Google's cheapest Pixel 9 offers almost all of the features that make its top-of-the-line model one of the best small smartphones on the market, while cutting back on some key elements to bring it in line on price with Apple and Samsung.
The Pixel 9 is priced at £799 (€899 / $799 / AU$1,349), making it £200 cheaper than the recommended retail price of the excellent Pixel 9 Pro and more affordable than the sub-£500 Pixel 8a, which was released in May. This means the new Pixel will compete directly with Apple's new iPhone 16 and Samsung's Galaxy S24.
The Pixel 9 is the same size and shape as the 9 Pro, with matte aluminum sides and glass front and back. It has the same bold camera design on the back and an equally beautiful 6.3-inch OLED screen on the front. The display isn't as sharp or bright as the 9 Pro's, but the difference is slight.
It's got the same Tensor G4 chip inside and at least 128GB of storage, but it has less RAM (12GB instead of its more expensive sibling's 16GB). The difference isn't noticeable in everyday use, and so far it hasn't fallen behind the Pixel 9 in apps or AI.
The battery lasts for around two days between charges, which is very good for a phone of this size, and it will fully charge in just over 80 minutes using a 27W+ USB-C charger, although no charger is included in the box.
Android 14 comes with most of Google's AI
The Pixel ships with Android 14 and will have seven years of software support, including an upgrade to Android 15 in the fall, making it one of the longest-lasting smartphones on the market.
Like its more expensive sibling, the Pixel 9 is Google's latest Gemini Nano AI ModelGoogle's new Screenshot Appmakes your caps collected and searchable, rather than cluttering your gallery. Pixel Studio The app helps you quickly generate and edit your images with text prompts in different styles. Google Photos' most advanced AI editing feature allows you to automatically reframe your images using generative AI, “reimagine” them to completely remake your photos, or insert objects using text prompts.
But unlike the Pixel 9 Pro, it doesn't come with Google's £19/month annual bundle. Gemini Advanced Subscription Impressive new Gemini Live A fully conversational AI assistant experience. You can access the standard Gemini Assistant for free for text and one-way requests. You can also purchase a subscription for an additional fee, but it may not be worth it at this point.
specification
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screen: 6.3-inch 120Hz FHD+ OLED (422ppi)
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Processor: Google Tensor G4
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Ram: 12GB
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Storage: 128 or 256 GB
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operating system: Android 14
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camera: 50MP + 48MP Ultra Wide Angle, 10.5MP Selfie
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Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, Wi-Fi 7, UWB, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, GNSS
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water resistance: IP68 (1.5m for 30 minutes)
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size: 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.5mm
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Weight: 198g
camera
The Pixel 9 has the same 50MP main camera and 48MP ultra-wide camera as the Pixel 9 Pro, but it lacks the telephoto zoom camera and some high-end features like zoom enhancement, full-resolution capture, and pro controls.
Photos taken with the main camera in particular look great in a variety of lighting conditions. The ultra-wide angle is pretty good, and there's a fun macro feature for close-up shots. The main camera can expand the sensor by 2x, but beyond that it's digitally zoomed, with good results up to 8x in bright light. The 10.5MP selfie camera is inferior to the 9 Pro's more powerful sensor, but it still takes beautiful, detailed images.
The new Add Me feature merges two photos taken consecutively to insert the photographer into a group shot, and an augmented reality overlay shows you where the original photographer needs to be positioned to be added to the shot. You might get tripped up by certain objects in the scene (legs blending into a table top, for example), but with a bit of practice you can create a good image.
The camera remains one of the best you'll find on a phone, but the lack of a telephoto camera is a major drawback.
Sustainability
Google hasn't released an expected battery lifespan, but it should last at least 80% of its original capacity for 500 full charge cycles. The phone is repairable. From Google and Third Party Shopand Published repair manuals Genuine replacement parts available From iFixit.
The Pixel 9 Pro is made with at least 20% recycled materials, including recycled aluminum, plastic, rare earth elements, and tin. The company explains the breakdown of recycled materials as follows: The environmental impact of mobile phones In the report, Google Recycle your old devices It's free.
price
What is the price of the Google Pixel 9? £799 (€899/$799/1,349 Australian dollars).
By comparison, the Pixel 8a costs £419The price of the Pixel 9 Pro £999The price of the Pixel 9 Pro XL £1,099The Samsung Galaxy S24 costs £799 and the Apple iPhone 16 costs £799.
verdict
The Pixel 9 is arguably the best non-Pro flagship smartphone Google has made, striking a good balance between premium feel and features, all while costing a bit less than its bigger brother of a similar size.
The problem is that without the telephoto camera and top-notch AI features that are exclusive to the more expensive 9 Pro series, the standard Pixel 9 is a little too close in terms of features and performance to the Pixel 8a, which is a much better value.
It's a tricky situation: if the £999 Pixel 9 Pro is out of your budget, then spending £800 on the Pixel 9 is still too much when the £419 Pixel 8a gives you 80% of the experience for just over half the cost.
So the Pixel 9 is a great phone that's overshadowed by great Google phones at both ends of the spectrum, and we'd recommend waiting for a sale until the price is more attractive.
Strong Points: 7 years of software updates, good cameras, good screen, good battery life, good size, recycled aluminium, great local and generative AI features, fast fingerprint and face recognition.
Cons: There's no zoom camera, the facial recognition option isn't as secure as Face ID, performance isn't best-in-class, and it's not great value.
