Google Pixel 9 assessment: Formally an excessive amount of AI

The brand new Google Pixel 9 is teeming with AI — and I don’t really feel any in another way about it now than I did a yr in the past.

That’s to say, after I regarded on the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional telephones final yr, I got here away considering Google was specializing in the flawed issues. After years of each new Pixel technology introducing genuinely helpful options like reside transcription within the Recorder app and tons of digicam trickery, the Pixel 8 technology introduced us a bunch of novel (however finally ineffective at greatest and vile at worst) AI options.

That method has solely modified a bit of in 2024 with the Pixel 9. Google’s entry-level flagship is $100 costlier than the Pixel 8 at $799 — and for that worth you get extra RAM, higher cameras, and most notably, a bundle of much more new AI options that left me questioning why anybody would use them in any respect.

That is nonetheless a really strong Android cellphone, however Google’s foray into AI are beginning to really feel just like the sorts of manufacturer-specific bloatware you used to purchase Pixel telephones to keep away from.

Google Pixel 9 worth and specs

I’ve already established that the Pixel 9 bought a $100 worth bump from final yr as much as $799.

However right here’s particularly what that will get you:

• Google Tensor G4 chip

• 12GB RAM

• 128GB storage

• 6.3-inch show

The one {hardware} variant for Pixel 9 is a 256GB mannequin that provides an additional $100 onto the worth tag. Except for the brand new Tensor chip (which has grow to be a regular expectation for every new Pixel cellphone at this level), the most important improve over the Pixel 8 right here is 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB final yr. 

That ought to theoretically permit the cellphone to deal with extra duties directly, however actually, it’s there for AI options. We’ll get to these in a bit.

Google Pixel 9 design

An important factor to know in regards to the Pixel 9, design-wise, is that it is available in a pink, or “Peony,” this yr. Wonderful work by Google. Our assessment unit wasn’t pink, and I’m very jealous of those that handle to get their arms on the Peony mannequin. The opposite accessible colours are the a lot much less placing Porcelain, Wintergreen, and Obsidian decisions.

As for design adjustments, Google went with flat, aluminum sides going across the cellphone, versus the curved surfaces on the Pixel 8. I don’t love this. It makes the Pixel 9 much less ergonomic within the arms, and I continuously really feel like I’ve much less grip on it than I’d a cellphone with curved sides. 

Whether or not it’s really in peril of falling out of my arms and onto the cement or not, you by no means need a cellphone that feels that approach.

The one different main design change value noting is that the previous side-to-side digicam bar on the again has been changed by a horizontal, oval-shaped digicam bump that appears extra like one thing you’d see on different telephones. It’s much less distinctly Pixel than earlier than, however I wouldn’t say it seems to be unhealthy. Simply completely different.

Google Pixel 9 show

Whereas I’ve misgivings about different facets of the Pixel 9, the improved show isn’t certainly one of them.

Google bumped the max brightness up from 2,000 nits on Pixel 8 to 2,700 nits on Pixel 9, making this a terrific cellphone to be used exterior on a sunny day. Whereas strolling round my neighborhood, I by no means had hassle seeing the display, which has grow to be an issue for my barely older iPhone. 

The adaptive 60-120Hz refresh charge that graced final yr’s entry-level Pixel is again and unchanged, which is for the most effective. As lately because the iPhone 15, Apple’s equal handsets (as within the non-Professional fashions) are nonetheless locked at 60Hz. Google (in addition to most different opponents at this level) continues to lap Apple on this regard.

Oh, and also you get an additional tenth of an inch in comparison with the Pixel 8. The Pixel 9’s show is 6.3-inches, whereas the Pixel 8’s was 6.2-inches.

Google Pixel 9 AI options

Up to now, I’ve established that it is a cellphone with good specs and a pleasant show. I don’t love the best way it feels in my arms, however hey, you’ll be able to all the time purchase a case. Now, it’s time to get into what I dislike about Pixel 9: its extreme reliance on AI options.

Similar to how the Pixel 8 launched the Magic Editor function for quick-and-dirty photograph edits, the Pixel 9 brings with it round half a dozen new toys to play with, of various ranges of usefulness. By that, I imply they differ from “inoffensive” to “I don’t know why this exists.” 

As an example, you should utilize the Reimagine function in Magic Editor to take a photograph of a avenue and use AI to show the road right into a river. Or you should utilize Add Me to create group pictures that by no means actually occurred as a result of one individual needed to maintain the digicam.

There’s additionally a brand new native Pixel Climate app that’s principally the identical because the Apple one, nevertheless it offers you a fast AI abstract of the day’s climate while you boot it up.

For instance, right this moment’s abstract in Brooklyn reads “Nice afternoon with snug temperatures and clear air.” That’s all true, and it’s additionally info I may glean for myself by simply scrolling down and the remainder of the climate app for 15 seconds. 

That’s my major drawback with all of this. Google goes so laborious on these options, championing them as the massive promoting factors of the Pixel 9 household, and none of them are actually transformative nor revolutionary in ways in which matter. I don’t want an AI to summarize the climate for me when each climate app already has a visually interesting approach to try this. 

The entire photograph modifying options like Add Me and the expanded suite of Magic Editor options rub me the flawed approach, too. Google has gone notably laborious on making an attempt to promote these options as methods to create magical household reminiscences, both by means of Add Me’s potential to create good group pictures or Magic Editor’s potential to make mundane pictures look spectacular. Nevertheless, to me, that is the alternative of what reminiscences ought to be about.

I’m not a mum or dad, but when I have been, I’d not need my little one to develop up and discover out each image I took of them was really pretend and enhanced by AI trickery. That photograph of you sitting in a flowery area with a sizzling air balloon within the sky within the background? That’s pretend, sorry, child. I cared extra about making my social feeds look good than providing you with an correct glimpse of your childhood.

And that claims nothing of Pixel Studio, a brand new text-to-image generative AI device that, effectively, turns your textual content prompts into photographs. That is customary Midjourney-level stuff and it really works in a short time and effectively on the Pixel 9, however to what finish? So I can ship my buddies an clearly AI-generated photograph of a lizard in a cowboy hat? That seems like an effective way to get banned from the group chat.

That’s to not say it’s all ineffective. Pixel Screenshots is probably the lone instance of Google leveraging AI in a approach that might be life-saving. The thought is that it catalogs each screenshot you’re taking and memorizes the on-screen textual content or different pertinent particulars for you. If you have to recall one thing you took a screenshot of six months in the past, you don’t have to scroll again by means of your library anymore. Merely open the Screenshots app, seek for what you want, and it ought to be there.

There are additionally methods to generate to-do lists and summarize cellphone calls, which I may see coming in useful sooner or later. 

However broadly talking, one thing like 75 % of those AI options (at the least) really feel tacked-on, like Google solely put them there as a result of the corporate spent an excessive amount of on AI improvement and desperately wants some return on funding. I strongly really feel that no one really wants issues like Add Me, Pixel Studio, or Magic Editor. Simply take an actual photograph of your children and be taught to like imperfections.

Google Pixel 9 efficiency

All of these superfluous AI options are enabled by the brand new Tensor G4 chip and the 12GM of base RAM that include each Pixel 9. Given all of that, and the truth that Pixel telephones are typically very performant, one would possibly count on the Pixel 9 to excel right here. It doesn’t, actually.

That’s to not say there’s something overwhelmingly flawed with the best way the Pixel 9 works on a day-to-day foundation. Apps load rapidly, the cellphone by no means seized up or slowed down in my time with it, and it didn’t get heat on me after an excessive amount of common use. Nevertheless, that’s all been true of the previous couple of Pixels, so it’s probably not spectacular anymore.

Compounding that’s the comparatively low Geekbench multi-core rating of 4,358. That’s decrease than the Samsung Galaxy S23, which isn’t even the latest Samsung flagship. There’s already an S24! Once more, I didn’t run into any apparent issues with the Pixel 9’s day by day efficiency, however by the numbers, it isn’t as highly effective as even some older opponents. 

Google Pixel 9 battery life

One space the place the Pixel 9 is straight-up unimpeachable is the battery life.

I’ll preserve this temporary: It rocks. I ran a TikTok video on loop on the Pixel 9 display with the brightness at 50 % and, after 19 hours and 20 minutes, it ran out. It really did higher than the Pixel 9 Professional XL on the identical check, as the larger premium Pixel cellphone bought 18 hours and 51 minutes of battery. It additionally lasts longer than the Pixel 8, which gave me a bit of greater than 15 hours from the identical check.

While you’re not working movies constantly, it lasts even longer. I used to be capable of go about 24 hours between costs when utilizing the cellphone usually. Google did not drop the ball right here.

Google Pixel 9 digicam

Specs-wise, Google solely made one main change with the Pixel 9 cameras: The ultra-wide lens on the rear has been upgraded from 12MP on Pixel 8 to 48MP on Pixel 9. The 50MP most important lens and 10.5MP selfie cam are unchanged from a yr in the past.

Unsurprisingly, I used to be capable of get nice-looking pictures out of the Pixel 9 digicam despite the fact that I am not a photographer by commerce. Google has all the time packed glorious cameras into these telephones, utilizing a mixture of {hardware} and software program processing, and the Pixel 9 is not any completely different.

As an example, whereas you do not get the eye-popping 30x zoom discovered on the Pixel 9 Professional fashions, the 8x zoom can produce very clear outcomes from a distance.

Excuse the truth that I do not actually like taking selfies, and thus am not excellent at them, however the selfie lens and portrait mode work in addition to ever.

Except for only a megapixel improve, Google claims that the ultra-wide lens has tremendously improved gentle sensitivity. My yard has all the time made for a terrific low-light testing floor at night time, and although the shot I bought got here out a bit of blurry, it’s certainly a lot simpler to see than it was in actual life.

For enjoyable, I additionally tried out portrait mode at night time, and it really works very effectively.

Is the Google Pixel 9 value it?

In case you’re a Pixel devotee, and your M.O. is to maintain utilizing your subsequent Pixel the best way you’ve got all the time used your older ones, the Pixel 9 will serve you good. It is bought unbelievable battery life and high quality cameras to associate with satisfactory on a regular basis efficiency. It is also a lot simpler to see within the daytime whereas exterior, which is a plus.

However Google has merely gone too far with its AI options this yr. I am simply not impressed that the climate app can sum up a temperature chart in a single sentence as a result of my mind may also try this immediately by trying on the chart. I do not need pictures of my buddies and family members to exist on this bizarre aircraft the place they’re all artificially edited. If I wasn’t capable of stand in for a gaggle photograph as a result of I used to be holding the digicam, then so be it. Life is stuffed with imperfections and we do not profit from pretending in any other case.

I will concede that the Pixel Screenshots app is genuinely helpful, however past that, I’d actually slightly see Google give attention to actual innovation or, within the absence of that, a cellphone that’s extra snug to carry than this one.