I used to be fast to criticize the Pixel 9 sequence shortly after launch, and I referred to as out Google for shifting the needle sufficient with its newest gadgets. Now that I’ve used the Pixel 9 Professional XL for 2 weeks, I am able to admit that my preliminary evaluation was incorrect — Google made loads of modifications to the telephone which can be noticeable in every day use.
Hardwired
In Hardwired, AC Senior Editor Harish Jonnalagadda delves into all issues {hardware}, together with telephones, audio merchandise, storage servers, and routers.
The primary space of differentiation is the construct high quality; Google switched to a brand new design language with the Pixel 9 Professional XL, and whereas the telephone finally ends up wanting like an iPhone due to the flat sides, it feels significantly better in-hand than its predecessors. It has good weight distribution, and the squarish design with added width across the mid-frame provides elevated structural rigidity.
I’ve damaged sufficient Pixels to understand how fragile these gadgets may be, however the Pixel 9 Professional XL got here away unscathed after just a few tumbles, so it is clear that Google paid consideration to this space. In an identical vein, I’ve had points with ports and buttons on earlier Pixels, however that simply is not the case on the Pixel 9 Professional XL — the construct high quality is lastly on par with the finest Android telephones.
One other massive change has to do with the modem. The Pixel 9 Professional XL is powered by the Tensor G4, and whereas it is not noticeably sooner than the G3, the Exynos 5400 modem delivers significantly better connectivity. The Pixel 8 Professional could not keep a dependable connection to my house community, however the Pixel 9 Professional XL would not have these shortcomings; I obtained a gentle sign all through the home, and whereas the sign power wasn’t as excessive as Qualcomm-powered gadgets, I had zero points in common use.
Overheating was a giant drawback final 12 months, and the Pixel 9 Professional XL mitigates that through using a vapor chamber and aggressive energy limits. Google arrange the G4 to throttle sooner than the G3, and that is evident within the benchmarks. The result’s that the Pixel 9 Professional XL is not wherever nearly as good as Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered gadgets at gaming — it throttles manner too rapidly, and also you get seen jitter in demanding video games.
The upside is that the Pixel 9 Professional XL has the very best thermals of any telephone I utilized in 2024; it would not exceed 42 levels beneath full load, and it is apparent that Google configured the Tensor G4 this technique to forestall any overheating. Whereas the Pixel 9 Professional XL is not a gaming powerhouse by any measure, there’s a noticeable distinction in fluidity in day-to-day duties over the Pixel 8 Professional. I had situations the place the 8 Professional would lag in mundane duties like Chrome or Instagram, and that simply hasn’t been a problem on the 9 Professional XL.
On that observe, multitasking was an annoyance on Pixel 8 Professional, and the telephone had an inclination to kill background apps after just a few hours. Google modified this on the 9 Professional XL, and you may have loads of background apps lively with none points. I perceive that every one of those seem to be trivial issues, however they have been a continuing annoyance on earlier Pixels, and it is good to see Google addressing these shortcomings on its newest gadget.
That stated, there are issues that Google wants to repair. The Pixel 9 Professional XL takes too lengthy to save lots of portrait photographs to the gallery, and there’s shutter lag — you’ll be able to’t take portrait photographs one after the opposite, and that simply is not an issue on every other high-end telephone I used this 12 months.
After utilizing the telephone to take over 100 images, it is clear that Google wants to alter the digital camera {hardware}. Whereas the model remains to be the very best at software program tuning, the Pixel 9 Professional XL would not have the identical caliber of cameras because the Xiaomi 14 Extremely, Vivo X100 Extremely, or the Magic 6 Professional.
I’ve by no means had a problem with Google’s software program efforts; if something, I tolerated the second-rate {hardware} prior to now due to the superb software program. There’s lots to love on this space on the Pixel 9 Professional XL, with Google doubling down on AI efforts. All main telephone manufacturers supply some stage of AI-based options, Google has significant additions I really use.
With the Pixel 8 Professional, I at all times obtained the sense that the telephone is not constructed to the identical tolerance as different flagships, however that is not an issue on the Pixel 9 Professional XL — you are not getting an important digital camera connected to a median telephone. The remainder of the {hardware} is simply nearly as good, and the Pixel 9 Professional XL is considerably higher than its predecessors on this regard.
The Pixel 9 Professional XL has significantly better construct high quality than its predecessor, and Google made loads of small modifications to the {hardware} which can be noticeable in every day use.