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Google’s cheaper Pixel 9 offers almost everything that makes its top-of-the-line sibling one of the best small phones available, stripping out a few key ingredients to match Apple and Samsung’s price point.
The Pixel 9 costs £799 (€899/$799/A$1,349), which is a £200 discount on the asking price of the stellar Pixel 9 Pro, while sitting above the excellent sub-£500 Pixel 8a that went on sale in May. This puts the new Pixel head-to-head with Apple’s new iPhone 16 and Samsung’s Galaxy S24.
The Pixel 9 is identical in size and shape to the 9 Pro, with matte aluminum sides and a glass front and back. It has the same bold camera design on the back and a similarly attractive 6.3-inch OLED display on the front. The screen isn’t as sharp or bright as the 9 Pro’s, but the difference is minimal.
Inside, there’s the same Tensor G4 chip with at least 128GB of storage, but less RAM with just 12GB instead of the 16GB of its more expensive sibling. In everyday use, the difference isn’t noticeable and it doesn’t hold the Pixel 9 back in apps or AI for now.
The battery lasts about two days between charges, which is pretty good for a phone of this size. It charges fully in just over 80 minutes using a 27W or higher USB-C charger, though one isn’t included in the box.
Android 14 with most of Google’s AI
The Pixel ships with Android 14 and seven years of software support, including an update to Android 15 in the fall, making it one of the longest-lasting phones on the market.
Like its more expensive siblings, the Pixel 9 runs the latest Google tech. Gemini Nano AI ModelsIt has the latest from Google Screenshot appwhich collects your caps and makes them searchable instead of cluttering up your gallery. Pixel Studio The app quickly generates images using text prompts in a variety of styles and lets you edit them. Google’s more advanced AI editing features in Photos can automatically reframe an image using generative AI or “reimagine” it to completely reframe a photo or insert objects using text prompts.
But unlike the Pixel 9 Pro phones, it doesn’t come with a year of Google’s £19 monthly subscription included. Gemini Advanced Subscription which is required to access the impressive new Gemini live Fully conversational AI assistant experience. You still get free access to the standard Gemini assistant for texting and one-way requests, and you can purchase the subscription for an additional cost, though it may not be worth it right now.
Budget
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Screen: 6.3-inch 120Hz FHD+ OLED display (422 ppi)
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Processor: Google Tensor G4
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RAM: 12 GB
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Storage: 128 or 256 GB
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Operating system: Android 14
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Camera: 50 MP + 48 MP ultra wide angle, 10.5 MP selfie
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Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, Wi-Fi 7, UWB, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 and GNSS
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Water resistance: IP68 (1.5m for 30 minutes)
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Dimensions: 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.5 mm
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Weight: 198 grams
Camera
The Pixel 9 has the same 50-megapixel main camera and 48MP ultra-wide camera as the Pixel 9 Pro, but it lacks a telephoto zoom camera and some of the high-end features, including improved zoom, full-resolution capture, and pro controls.
Photos from the main camera, in particular, are excellent in a variety of lighting conditions. The ultra-wide is also pretty good, and it has a fun macro photography feature for up-close shots. The main camera can zoom in on the sensor to achieve 2x magnification, but it relies on digital zoom to reach further, which can produce good results in bright light up to 8x. The 10.5MP selfie camera is a step down from the 9 Pro’s more powerful sensor, but it still captures nice, detailed images.
The new Add Me feature inserts photographers into group photos by merging two photos taken back-to-back. An augmented reality overlay shows where the original photographer should be positioned to be added to the photo. You may have trouble with certain objects in the scene, such as legs blending into table surfaces, but you can produce good images with a little practice.
The camera is still one of the best on a phone, but the lack of a telephoto camera really limits it.
Sustainability
Google doesn’t provide an estimated battery life, but it should last more than 500 full charge cycles at least 80% of its original capacity. The phone is serviceable. by Google and third party storeswith Published repair manuals and original spare 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 breaks down the The environmental impact of the phone In its report, Google recycle old devices free.
Price
The Google Pixel 9 costs £799 (899€/$799/1,349 Australian dollars).
For comparison, the Pixel 8a costs £419Pixel 9 Pro costs £999the Pixel 9 Pro XL costs £1,099The Samsung Galaxy S24 costs £799 and the Apple iPhone 16 costs £799.
Verdict
The Pixel 9 is, without a doubt, the best non-Pro flagship phone Google has ever made. It strikes a nice balance between looks and premium features, which somewhat undercuts the cost of its similarly sized high-end phone.
The problem is that without a telephoto camera and the better AI features that are limited to the more expensive 9 Pro series, the standard Pixel 9 is too close to the Pixel 8a, which is a much better value for money when it comes to features and capabilities.
That leaves it in a tough spot. If the £999 Pixel 9 Pro is a budget-beater, then £800 for the Pixel 9 is still a lot of money when you can get 80% of the experience for just over half the cost with a £419 Pixel 8a.
So the Pixel 9 is a good phone that is overshadowed by other, better-quality Google phones at both ends of the spectrum. I’d wait for a sale to make the price more tempting.
Advantages: seven years of software updates, great camera, good display, good battery life, good size, recycled aluminum, impressive local and generative AI features, fast fingerprint and face recognition.
Cons: No zoom camera, face unlock option not as secure as Face ID, raw performance below best in class, value for money not good enough.
