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The Google Pixel was all the time destined to be the iPhone for Android customers. This yr, that perception feels stronger than ever, with the brand new Pixel 9 sequence coming in normal, Professional, and Professional XL flavors and costs beginning at $799, $999, and $1,099, respectively.

Additionally: I went hands-on with Google’s $1,799 Pixel 9 Professional Fold, and I am prepared to modify from Samsung

If the pricing mannequin and configurations do not trace at an Apple-esque playbook, wait till you see and really feel the telephones in individual. I spent an intimate morning with the most recent gadgets forward of this week’s Made by Google occasion, and the brand new design language — which favors flattened edges, pastel colours, and ultra-thin bezels — typically jogged my memory of the iPhone 15 Professional that was tucked in my pocket.

To be clear, that is a superb factor, and I am not alone in considering that Google ought to construct a telephone that is extra snug to carry, exudes premium, and appears much less like Cyclops from X-Males. After testing the three Pixel 9 fashions, this is my fast tackle every as you take into account whether or not they’re definitely worth the improve.

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Google Pixel 9 might be a sleeper hit

The vanilla Pixel 9 shouldn’t be as flashy as its Professional siblings, however at $799 ($100 greater than final yr’s Pixel 8), Google did give it important upgrades throughout the board. Happening the checklist, the modifications embody a bigger, brighter show that ramps as much as 2,700 nits, a bigger 4,700mAh battery, 12GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, an improved 48MP ultrawide sensor, and Google’s new Tensor G4 chip.

Additionally: The $799 Pixel 9 could also be Google’s sleeper hit this yr. This is why

These are all flagship-grade options, ones you’d usually discover on a telephone that prices tons of of {dollars} extra, however I might wager that many purchasers will take into account the Pixel 9 for one different cause: colour choices. I commend Google for being a bit extra formidable with its industrial design this yr, coating the flattened kind issue with pastel hues that may be finest described as refreshing. This can be the primary time I ever thought of selecting up a pink-colored telephone to make use of every day — that is how good “Peony” appears in individual.

The Pixel 9 can also be the identical dimension because the Pixel 9 Professional, with a 6.3-inch show that makes it snug to carry and navigate one-handedly. It would not have the identical LTPO panel because the Professional, which means the refresh charge will not drop beneath 60Hz to cut back animation load and, subsequently, scale back battery consumption, however the 4,700mAh capability ought to preserve the Pixel 9 operating for a full day.

Additionally: I am a diehard Pixel person, however I am contemplating a change for 2 causes (and I am not alone)

Lastly, the 48MP ultrawide digital camera with autofocus appears like an improve that customers will not admire till they use it. A sharper and bigger sensor means you could now pull in additional colour and element when capturing scenic views, and there is additionally the good thing about higher macro images.

Google Pixel 9 Professional will get an XL dimension (and extra complicated)

For the reason that very first Pixel, Google has all the time launched its smartphones in pairs: one in a daily, market-appropriate dimension and one other that is a number of point-inches bigger. In truth, the unique Pixel had an “XL” mannequin, which the corporate later changed with the “Professional” branding. That additionally meant that the smaller, non-Professional telephone typically missed out on flagship digital camera options, show upgrades, and different software program advantages.

Additionally: The whole lot introduced at Made by Google 2024

This yr, Google is combining the most effective of each worlds, providing a Pixel 9 Professional XL mannequin that meets the wants of big-screen buffs whereas additionally retaining a smaller Professional variant that fields the identical digital camera configuration and have set. The latter is a serious win for customers who need flagship options with out the usually uncomfortable dimension. This additionally means there at the moment are 5 Pixel telephone fashions to select from, together with the budget-oriented Pixel 8a and bleeding-edge Pixel 9 Professional Fold.

In addition to dimension choices, paying up for the Pixel 9 Professional additionally will get you 16GB of RAM (as a substitute of 12GB on the Pixel 9), as much as 1TB of storage, a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and a extra sensible 42MP front-facing digital camera. From my demo, what impressed me essentially the most with the front-facing digital camera wasn’t the decision and element however how a lot of my environment it might body. With a 103-degree field-of-view, the Pixel 9 Professional may be the simplest telephone to take group selfies and scenic portraits with.

Additionally: Google’s new Pixel Screenshots often is the function that lastly converts me to make use of AI

Different digital camera upgrades embody the power to course of Tremendous Res Zoom in video, which implies higher element when capturing distant topics, and Video Increase, which upscales content material to 8K — nice for videographers or professionals who wish to clip out high-res photos.

Google is bundling a yr’s price of Google One AI Premium Plan with the Pixel 9 Professional fashions, which incorporates entry to the most recent Google AI options like Gemini Stay and 2TB of cloud storage. In fact, how helpful that is is dependent upon how a lot you depend on Gemini to summarize, create, and interpret data. After demoing most, if not all, of the brand new software program options coming to the Pixel, which embody Add Me, Pixel Screenshots, Name Abstract, and Gemini Stay, there are definitely sufficient instruments that make the Pixel 9 Professional worthy of your consideration for the AI alone.