Thanks to the folks over at AT&T I was able to test out the Pixel 9 XL Pro for a few weeks.
The Google Pixel 9 XL Pro represents the latest evolution in Google’s smartphone lineup, a series that began with the original Pixel in 2016. Over the years, the Pixel series has carved out a niche for itself with its emphasis on pure Android experiences, exceptional camera capabilities, and AI-driven features. While the Pixel lineup has often been overshadowed by the sheer market dominance of Samsung’s Galaxy series and Apple’s iPhones, it has consistently garnered a loyal following and critical acclaim for its innovative approach and clean software. The Pixel 9 XL continues this tradition, but this iteration may be the best to bridge the gap between tech enthusiasts and mainstream users.
Retail price: $1,249.99 or $34.73/mo at AT&T
| Display | |
| Size: | 6.8 inches |
| Resolution: | 2992 x 1344 pixels, 20:9 ratio, 482 PPI |
| Technology: | OLED |
| Refresh rate: | 120Hz |
| Screen-to-body: | 89.28 % |
| Peak brightness: | 3000 cd/m2 (nit) |
| Features: | HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor |
| Hardware | |
| System chip: | Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) |
| Processor: | Octa-core, 1x 3.1GHz Cortex-X4 + 3x 2.6GHz Cortex-A720 + 4x 1.92GHz Cortex-A520 |
| GPU: | Mali-G715 MC7 |
| RAM: | 16GB LPDDR5X |
| Internal storage: | 128GB, not expandable |
| OS: | Android (14) |
| Device type: | Smartphone |
| This device has different variants: | |
| Battery | |
| Capacity: | 5060 mAh |
| Type: | Not user replaceable |
| Charging: | Fast charging, Qi wireless charging |
| Max charge speed: | Wired: 37.0W; Wireless: 23.0W |
| Camera | |
| Rear: | Triple camera |
| Main camera: | 50 MP (OIS, PDAF) |
| Specifications: | Aperture size: F1.7; Sensor size: 1/1.31″ |
| Second camera: | 48 MP (Telephoto) |
| Specifications: | Optical zoom: 5.0x; Aperture size: F2.8; Sensor size: 1/2.55″ |
| Third camera: | 48 MP (Ultra-wide) |
| Specifications: | Aperture size: F1.7; Sensor size: 1/2.55″ |
| Flash: | LED |
| Video recording: | 3840×2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920×1080 (Full HD) (240 fps) |
| Front: | 42 MP |
| Video capture: | 3840×2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps) |
| Design | |
| Dimensions: | 6.41 x 3.02 x 0.33 inches (162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm) , thickness with camera 0.47 inches (12 mm) |
| Weight: | 7.80 oz (221.0 g) |
| Materials: | Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus) |
| Resistance: | Yes; IP68 |
| Biometrics: | In-screen fingerprint |
| Colors: | Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, Rose Quartz |
| Cellular | |
| 5G: | n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n14, n20, n25, n28, n29, n30, n38, n40, n41, n48, n66, n70, n71, n77, n78, n258, n260, n261, mmWave |
| 4G (FDD): | Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 14(700 PS), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 29(700 d), 30(2300 WCS), 66(AWS-3), 71(600) |
| 4G (TDD): | Bands 38(2600), 40(2300), 41(2600+), 48(3600) |
| 3G: | Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 6(800), 8(900), 19(800) |
| Data Speed: | LTE-A, HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s |
| SIM type: | Nano SIM, eSIM |
| Multimedia | |
| Headphones: | No 3.5mm jack |
| Speakers: | Earpiece, Multiple speakers |
| Screen mirroring: | Wireless screen share |
| Additional microphone(s): | for Noise cancellation |
| Connectivity & Features | |
| Bluetooth: | 5.3 |
| Wi-Fi: | 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, ax, Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7; Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot |
| USB: | Type-C (reversible), USB 3.2 |
| Features: | Charging |
| Location: | GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning |
| Sensors: | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer, Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) |
| Other: | NFC |
Design
The Pixel 9 XL boasts a refined design that feels both premium and approachable. The phone features a sleek, rounded aesthetic that is comfortable to hold while also being visually appealing. Once again, Google has evolved its use of high-quality materials, including a matte glass back and an aluminum frame that adds to the devices solid and luxurious feel om hand.
With Google opting for its visor rear camera design that protrudes beyond the base of the phone allows the designers to shave a few millimeters off the rest of the body of the phone which makes it feel thinner at certain areas of the device. The weight in hand feels like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, but holding the base of the phone, just below the camera visor feels more like the standard iPhone 16. Google truly engineered an interesting sleight of hand when it comes to the weight distribution on the 9 XL Pro.
Other aspects of the industrial design to point out are the sticky and tactile volume and power buttons on the 9 XL Pro that responsive and protrude a bit more than Pixel 8. Having the buttons raised raised this time around, it is much appreciated now that the placement of the power and volume have switched.
The Ultra Sonic fingerprint reader located on the lower third of screen is a huge improvement over last year’s sensor. While testing the Pixel 9 Pro XL I’ve noticed fewer misreads which have resulted in a lot of time saving getting in and out of the phone and being able to capture key moments in photos because I was too slow to prepare for a shot.
According to Google, its Ultra Sonic tech uses the most advanced sensor in the Qualcomm 3D Sonic 2 that avoids the traditional flashing of light to illuminate a print but instead leverages sound waves that model the curves in a fingerprint thus raising the threshold for recognizing prints in less-ideal conditions.
And for people who like to slap cheap screen protectors on their devices that fiddle with or outright interrupt fingerprint readers, Google is also utilizing a more advance face scanner for recognition.
Anecdotally speaking, the face recognition on the 9 Pro XL has been fantastic and faster than the fingerprint reader at unlocking the phone during my use.
As for the other hardware experiences, I have not been swimming with the phone, so I haven’t been able to test the IP68 certification but if it’s like other modern phones, I trust it’ll be ok if and when the phone comes across some water.
Display
The Gorilla Victus 2 covered 6.8-inch OLED display is stunning, offering vibrant colors, deep blacks, and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate that makes every interaction feel fluid and responsive. The screen is also incredibly bright, making it easy to use even in direct sunlight.
With a 2,922 x 1,344 resolution, the large screen is pleasure to view in both direct sunlight and indoor settings. Google upped the brightness of its display this time around and it shows. At a peak brightness of 3,000 nits Google is pushing over 500 nits more than the iPhone 15 Pro Max which has become a bell weather for visibility on a phone outdoors.
Google is also bringing its adaptive refresh rate to this screen that includes a refresh rate range of 1Hz to 120Hz when needed. Thanks to the adaptive refresh rate and high resolution, navigating content on the Pixel display is intuitive and smooth.
Performance
Under the hood, the Pixel 9 XL is powered by Google’s Tensor G4 chip, which delivers impressive day-to-day performance. Whether you are multitasking, gaming, or streaming, the phone handles everything with ease. Android 14 runs seamlessly on this device, bringing a host of new features and improvements. Battery life is another strong point, with the Pixel 9 XL easily lasting a full day of heavy use thanks to its optimized power management and large battery capacity.
Update: I upgraded to Android 15 during my testing period and the Tensor G4 chip managed it just as well as it did with the previous OS.
Beyond the OS itself, Google pitched a ton of AI features that are also being powered by its custom chip and its large language model Gemini Nano. Gemini AI on the 9 Pro XL supports transcribing conversations such as phone calls, voice notes, and audio from certain apps like YouTube or the Chrome browser. Other Gemini Nano feature support includes language translation, image search, text to image, content recommendations, security, image editing, and more.
Admittedly, I have slowly come around to using many of these AI features regularly. Most feel like party tricks right now, but voice notes transcribing, phone screening, and image search have been part of my regular rotation as of now and they work well and consistently. When it comes to the image editing, the AI results are bit more hit or miss and become tiresome after a few unsuccessful attempts.
I do not do benchmarking to measure performance, but I do run a few games that tend to heat up phones and they did heat up this phone. Granted, the Pixel did not get as hot as my S24 but was warm to the touch, nevertheless. The performance of these games does not seem to benefit from the new chip, nor do they are hindered by it either. The Tensor G4 is appreciated for its ability to support its AI core features but beyond the handful that are useful, it really feels like a checklist item that is nominally appreciated.
Camera
The camera system on the Pixel 9 XL has seen significant upgrades, cementing its place as one of the best smartphone cameras on the market. The main50MP sensor captures stunningly detailed photos with excellent dynamic range, while the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses provide versatility for different shooting scenarios.
Owners now have access to a main shooter that includes a 50MP lens with support for an aperture of f/1.6 and an 82-degree FOV while the other lenses house a 48MP ultra-wide and a 48MP telephoto with a f/2.8 and 5x optical zoom plus 30x Super Res Zoom with optical image stabilization.
The specs of the camera are laundry list of goals for camera fans but as someone who is an armature shooter, it’s Google’s computational photography that continues to be my favorite feature of the Pixel line.
Google’s computational photography continues to impress, with features like Night Sight and Super Res Zoom producing remarkable results even in challenging conditions. Capturing my moving kids always come out better on the Pixel than Samsung which is still plagued with a shutter issue it cannot seem to shake.
The colors are muted for most images with a bit of higher contrast in darker areas of a shot which makes for crispier looking images than compared to the more vibrant and warmer Samsung photos or the ‘boosted’ color profile of iPhone shots.
Other niceties
Google has also focused on refining the overall user experience with the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Animations are smoother, haptics are more precise, and sound effects are richer, contributing to a premium feel that rivals the best in the industry. These refinements are very noticeable this time around and further push the phone’s experience into a consumer-friendly segment.
Previously, Pixel phones leveraged software as its main selling point and often to the detriment of the other experiences users look for in a phone like the feel-in-hand, haptics, sounds, scrolling, connectivity, and viewability.
However, with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, it’s arguable that the non-software experiences match or exceed Apple’s comparable offerings. Add Gemini with tools like real-time language translation, advanced voice recognition, and personalized suggestions; in addition to improved computational photography, familiar phone industry feel, and an expanding ecosystem of supported accessories and the Pixel 9 Pro XL becomes an easy transition for someone exhausted by Samsung’s iterative offerings or Apple’s stagnate device evolution.
The Pixel 9 XL is no longer just a phone for tech enthusiasts; it is designed for everyone. Its combination of high-end hardware, refined design, and intelligent software makes it a compelling choice for a wide range of users. This broad appeal poses a significant threat to both Samsung and Apple, as Google continues to close the gap in terms of market share and consumer preference. The Pixel 9 XL is a testament to Google’s commitment to innovation and user-centric design, making it a formidable competitor in the smartphone market, which means it might get cancelled soon if Google’s product history is anything to go by.
