Pixel 9 Professional XL assessment: A images powerhouse

Google’s Pixel 9 Professional XL is a images powerhouse with a wonderful, iPhone-like design that even essentially the most hardcore Android followers will probably admit appears and feels nice.

Did I anticipate to be this blown away by the pictures and video Google’s newest flagship can seize? No, positively not, particularly since there aren’t notable digital camera {hardware} upgrades over final yr’s Pixel 8 Pro. Via glorious, surprisingly true-to-life post-processing, I discover I choose the look of the Pixel 9 Professional’s pictures over even these taken with Apple’s iPhone 15 Professional, which had been my earlier favourite digital camera array. Due to surprisingly useful AI photo and video features, Google’s Pixel 9 Professional XL options what I would confidently say is my favourite smartphone digital camera ever.

Add within the clearly Apple-inspired design with its clean matte rear, minimized bezels, and tasteful coloration choices, and you’ve got a powerful all-around smartphone package deal. In fact, you might argue that nobody wants a Pixel 9 Professional collection smartphone this yr as a result of the bottom Pixel 9is an excellent machine that provides options sometimes reserved for higher-end smartphones, and I would wholeheartedly agree with this angle — until you are actually into taking pictures pictures and movies together with your telephone. If that is you, then the Pixel 9 Pro XL‘s further value is price its costlier price ticket. Its cameras are actually that good.

Google’s Pixel 9 Professional XL is a images powerhouse with a wonderful, iPhone-like design that even essentially the most hardcore Android followers will probably admit appears and feels nice.

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Pixel 9 Professional XL

The Pixel 9 Professional XL is Google’s first cross at an iPhone 15 Professional Max-style greater smartphone. It contains the tech large’s Tensor G4 chip and gives new AI-powered options just like the Screenshots app and “Reimagine.”

Professionals

• Glorious AI-powered images options
• Nice-looking design
• Easy software program that is simple to navigate

Cons

• Costly
• Some AI options are a bit terrifying
• Sides aren’t matte

Worth, availability, and specs

Google’s Pixel 9 Professional XL and Pixel 9 Professional can be found directly from Google and different retailers for $1,100 and $1,000, respectively, in porcelain, rose quartz, hazel, and obsidian (the latter featured on this assessment). These costs are $300 and $200 greater than the $800 base Pixel 9.

The Pixel 9 Professional XL contains a 6.8-inch 1344 x 12992 LTPO OLED show, whereas the Pixel 9 Professional has a 6.3-inch 1290 x 2856 LTPO OLED display. Each shows embrace a 1-120Hz variable refresh price and Gorilla Glass Victus 2, with brightness reaching 2,000 and three,000 nits of peak brightness, respectively. The Pixel 9 Professional XL’s battery capability is 4,700mAh, and the Pixel 9 Professional’s is 5,060mAh. Their weights are roughly 7.7oz (221g) and 7oz (199g), respectively.

Storage choices begin at 128GB and prolong as much as 1TB. This yr, RAM has been upgraded to 16GB from final yr’s 12GB. The smartphone additionally options Google’s Tensor G4 chip. Digicam specs embrace an f/1.68 50-megapixel major broad shooter, a slightly upgraded f/1.7 48-megapixel ultra-wide digital camera, and an f/2.8 48-megapixel telephoto shooter able to as much as 5x optical zoom. The entrance digital camera has been upgraded to an f/2.2 42-megapixel shooter from final yr’s f/2.2 10.5-megapixel lens.

Pixel 9 Professional XL construct and design

An iPhone-inspired look even essentially the most hardcore Android followers will like

I lined it extensively in my Pixel 9 review, however I am an enormous fan of the look of this yr’s Pixel 9 line. The Pixel 9 Professional XL adopts a glance paying homage to the iPhone, with its squared-off sides and barely rounded corners that make it total simpler to carry, particularly at awkward angles. The again is matte, in contrast to the Pixel 9’s shiny rear, however sadly, its sides stay shiny, making them a smudge and mud magnet. I’d have most popular a extra premium all-matte-everything look that is according to the iPhone 15 Professional. This not solely feels higher once you run your fingers over it but in addition repels smudges and mud higher.

Sadly, Google has ditched the visor for a sprawling digital camera bump that appears prefer it was dropped on the rear of the machine. It isn’t a deal-breaker, particularly if you happen to plan to place the machine in a smartphone case, however it’s a step again from the identifiable rear digital camera visor featured in final yr’s Pixel 8 Professional.

General, the Pixel 9 Professional XL is a really solid-looking smartphone that provides a stage of refinement immediately noticeable from the second you choose it up. Pixel units have at all times felt fairly good, however the Pixel 9 Professional XL takes issues to a different stage.

It is price noting that that is the primary time Google has supplied a bigger 6.8-inch model of its higher-end smartphone. A 6.8-inch display is an honest dimension, and in my time with the machine, it hasn’t felt unwieldy. Folks like large telephones, so it is sensible for Google to supply an even bigger choice. However I choose the smaller 6.3-inch Pixel 9 Professional/Pixel 9 dimension (it is simply simpler to make use of with one hand), so I am trying ahead to getting my arms on this yr’s smaller Pixel Professional 9 in a number of weeks.

Pixel 9 Professional XL show

A surprising, high-end show that appears nice underneath almost all lighting circumstances

The Pixel 9 Professional XL’s show is gorgeous, surpassing the vibrancy of Apple’s iPhone 15 Professional display and, in some circumstances, even Samsung’s Galaxy S24 collection, by a major margin. The Pixel 9’s display is greater than shiny sufficient at 1,800 nits with 2,700 nits of peak brightness, however the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s show takes issues to a blistering 2,000 nits with as much as 3,000 nits of peak brightness.

The show appears nice, however at instances, I’ve really discovered it too shiny, particularly when viewing content material underneath darkish circumstances, forcing me to show the brightness down. Then again, I recognize the added illumination when utilizing the machine exterior underneath direct daylight. It’s also possible to clearly see how a lot brighter the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s show is when put next instantly with the Pixel 9’s display.

Each the Pixel 9 Professional and 9 Professional XL sport greater decision shows than the Pixel 9, at 1344 x 2992 and 1280 x 2856 pixel decision, respectively. Colours are vibrant, and pictures, movies, and video games look sharp, however not wildly higher than my expertise with Google’s base Pixel 9, regardless of its OLED development versus the Pixel 9 Professional XL and Pixel 9 Professional’s higher-end LTPO display know-how. To me, this simply speaks to how good all of the shows in Google’s Pixel 9 lineup are.

As a adverse aspect word, I managed to get a really nasty scratch towards the center of the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s show, regardless of its supposedly sturdy Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 development. I am fairly cautious with my units, so I’ve no clue how this occurred, however it’s price mentioning. That stated, I do not suppose this can be a widespread difficulty with the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s show and might be simply unhealthy luck on my half.

Pixel 9 Professional XL digital camera

This yr’s key promoting level is great digital camera efficiency (and never solely due to AI)

The primary cause to buy the Pixel 9 Professional or Pixel 9 Professional XL over the Pixel 9 is for the additional digital camera options the higher-end telephones supply. First off, the Pixel 9 Professional XL contains a f/2.2 48-megapixel telephoto lens with as much as 5x optical zoom. These are the identical specs as final yr, and total, photos shot with this digital camera look stellar. I nonetheless choose a telephoto lens over an ultra-wide, and it will be nice if Google ditched the latter from its base Pixel 9 in favor of an actual optical zoom.

On the AI aspect of issues, “Tremendous Res Zoom Video” is again once more and a bit extra spectacular than final yr. The visible improve continues to be considerably minimal, however clips look noticeably clearer typically. The characteristic is irritating to activate because it requires you to activate “Video Increase” and swap to 5x optical zoom earlier than zooming into no matter digital zoom you need, however it works nicely and stays spectacular. As you possibly can see above, the fish are barely clearer and extra vibrant within the Tremendous Res Zoom enhanced clip above, even with X’s dismal video transcoding.

On that very same word, Video Increase additionally stays spectacular, notably with regards to smoothing out panning, which continues to be surprisingly uneven with the Pixel 9 Professional line, particularly when switching between lenses. It might be nice if there was a technique to activate Video Increase completely, although I perceive why there is not provided that the characteristic requires each file to be uploaded to Google’s servers. Like final yr, movies can generally get caught changing to Video Increase and take upwards of half-hour to course of, particularly if you happen to use the Pixel 9 Professional line’s new 8K upscaling (this can be a welcome addition, however I haven’t got a lot use for 8K footage). This implies if you happen to’re trying to publish one thing shortly, Video Increase usually is not an choice.

Sticking with getting nearer to topics, this yr “Zoom Improve” means that you can enhance the standard of photos shot with digital zoom. Just like Tremendous Res Zoom Video, the modifications are refined however nonetheless noticeable, giving zoomed pictures extra definition and an total barely clearer image that is usually extra vibrant. Usually, the farther you zoom in digitally, the extra spectacular the outcomes are when utilizing Zoom Improve. The enhancements are fairly minimal, however if you happen to’re into images, you will discover them.

On the optical zoom aspect, photos are clear, crisp, and spectacular, notably at 5x, which I discovered very helpful on a latest crusing journey. Nonetheless, I’ve skilled camera tilt at 5x zoom that causes photos to be considerably off-kilter. I have been fixing this with a fast crop, however I am assured Google will resolve this difficulty within the coming weeks with a digital camera app replace. Together with the already talked about telephoto lens, the Pixel 9 Professional collection options an f/1.7 50-megapixel broad digital camera that is the identical as final yr’s main digital camera.

It nonetheless snaps nice pictures that strike a stability between the over-processed really feel of Samsung’s Galaxy collection and the more and more out-of-this-world tackle images Apple has been pushing for the previous couple of years (check out the sky in iPhone 15 Professional pictures, and you will see what I imply). Of all of the flagship smartphones at present out there, the Pixel 9 collection gives essentially the most true-to-life pictures, which is slightly ironic given the tech large’s emphasis on AI this yr, bringing into query what {a photograph} even is anymore.

Pixel 9 digital camera options like “Add Me,” which lets you create a composite group shot with out asking a stranger to snap the picture, are additionally a part of the Pixel 9 Professional collection’ quiver of AI-powered performance. “Add Me” works simply as nicely with the Pixel 9 Professional line and is the form of harmless AI characteristic I really discover helpful.

One vital factor to notice is that the Pixel 9 Professional’s AI digital camera options don’t work when you’ve got the principle shooter set to 48 megapixels as a substitute of 12 megapixels, which is a disappointing transfer on Google’s half. This probably has one thing to do with the present AI processing pipeline and the way Google makes use of the bigger sensor, however it will be nice to see compatibility with 48-megapixel pictures within the Pixel 10 Professional collection nonetheless.

Talking of 48-megapixel pictures, I do not discover the necessity to snap them fairly often until I intend to crop the picture in a roundabout way. The shutter can be nonetheless a bit slower when utilizing the total sensor, making it tough to quickly take pictures, which was a problem whereas snapping footage on the Toronto Worldwide Airshow, forcing me to largely keep on with 12-megapixel photos. It was nonetheless potential to shortly snap the pictures I wished with the 48-megapixel sensor, however I wanted to be very intentional with my pictures.

There’s additionally the f/1.7 48-megapixel ultra-wide shooter that provides a minor improve over final yr’s ultra-wide. It snaps respectable pictures, however past the occasional macro shot, I do not discover myself utilizing the ultra-wide digital camera fairly often. And at last, there’s the f/2.2 42-megapixel front-facing digital camera that snaps clearer footage than final yr’s selfie shooter. I am not an enormous selfie particular person, however the pictures I shot are clear, with even publicity all through. I usually discover that selfie cameras blow out a picture’s highlights, and that is not the case with the Pixel 9 Professional collection’ front-facing digital camera.

Pixel 9 Professional XL efficiency

The Tensor G4 benchmarks underneath the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, however who cares?

On the efficiency aspect, Google’s Tensor G4 runs nice within the Pixel 9 Professional XL. Even underneath a heavy load, I did not expertise the identical warmth points as I often encountered with the Pixel 8 Professional, probably due to the brand new inside cooling design and the telephone’s bigger dimension. Nonetheless, the Tensor G4 shouldn’t be that a lot of a bounce over the Pixel 8 Professional when it comes to uncooked efficiency. For many who care about benchmarks, the Pixel 9 Professional XL scores 1,901 for single-core and 4,707 for multi-core. These marks are nicely beneath these of units powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Nonetheless, I did not encounter a single occasion of slowdown, whether or not I used to be looking the web, taking part in video games, doing minor picture edits in Adobe’s Lightroom CC, or watching the occasional video on YouTube.

Except you are the definition of a smartphone energy consumer, you will discover only a few points with the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s efficiency, even if you happen to’re an enormous multi-tasker, due to its ample 16GB of RAM. Smartphone chips have been overkill for years, and the Pixel 9 Professional XL is not any exception. Battery life lasts nicely into the late night with reasonable use, just like my expertise with the Pixel 9. Provided that the Pixel 9 Professional XL contains a bigger 5,060mAh cell versus the 4,700mAh battery within the Pixel 9, I am curious to see if the smaller 6.3-inch Pixel 9 Professional achieves the identical respectable battery life.

Pixel 9 Professional XL softwareAI coupled with a throwback to an easier period of iOS

On the software program aspect, Google’s Pixel 9 Professional collection helps all the identical considerably terrifying AI options because the Pixel 9, together with “Reimagine,” which lets you add almost something to a picture with prompts, and Pixel Studio, Google’s AI app that generates photos. There’s additionally Screenshots, a wonderful app that makes use of AI to floor related screenshots, and extra.

Reimagine’s guardrails are fairly free. With ingenious prompts, you possibly can simply trick it into creating off-putting photos, and in some circumstances, these AI-edited pictures look very convincing. Do not get me fallacious, they’re usually ridiculous-looking and clearly pretend, however that is not at all times the case (try that image beneath of a submarine in Lake Ontario). Then again, Pixel Studio is a foolish AI picture generator according to Meta AI or OpenAI’s DALL·E 3 that works moderately nicely.

My key concern is that these photos is perhaps posted as actuality with none apparent indication that they’re AI-generated. It is a slippery slope we have been sliding down for months, and it is solely a matter of time earlier than these options attain different Android units, making AI-altered and generated photos much more widespread on social media.

For extra on the Pixel 9 collection’ potential AI pitfalls and the intense implications Reimagine may have, check out my Pixel 9 review. It is price mentioning that even in its early state, Gemini and its extra conversational counterpart, Gemini Dwell (which is free for a yr with the acquisition of a Pixel 9 machine and $20/month after), work shockingly nicely. Although I’ve encountered the occasional glitch, I’ve by no means really been capable of have a dialog with an AI earlier than Gemini/Gemini Dwell. Does speaking to an AI assistant match into my workflow, although? Probably not, and I am undecided it ever will.

Lastly, I am an enormous fan of the Pixel’s Android pores and skin. It is easy, simple, and clear. In actual fact, I discover it simpler to navigate than iOS 18. Apple’s cellular working system has change into more and more difficult over the previous couple of years, and Android 14 operating on the Pixel 9 collection has made that much more obvious. It is also nice that Google has promised to supply seven years of software program updates to the Pixel 9 line.

Must you purchase the Google Pixel 9 Professional XL?

It is one in all Google’s most full smartphone packages in years

Most individuals ought to go for the usual Pixel 9, however if you happen to’re into images, the Pixel 9 Professional collection has rather a lot to supply. It captures my favourite smartphone pictures but, providing a extra true-to-life stability that sits firmly between Samsung’s intense saturation and Apple’s more and more inconsistent, out-there tackle photos and movies. That is in stark distinction to the assorted picture and video AI options supplied by the Pixel 9 Professional collection, together with Zoom Improve and Tremendous Res Zoom Video, which I discovered notably helpful.

That stated, I am nonetheless involved about Reimagine’s broader implications, given how simple it’s to make use of and the way convincing the outcomes might be generally. Moreover, I have not discovered a technique to combine Gemini into my life, regardless of its spectacular capabilities. General, the Pixel 9 Professional line gives one in all Google’s most full smartphone packages in years, however if you happen to’re not an avid photographer, it can save you a number of hundred {dollars} and persist with the usual Pixel 9.

This machine was supplied to Pocket-lint by Google.

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Pixel 9 Professional XL