:
Though nonetheless compact, the Pixel 9 Professional (and the common Pixel 9) remains to be barely larger than the Pixel 8, and the flat sides make it really feel heftier within the hand. And sure, the flat aspect design makes it seem like an iPhone, as my colleagues already identified whereas reviewing the opposite telephones.
The Pixel 9 Professional match and end appear extra premium than the earlier generations, as we didn’t discover the gaps between components (which occurred within the Pixel 8, for instance). The shiny end on the aspect appears to be like good in footage however is fast to seize fingerprints, and a few may be involved about the way it will take care of scratches in the long term.
Talking of which, Google additionally despatched the optionally available protecting case for this evaluate, and whereas it’s well-made and surrounds the cellphone properly, it additionally will get eliminated slightly too simply, most likely as a result of new flat design.
On the again, the brand new design of the digicam module doesn’t have any sensible modifications to how the cellphone handles. Nevertheless, the brand new “search field” design is considerably taller, one thing to remember. The module on the Pixel 9 Professional homes the three cameras, the flash, and the quirky temperature sensor.
The OLED show was one of many Pixel 9 Professional’s highlights. Not solely colours popped up in typical OLED vogue however refresh charges may fluctuate between 1 and 120 Hz due to LTPO tech, which resulted in some battery life enhancements.
One welcome improve to the display screen is that it reaches each excessive and low brightness ranges. It will possibly go as much as 3000 nits peak brightness for utilizing the cellphone outdoor beneath the solar, but additionally drop actually low to when you’re utilizing the Pixel 9 Professional in darkish conditions (for instance studying at night time).
The show homes the fingerprint reader however Google lastly upgraded the sensor from an optical to a supersonic module. That lastly mounted long-standing points with studying delays that date again to the Pixel 6 telephones.
Biometric authentication may also be finished with face recognition, and Google provides the characteristic its highest safety certification, similar to on the Pixel 8. That permits customers to approve funds by wanting on the selfie digicam, even when the cellphone doesn’t have particular depth sensors.
Android 14 with additional apps
Launched with Android 14, as of publishing this evaluate, the Pixel 9 Professional nonetheless didn’t obtain the Android 15 replace, regardless of the supply code for the brand new model being launched at AOSP. Regardless of the “previous” model, Google packed a few new apps for the Pixel 9 telephones.
Execs:
Seven years of safety updates.
Cons:
Some indicators of bloat on “inventory” Android.
Google guarantees seven years of safety and options updates for the Pixel 9 household. That implies that the Pixel 9 Professional will obtain safety patches and Pixel options drops till August 2031, which is simply matched by flagship Galaxy telephones.
A clear set up with up to date apps takes round 20 GB of storage, marking a major enhance over the earlier technology (the Pixel 8 reported solely 9 GB in the same state final yr).
That may partially be attributed to a few additional apps, akin to Gemini (simply the AICore storage jumped from 30 MB to greater than 4 GB between the PIxel 8 and 9 generations), Pixel Studio, and Screenshots. Antoine did a complete take a look at the Gemini options in his Pixel 9 Professional XL evaluate, so I received’t be repeating that.
The brand new Screenshots app didn’t fairly work throughout the check due to area and language restrictions, however the Pixel Studio ran superb. The cellphone remains to be not highly effective sufficient to generate the photographs by itself, so it wants an web connection to the Google servers.
Its utility may be very questionable, however the outcomes had been a minimum of enjoyable for the ten minutes we spent with it. You’ll be able to copy, save, or share the generated photographs, and there are a few totally different kinds to pick out, together with a “Sticker” possibility that we wished may very well be built-in into chat apps.
There may be additionally the brand new Climate app, with an AI powered abstract and many knowledge inside totally different widgets. The AI climate report may be hit and miss, exhibiting knowledge for the remainder of the day, however that doesn’t assist a lot whether or not you favor the widgets or are going out at night time and require the subsequent day’s report.
Disappointing efficiency
On its fourth technology, the in-house Tensor chip doesn’t deliver a major improve by way of efficiency to the Pixel 9 Professional, with solely small enhancements within the final 4 years. On the optimistic aspect, nonetheless, there may be loads of RAM, however that was most likely a consequence of the present AI craze.
Execs:
Improved thermal administration.
Cons:
Very small efficiency enhancements.
The Tensor G4 on the Pixel 9 telephones delivers virtually half of the efficiency of present Android flagship chips just like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or the Dimensity 9300. In each day use, most individuals received’t be capable to discover that distinction, since most duties on telephones are brief and fast.
Nevertheless, on heavier duties like modifying a video and particularly video games, customers can discover that the Tensor chips usually are not evolving sufficient to maintain up with the competitors.
On the plus aspect, nonetheless, Google appears to have addressed a typical criticism with earlier Pixel telephones and improved the warmth dissipation system on the Pixel 9 Professional. The cellphone nonetheless will get heat beneath heavy duties, however a minimum of appears to not lose as a lot efficiency resulting from thermal throttling as previously.
Video games ought to run superb on the Pixel 9 Professional, however extra graphical intensive video games will decrease the standard settings to run at first rate speeds on the cellphone. Hardcore avid gamers will likely be higher served with different gadgets not solely due to total efficiency but additionally the truth that the Tensor G4 lacks help for contemporary options like ray tracing (the variety of video games utilizing RT is low at the moment, however the cellphone will likely be supported for a very long time…).
Digital camera
The triple digicam setup on the Pixel 9 Professional is identical because the one on the larger XL mannequin, together with a 50-megapixel primary digicam, 48 MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 5x optical zoom telephoto.
Execs:
Versatile digicam.
Good daylight footage.
Attention-grabbing AI options.
Cons:
Google appears to be shedding its benefit in digicam high quality previously two years subsequent to its Chinese language companions/rivals. Not that footage taken with the Pixel 9 Professional weren’t good, however the different Android manufacturers preserve pushing the envelope in the case of digicam {hardware} and processing.
In daylight, footage are typically good, with a pleasant degree of element and sharpness. The colours had been a bit on the “contrasty” aspect, however that’s virtually a Pixel trademark attribute.
The ultra-wide lens may be very open, superb for giant panorama photographs, if you happen to don’t thoughts shedding some sharpness. On the opposite finish of the digicam vary, the 5x optical zoom was surprisingly good not solely in its default mode but additionally when capturing 10x footage with a contact of digital zoom.
Evening photographs alternatively had been a bit disappointing, even with the night time mode partaking robotically on principally all photographs within the gallery above. The images had been a bit on the noisy aspect, with some high quality drops in each ultra-wide and 10x photographs.
On the software program aspect, in addition to the Add me characteristic you’ll be able to verify on the hyperlink above, the Pixel 9 Professional engages a macro mode when it detects shut topics. Whereas helpful, the cellphone can not focus at very brief distances, and hand shaking poses a giant downside for close-up photographs.
Selfies labored as anticipated on the Pixel 9 Professional, with colours a bit on the punchy aspect. Nonetheless, pores and skin tone was correct, and the portrait mode had some minor points with topic separation, however was first rate total. And just like different Pixel telephones, the 0.7x ultra-wide selfie is helpful with group photographs or panorama selfies.
Battery life
Powered by a 4700 mAh battery, the Pixel 9 Professional can’t compete with larger telephones and their big capacities. However the environment friendly LTPO show and a few software program methods handle to ship virtually two days of battery life.
Execs:
First rate battery life.
Wi-fi and reverse wi-fi charging.
Software program optimizations.
Cons:
Sluggish wired charging.
No Qi2 help.
By default, the Pixel 9 Professional comes with a “Excessive decision” setting that doesn’t use the show’s full decision, however solely 2142×960 pixels as an alternative of the native 2856×1280 decision. Regardless of the massive discount within the quantity and density of pixels, we couldn’t actually discover a distinction in each day use, however ran the battery exams with each choices, simply in case.
Beneath the simulated check finished by the PCMark app, the default possibility lasted for 16h34min between 80 and 20% cost whereas the “Excessive decision” mode misplaced one hour of battery life. The efficiency rating was inside the margin of error, so there have been no additional methods with processing speeds.
In observe, that ought to be greater than sufficient for a full day of utilization, and extra frugal customers may squeeze two days out of the cellphone by pairing the “Excessive decision” mode with the battery-saving options on the Pixel 9 Professional.
In terms of charging, Google remains to be enjoying it protected. The Pixel 9 Professional tops at 27 W wired charging and can be suitable with wi-fi charging, with Qi reaching 12 Watts, whereas the Pixel Stand fees the cellphone at 21 W. And the Pixel 9 Professional helps reverse wi-fi charging.
There is no such thing as a charger within the field, and we want it supported sooner USB-PD charging. A full cost took virtually one hour and a half, and a 30-minute cost was sufficient for 56% of battery. In case you are searching for a cellphone with actually quick charging, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and different Chinese language manufacturers are most likely higher choices.
Technical specs
Closing veredict
The Pixel 9 Professional is a welcome arrival within the Pixel cellphone lineup and doubtless an indication that Google is assured in its smartphone vary. Whereas the corporate nonetheless has an extended option to go by way of market share, it has a degree of management of its fashions that’s solely rivaled by Apple.
The 9 Professional brings the identical superior options discovered within the massive Professional XL to a extra conventional and pocket-friendly type issue. These options embrace not solely the highly effective telephoto digicam and flagship show, but additionally issues which are nonetheless gimmicky just like the temperature sensor, and the virtually forgotten UWB radio.
Affiliate supply
It’s a disgrace that market realities made the Pixel 9 Professional occupy the worth vary of the larger Pixel 8 Professional, and never slot beneath a $900 value level. At $1000/€1100, the Google cellphone has to compete with a lot sooner fashions from OnePlus, Xiaomi, Samsung, and others.
The Pixel 9 Professional nonetheless has some benefits by way of software program updates and options, with a frequent stream of added options promised till 2031. However present costs take it out of an imaginary “immediate suggestion” checklist.
As standard, fastidiously weigh your priorities when contemplating the Pixel 9 Professional. It’s higher constructed than any earlier Pixel, gives extra options, and comes with an unbeatable software program replace promise. Nevertheless, past the brand new Professional dimension and all of the AI enhancements, rivals are catching up in areas the place Pixels as soon as excelled. Whereas the Pixel 9 Professional remains to be a strong alternative, the competitors is now extra aggressive than ever on this value vary.
Google Pixel 9 Professional
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