While there are four new smartphones launched by Google this year, the Pixel 9 is your entry point into the world of Google’s AI wizardry. The phone feels like a huge departure from the outgoing model in terms of the design language. It also gets the same flagship treatment with a Tensor G4 chipset, better cameras, and a bigger battery. Further, AI features such as Pixel Studio, and Pixel Screenshots, blur the line between what’s real and what’s doctored. I have been using the phone for the past couple of days and while the review is still underway, let’s take a gander at what the Pixel 9 sets to achieve.
Google Pixel 9 Pricing and Availability in India
The Pixel 9 is available in a single variant in India. The phone is up for pre-orders on Flipkart, Croma, and Reliance Digital. It comes in a 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant, which will set you back by Rs 79,999. There are multiple bank and credit card offers available, so do keep an eye out for those to bring the price down.
Google Pixel 9 First Impressions: Unboxing Experience
With the Pixel 9 series, Google is taking a different approach. It’s getting rid of all plastic contents and sticking to recycled materials for the sleeve of the packaging and the box itself. The unboxing experience is quite satisfying and straightforward.
Inside the box, you’ll find:
- Documents
- SIM ejector tool
- Pixel 9
- USB-C to USB-C cable
Google Pixel 9 First Impressions: Design and Build Quality
At first glance, the Pixel 9 doesn’t seem like a revolutionary change over the Pixel 8 (Review). But, holding the phone is the only way to truly understand the seismic shift it undergoes. It’s nice that Google doesn’t make the Pixel 9 feel inferior in comparison to the costlier models.
The phone now has a more ergonomically sane form factor, which is highly appreciated by my palms. The frames are now flatter, resembling those of the iPhones. The matte finish on these helps with gripping the phone, as opposed to the glossy back panel.
The camera visor does not extend to the sides anymore, and this gives it a more minimalist look. However, this comes at the cost of higher protrusion. Somehow, Google has still managed to angle the weight of the phone so that it doesn’t wobble on a flat surface.
With all these changes, the Pixel 9 has lost the tag of being called a compact smartphone, which the outgoing model carried with pride. It’s still easy to carry around though, but the phone is wider and weighs 11 grams more.
What I like more about Google’s approach with their Pixel devices is the fact that they are not afraid to try new and bold colours. The Pixel 9 comes in Obsidian, Wintergreen, Porcelain and a hot pink ‘Peony’ colour. Yep, the last one is the polar opposite of the Pixel 3 XL’s ‘Not so Pink’ variant. The phone also comes with an IP68 rating.
Google Pixel 9 First Impressions: Display
The Pixel 9 sticks to a flat screen, just like its outgoing model. Personally, this is what I prefer as curved displays are more susceptible to unintentional touches. Moreover, it’s tough to find a screen guard that fits perfectly. I digress.
The screen is fundamentally the same, but it’s slightly wider this time and a lot more brighter. The protection layer has also been upgraded with the Pixel 9 using the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The display spans 6.3 inches, which is similar to that of the Pixel 9 Pro. The 9 Pro XL is in a different league altogether. Another difference is with the LTPO panel on the Pixel 9. It can go from 60-120Hz, while the others can go from 1-120Hz, saving more battery.
While the bezels are still there, it’s not really intrusive when consuming content. The screen is bright enough outdoors, even under direct sunlight. Watching movies and TV shows such as Presumed Innoncent was a fun affair. I’ll have more things to say about the display in my full review of the Pixel 9.
Google Pixel 9 First Impressions: Cameras
While the main camera on the Pixel 9 largely remains the same, the ultra-wide shooter gets a massive bump in the megapixel department. The 50-megapixel primary camera comes with an f/1.68 aperture and Super Res Zoom capabilities of up to 8x — similar to the Pixel 8.
A 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera with autofocus and an aperture of f/1.7 aperture is now the second in command. What’s unfortunate is that the Pixel 9 comes with the same 10.5-megapixel snapper for selfies.
This just seems like a lazy attempt. I’ll have a more in-depth analysis of the camera section in the full review, but in the meantime, you can take a look at these photos to understand what the Pixel 9 can deliver.
What Google is betting on more is its AI capabilities, which also include some stuff for the cameras.
Google Pixel 9 First Impressions: New AI Stuff
AI is nothing new for the Pixel devices, but with the Pixel 9 series, Google has introduced more stuff — actually, useful stuff. Most of the AI integrations in this edition have already proved to be practical for me in daily usage.
Pixel Screenshots: Circle-to-search was in the first spot in terms of practical AI use cases for me. The Pixel Screenshots feature has topped it. It’s essentially a gallery of screenshots. The Pixel 9 takes the help of AI to jot down necessary pointers from a screenshot, so you can refer to it directly later on. The idealogy is along the same lines of Microsoft’s controversial Recall — but better and safer, because it happens on-device.
Add Me: This might have a very limited use case for many, but it beats the purpose of editing a photo through a long process. Imagine you’re on a trip with two friends, and you find the perfect backdrop for a group photo. With no one around to take the picture, this feature steps in. It allows one friend to swap places during the shots, merging the photos as if all three of you were in the frame from the start. It’s not flawless, but it gets the job done.
Pixel Studio: Pixel Studio allows you to bring your wildest food ideas to life, like a burger filled with Indochinese noodles or spaghetti topped with Oreos. However, it doesn’t support prompts involving humans yet.
Pixel Weather App: Pixel Weather shares a short and sweet AI Weather Report which gives you a quick rundown of the current temperature, chance of rain, humidity levels, and more.
I’ll go into more detail about these AI features in my review of the Pixel 9.
Google Pixel 9 First Impressions: Hardware and Software
The Pixel 9 is powered by the Google Tensor G4 which is designed to focus more on AI. The same chipset can also be found on the rest of the series. The phone now comes with upgraded RAM that reaches 12GB compared to the 8GB of the outgoing model. The battery and charging department also gets an upgrade. You now have a 4700mAh pack, which can be juiced up with a 45W adapter.
The Pixel 9 comes with one of the cleanest versions of Android 14. Just like its other products, Google promises to keep the device healthy and fulfilled with software and security updates for the next seven years.
Initial Thoughts
If you have Rs 79,999, the Pixel 9 seems like an excellent offering for Android users who prefer long software support, good cameras, clean UI, and more. With the new AI features in play, the Pixel 9 is a more practical device for productivity tasks. I’m a big fan of the Pixel Screenshots feature and hope to see other OEMs implement it sooner rather than later.
While Pixel 8 users may not feel the need to upgrade immediately, the Pixel 9 could be a compelling option for those with older Pixel devices. I’ll share more insights in my complete review, so stay tuned to MySmartPrice.
