The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL stands out as one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2024, packed with groundbreaking features in performance, camera technology, and AI integration. It solidifies Google’s focus on providing users with a premium experience, blending hardware innovations with robust software features. Here’s a deep dive into what makes the Pixel 9 Pro XL one of the top contenders in the smartphone market.
Design and Build Quality
The Pixel 9 Pro XL follows Google’s familiar design philosophy but adds premium touches that elevate the overall experience. The phone sports a sleek, minimalist design with rounded edges and a seamless blend of glass and aluminum. The 6.8-inch display dominates the front, with narrow bezels and a small punch-hole camera for a nearly bezel-less look. Google has also ensured a premium feel by using high-quality materials, which include Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the front and back, providing durability without sacrificing aesthetics.
The phone has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, which means it can survive submersion in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. While the form factor is larger than its predecessors, the phone remains comfortable to hold due to its slightly curved edges and ergonomic design.
Display Technology: A Visual Powerhouse
One of the most significant upgrades in the Pixel 9 Pro XL is its Super Actua display, a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED panel that boasts a stunning 3000 nits peak brightness. This is a substantial improvement from the 2400 nits of its predecessor, the Pixel 8 Pro. The higher brightness makes the phone highly visible even in direct sunlight, making it ideal for outdoor use. Whether you’re watching HDR content, scrolling through social media, or gaming, the screen remains crisp and clear under all conditions.
The 2992 x 1344 resolution paired with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling, vibrant colors, and sharp details. The refresh rate dynamically adjusts based on the content being displayed to save battery when higher refresh rates aren’t needed. Additionally, the HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support enhances the visual experience when streaming compatible content, delivering deeper blacks and more dynamic contrasts.
Performance: Powered by the Tensor G4
At the heart of the Pixel 9 Pro XL is Google’s proprietary Tensor G4 chipset, which powers everything from daily tasks to complex AI operations. Built on a 4nm architecture, the Tensor G4 focuses not only on performance but also on efficiency. This makes it a strong contender against Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, even if benchmark scores show it slightly behind in raw power. However, where the Tensor G4 shines is in AI-driven tasks, an area Google continues to push forward.
Everyday performance is snappy and responsive, with apps loading quickly and transitions between tasks being smooth. The Tensor G4 is particularly adept at multitasking, making it easy to switch between apps without noticeable lag. Google has also made significant strides in addressing the heating issues that plagued previous Tensor chips, introducing a vapor chamber cooling system that helps keep temperatures in check during intensive tasks like gaming or video recording.
For gamers, the Pixel 9 Pro XL performs admirably. Popular titles like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty: Mobile run smoothly at high settings, with minimal frame drops. While the phone does warm up after extended sessions, thermal throttling is much less of an issue compared to older Pixel models.
AI Integration and Software: The Gemini Era
The Pixel 9 Pro XL marks a major leap forward in AI integration, particularly through Google’s Gemini AI. Running on Android 14, the phone not only introduces the latest Android features but also includes a suite of AI-powered tools. Among the most notable is Gemini Live, a conversational chatbot integrated deeply into the operating system. Users can interact with the AI assistant through voice or text, enjoying more natural conversations where Gemini can handle follow-up questions, clarifications, and topic shifts seamlessly.
Beyond the chatbot functionality, the Pixel 9 Pro XL also includes Gemini Nano, a feature that brings AI assistance to various apps and tasks. For instance, Gemini can analyze your emails in Gmail and help generate responses, or it can analyze the content on your screen to provide contextually relevant information. Whether it’s summarizing articles, generating itineraries, or suggesting recipes based on your fridge contents, Gemini Nano aims to make day-to-day tasks easier through its intelligent analysis.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL will also receive seven years of software and security updates, ensuring long-term support, which is a key advantage for users who want to keep their phone for multiple years without worrying about outdated software or vulnerabilities.
Camera System: Computational Photography at Its Best
One of the key reasons users flock to Pixel devices is their outstanding camera capabilities, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL takes this to another level. The rear camera system consists of a 50 MP primary lens, a 48 MP ultra-wide lens, and a 48 MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. This versatile setup ensures excellent performance in all lighting conditions.
The primary lens delivers stunningly sharp images with vibrant colors and balanced exposure. Google’s prowess in computational photography shines through in features like Night Sight, which excels in capturing detailed photos in low-light environments. Real Tone ensures that the skin tones of all subjects are represented accurately, a feature Google has been working on for years. The Macro Focus on the ultra-wide lens allows for capturing intricate details, such as the texture of flowers or insects, with impressive clarity.
The telephoto lens, with its 5x optical zoom, produces high-quality images without significant loss of detail, even at higher zoom levels. The phone also supports digital zoom up to 30x, though, like most phones, image quality begins to degrade at the higher end of this range. That said, the results remain impressive, especially in well-lit environments.
New to the Pixel 9 Pro XL is Night Sight Video, which brings Google’s low-light photography expertise to video capture. This feature leverages the Tensor G4’s AI capabilities to brighten up videos shot in dim environments without introducing too much noise.
The front-facing 42 MP selfie camera is another standout feature, capable of capturing high-resolution selfies with excellent dynamic range and focus. This camera also supports Dual Pixel autofocus, ensuring that your selfies remain sharp, even in tricky lighting conditions.
Battery Life and Charging: A Marathon Performer
The Pixel 9 Pro XL is equipped with a 5300 mAh battery, which delivers impressive battery life, even under heavy usage. In tests, the phone consistently provides over 11 hours of screen-on time during mixed usage scenarios that include video streaming, gaming, and browsing. For lighter users, the phone can easily last up to two days on a single charge.
Google has also improved the charging speeds. The Pixel 9 Pro XL supports 37W fast wired charging, although it requires a 21V PPS charger to achieve those speeds. While this is faster than the 27W charging in previous models, it’s worth noting that most standard chargers won’t reach this maximum speed. Wireless charging is also supported, but only at 12W with standard Qi chargers. To achieve faster 23W wireless charging, users will need to invest in the Google Pixel Stand accessory.
Connectivity: Ready for the Future
In terms of connectivity, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is ready for next-gen networks with support for Wi-Fi 7 and 5G Ultra Wideband. These improvements translate to faster data speeds and more stable connections, especially in areas with dense network traffic. In real-world tests, the phone showed a 20% increase in 5G speeds compared to the Pixel 8 Pro, making it ideal for streaming high-quality video and playing cloud-based games without buffering.
Bluetooth performance has also been improved, offering better stability and range when using wireless headphones or other accessories. NFC support is, of course, present for mobile payments and easy pairing with compatible devices.
Final Thoughts: A Flagship Worth Considering
At a starting price of $1,099 for the base 128GB model, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is undoubtedly a premium device. However, for the price, users are getting one of the best smartphone displays, a top-tier camera system, and the latest AI-driven features powered by Google’s Tensor G4 chip. The promise of seven years of updates also adds long-term value, making it an excellent investment for those who prefer to hold onto their phones for several years.
While the price may feel steep to some, the phone frequently benefits from discounts and trade-in offers, making it more accessible for budget-conscious consumers. Ultimately, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a powerhouse device that excels in nearly every area, from photography to AI, and remains one of the best smartphones of 2024.