With its Pixel 9, Google continues to play on the boards it masters like photography and artificial intelligence. But it is no longer alone in these areas and the price increase is difficult to justify.

With its Pixel 9, Google continues to play on the boards it masters like photography and artificial intelligence. But it is no longer alone in these areas and the price increase is difficult to justify.

In the new family of Google smartphones, the most compact and affordable model is embodied by the Pixel 9 (simply put). But while its predecessors easily took on the role of the formidable challenger with an excellent quality-price ratio, this new generation must prove that it remains superior to the competition for a revised upward price.

Indeed, the Pixel 9 is trading for 100 euros more than the Pixel 8 when it was released last year, at 899 euros. A price increase that now places it in the category of high-end smartphones, those that put on their finest aesthetic and technical finery to appeal to a demanding audience. On the program, a slightly revisited design, a new chip and functions that give pride of place to artificial intelligence. Enough to overshadow fierce competition? We tested the Pixel 9 for several weeks. Here is our verdict.

Google Pixel 9 review: a compact design that still looks attractive

For this new edition, Google’s most affordable smartphone keeps this format which is becoming increasingly rare. While the trend aims to offer increasingly larger smartphones with screens of 6.7 inches on average to 6.9 inches for the most generous, the Pixel 9 is content with a 6.3-inch panel. In fact, it easily slips into a pocket and is forgotten.

Or almost. On the back, Google has equipped it, like the Pixel 9 Pro and the 9 Pro XL that we tested recently, with a fairly prominent bar to accommodate the two photo sensors. It happily protrudes from the back by a few millimeters but also gives all the cachet that characterizes the smartphone. The materials used, mainly aluminum, are carefully crafted and give the mobile a beautiful premium look.

For the rest, as with most manufacturers today, the overall look of the Pixel 9 is inspired by the trend established by the iPhone with very flat edges that provide a pleasant grip. It retains an IP68 waterproof rating to resist dust and immersion in water and is intended to be a little more resistant than its predecessor with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to protect its screen.

The display, an Actua Oled panel, is moving upmarket. Google says it is 35% brighter than last year’s Pixel 8 with a peak of 2700 nits. And it shows. Especially outdoors in the sun where readability remains excellent. On this point, the Pixel 9 does not disappoint. However, we regret the absence of an LTPO panel allowing a refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hz. Here, we will have to make do with 60 or 120 Hz.

Google Pixel 9 review: powerful but watch out for heat

Technical sheet

Like its big brothers stamped “Pro”, the Pixel 9 has the latest in-house SoC Tensor G4. It is supported in its task by 12 GB of RAM and a minimum storage of 128 GB (a quantity that still seems a little light to us in 2024). And like the other smartphones in the line, it is not the raw performance that makes this model shine. With our various usual benchmarks, the Pixel 9 displays results worthy of mid-range devices. Pixels have never been racing beasts and this is confirmed once again. Let us rest assured, however, the Pixel 9 is not lagging behind. We had no difficulty running the usual apps. No latency, no slowdowns, an interface that is always responsive… after all, we don’t ask for more from a smartphone. However, the efforts made are paid for at the price of a good temperature rise when the device is heavily used. This is the case, for example, in games or during a long photo shoot.

Finally, like all the other devices in the range for the past year, the Pixel 9 benefits from the promise of a fairly extensive update schedule, set at 7 years. It remains to be seen whether the Tensor G4 will still be up to the task of running Android 21 at that time. The device ships with the current version of the system, Android 14.

Google Pixel 9 review: artificial intelligence as a major asset

Artificial intelligence has been a major part of the Pixel’s raison d’être for two generations. Also, the Mountain View firm is banking, like almost all of its competitors, on AI functions to stand out from the crowd. But as with the Pro models, if the intentions are there, a good part of them are not yet available in France. This Pixel 9 is therefore content like the rest of the range – for the moment – with a handful of functions using AI. Circle to search, Magic Eraser, Add me or Reinvent highlight the work done by Google to edit photos in a few seconds. We invite you to learn about it in the Pixel 9 Pro XL test.

Google Pixel 9 review: a good student in photography

What differentiates the Pixel 9 from the Pro models is mainly in the photo equipment. Here you have to make do with two modules. A 50 Mpx wide-angle sensor (f / 1.68) and a 48 Mpx ultra-wide-angle sensor (f / 1.7). By the way, we note a nice progression compared to last year when the ultra-wide-angle module remained fixed at 12 Mpx. You will therefore have probably noticed the absence of an optical telephoto lens, which becomes quite difficult to digest at this price point. To compensate, Google announces a 2x lossless zoom (by cropping) on ​​the main sensor and of course algorithmic processing to correct any defects.

During the day, the wide-angle module still offers good results, worthy of the Pixel lineage. The color rendering is excellent, the shots are well detailed and contrasted without exaggeration. Users accustomed to Samsung smartphones may find the images sometimes pale or a little dull, but it is the natural aspect that is sought above all here.

The 2x zoom doesn’t disappoint either. Details are preserved without the image as a whole suffering from this cropping. The Pixel is not the paparazzi’s friend, however. It only offers up to 8x magnification. And while it is materially limited, the algorithms take over brilliantly without forcing too much on smoothing.

Good surprise with the ultra wide-angle. The increase in sensor capacity (48 Mpx) is felt. We escape the traditional dull veil. The sharpness is there and the details are very present.

In low light, Google’s expertise in image processing answers the call. The algorithms once again come to the aid of the hardware with a clever mix of naturalness and precision. The skies can sometimes appear brighter than they really are, but the result is impeccable.

Google Pixel 9 review: improved battery life

Last year, the Pixel 8 disappointed us with its battery life that was too short. With this new iteration, we see a slight improvement, even if the results are still a little behind the competition. Google has slightly increased the battery capacity of its small smartphone, going from 4575 mAh to 4700 mAh. This translates into a few more hours on the clock. With our PC Mark test that simulates several activities, the device lasted a little over 18 hours, or 4 hours more than its predecessor. However, with more intensive use, you shouldn’t expect more than a day of battery life, especially if the device heats up a lot. So there is some improvement, but it is still not at the level of what we expect from a smartphone today, especially at this price.

The real disappointment is on the charging side. Fast charging is not really there unless you use the 45 W home charger which is not in the box but sold for 35 euros. With our 100 W Anker charger, half an hour of charging will have recovered 36% of the battery. It took us 1h45 to refill from 0 to 100%. That’s way too long.

Google Pixel 9 review: still the best value for money?

It must be admitted that the Pixel 9 certainly does not lack assets to seduce. We appreciate its compact format and its design that is very pleasant to the eye and in the hand. The Pixel style is preserved and it is a success. We are more doubtful, however, about its technical capabilities. If in the field of photography it comes out on top in almost all situations, the absence of a real optical telephoto lens, at this price level, is noticeable. As well as the rather disappointing performance of the Tensor G4 chip that powers it. If it allows classic use of the smartphone without the slightest jolt, it tends to heat up when the activity becomes more intense. Which does not bode well for a mobile that is supposed to last at least seven years, especially since the battery has difficulty holding up.

Finally, the AI ​​additions are a real plus, but in France at least, Google is slightly behind the many AI functions that Samsung can offer on its S24 range. As it stands, the Pixel 9 is not yet at its full potential. By wanting to steal the show from Apple with its iPhone 16 (where AI is also not really there in France) and release its new smartphones early, Google is ultimately causing more frustration than pleasure. We just have to wait to really get the best out of this really cute model.