Slabs of AI promise — Pixel 9 family: The just hardware review (no AI) Google’s AI says you can use Pixel 9 without AI. Is that a reason to upgrade?
Kevin Purdy – Aug 21, 2024 5:00 pm UTC Enlarge / For this "neutral" hardware-focused review of the Pixel 9 phones, I asked the Pixel to "reimagine" a "neutral white background."Kevin Purdy / Gemini AI reader comments 105
I asked Google’s Gemini Live chatbot, running on a new Pixel 9 Pro, how easy it was to use the Pixel 9 without all the Gemini AI features.
“It’s definitely possible to use a Pixel 9 without Gemini,” the bot responded in a remarkably casual voice. “While Gemini adds some cool features, your phone will still work pretty much the same as any other Android phone. You’ll still have access to all the basic stuff like making calls, texting, taking photos, and all your favorite apps.”
“But,” I followed up, “didn’t Google emphasize the Pixel 9 as a Gemini phone?”
“Yeah, Google highlights Gemini as a selling point,” the bot replied. “It’s a smart assistant, so it makes your phone a bit more helpful. But it’s not necessary for your phone to work.”
So what are the best features of a Pixel 9 without Gemini?
“A fantastic camera that takes amazing photos, a smooth display, and solid battery life. Plus, it’ll get software updates straight from Google for a few years,” the chatbot said.
After a week with the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, I have some initial impressions of them as handheld devices. As for all the things that Gemini can do on a Pixel 9, we will cover that in a separate review. The backs of the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Kevin Purdy A close-up on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, showing the glossy difference in their backs (and, inadvertently, a chandelier). Kevin Purdy The sides of the Pixel 9 Pro, top, and Pixel 9, bottom. Kevin Purdy Side-by-side shot of the Pixel 9 (left) and Pixel 9 Pro XL. The 0.5-inch diagonal screen size difference is felt more in weight and hand than noticed by eye. Kevin Purdy
Look and feel SPECS AT A GLANCE Pixel 9 Pixel 9 Pro/XL SCREEN 6.3-inch, 60-120 Hz, 24241080 OLED (422 PPI) 6.3-inch (6.8 XL), 1-120 Hz, 28561280 OLED (495 PPI) (29921344, 486PPI XL) OS Android 14 CPU Google Tensor G4
One 3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 core
Three 2.6 GHz Cortex-A720 cores
Four 1.92 GHz Cortex-A520 Cores GPU ARM Mali-G715 MP7 RAM 12GB 16GB STORAGE 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB
UFS 4.0 BATTERY 4700 mAh 4700 mAh (5060 mAh XL) NETWORKING Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, 5G mmWave & Sub-6 GHz Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC, 5G mmWave & Sub-6 GHz, UWB, GPS/GLONASS/Galileo PORTS USB Type-C3.1 Gen 1 with 45 W USB-PD 3.0 charging REAR CAMERA 50 MP wide
48 MP ultrawide 50 MP wide
48 MP ultrawide
48 MP 5x telephoto FRONT CAMERA 10.5 MP 42 MP SIZE 152.871.98.5 mm (Pro same as 9; XL is 162.876.68.5 mm) WEIGHT 198 g (Pro 199 g; XL is 221 g) STARTING PRICE $799 $999 ($1,099 XL)
The two big new features of the Pixel 9 lineup, as hardware devices, are 1) that their camera bars have a new design and shape, and 2) that Google says the phones are “twice as durable” as their Pixel 8 predecessors. The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro also share the same 6.3-inch screen size, have the same battery and processor, and look identical. But the Pro comes with 4GB more RAM, an additional camera, and more of Google’s Gemini offerings. In other words, you can go Pro without having to be “XL.”
All three of the devices have Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front, and they sport a frame that’s even more squared off than the prior generation’s already impressive return to right angles. The Pixel 9 has a matte finish on its sides and a polished glass back, while the Pro and Pro XL have matte-glass backs and polished sides.
The pill-ish camera bar looks quite pronounced in picturesbecause it is. After a few days of use, I was more used to it than I thought I would be; using Google’s own case helped quite a bit, as it rounds off the bump-out angle and makes you feel a bit less nervous about smashing that thing on a tabletop. I like the look of the camera bar, too. If you’re going to go wide with your camera array instead of tucking it into a corner, why not go wide and big? It feels like finishing the job that the Pixel 6 started. It’s also a convenient place to put a support finger when you’re holding the phone.
The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro are not a wild design departure from the Pixel 8, apart from the camera bar shape and width. As with the 8, the entire front of the screen is usable and touchable. The glass finish on the back of the Pro and XL still catches scratches, the mirrored sides have fingerprint gravity, and the cost-boosting mmWave antenna cutout remains in place.
It’s probably just a personal preference, but I find the 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL a bit big, even with fairly big hands. The issue is more about weight and balance for me than about size, though I also explored using one-handed mode with the XL model more than I did with the Pro. A bell, at 0.5x (ultrawide), taken with the Pixel 9 Pro. Bell at 1x. Bell at 2x Bell at 5x, the optical zoom limit of the Pixel 9 Pro/XL cameras Bell at 15x software zoom. Bell at 30x, the limit of “Ultra Res Zoom” in the Pixel 9 Pro/XL camera. Page: 1 2 3 Next → reader comments 105 Kevin Purdy Kevin is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering open-source software, PC gaming, home automation, repairability, e-bikes, and tech history. He has previously worked at Lifehacker, Wirecutter, iFixit, and Carbon Switch. Advertisement Channel Ars Technica ← Previous story Next story → Related Stories Today on Ars
