What are early reviews saying about the Pixel 9 series?
Coinciding with the "Made by Google" presentation, Western journalists shared their thoughts on the main new products - the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL smartphones. Here's a summary of their impressions:
Pixel 9
Google's latest design offers flat edges, a camera island on the back, and a fresh set of colors. The pastel pink is sure to be a hit in the 2024 series. In addition, the Pixel 9 has received another small but important change: the bezels around the display are now completely symmetrical, according to Scott Brown of Android Authority.
The choice of a glossy finish for the back is debatable: it "looks good" but collects fingerprints easily. However, Brown doesn't see the flat edges as a disadvantage. They make the smartphone more comfortable to hold, and provide slightly more space for internal components.
If you like small phones, this is a great contender.
Bloggers haven't had time to benchmark the Tensor G4's performance, but Tom's Guide editor John Velasco noted that the Pixel 9 took less than five seconds to generate an image using the Pixel Studio utility. He added that the base model has access to almost all the same AI features as the flagships, with the exception of Video Boost Mode and Zoom Enhance.
Brown also noted that Google has increased the amount of RAM: the Pixel 9 now has 12GB. This is necessary for the local operation of the Gemini Nano model. The devices are completely devoid of "Google Assistant," and it will not be possible to switch to it from Gemini.
Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL
The Pixel 9 Pro is one of the few, if not the only, uncompromising Android flagship in a compact body. Here Google has caught up with Apple, which offers the similarly-sized iPhone 15 Pro. In this case, the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro are visually identical, so cases are fully compatible between models.
Interestingly, the tech giant's engineers made no mention of the temperature sensor that first appeared in the Pixel 8 Pro. Although it has been carried over to the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL, it doesn't seem to have any new features. By the way, the camera module now matches the color of the body, says Kimberly Gedeon of Mashable.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a major change: the screen diagonal has grown by 0.1 inches to 6.8". This was made possible by reducing the bezels: the older model feels about the same in the hand as the Pixel 8 Pro, writes Android Authority.
Another difference from its predecessor and other gadgets this year is the 37W fast charging. The smartphone charges from zero to 70% in 30 minutes. Other phones only output 27W (55% in half an hour).
Mashable was able to test the 30x Super Res Zoom, which combines a telephoto lens, digital crop, and neural networks. The journalist was able to make out the color of the clothes of people standing 1600 meters from the shooting point.
If anyone thought the last few years of the smartphone market have been about incremental updates, the Pixel 9 series will feel like a breath of fresh air.
