Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review: It's All About The AI

I've used two smartphones for years. Obviously, it made sense to use smartphones with different operating systems. When the BlackBerry OS was on its deathbed, thanks to the market failure of BlackBerry 10, I had a choice between iOS and Android because I never quite took to Windows Phone. But truth be told, though Android was feature rich, I didn't quite like the user experience. Till I got myself a Google Pixel 2 in early 2018. And I fell in love. That Pixel 2 still works fine, dated as it is.

With AI the flavour of our times when it comes to anything tech, the Pixel 9 series is all about AI. While we've all used ChatGPT on our smartphones and MetaAI on WhatsApp, Google seems to have taken a leap forward in integrating AI seamlessly into multiple facets of this smartphone, from the camera to editing capabilities to productivity, thanks to the nifty yet powerful Gemini Live AI assistant.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is a stunner. As a flagship it has to be top-notch, and Google has gone the whole hog with premium materials and build quality with stainless steel sides and a matte glass back. From the front the new form with rounded edges reminds you of the latest iPhones but the camera takes centre stage on the back. Though it features a large 6.8-inch display, the smartphone is comfortable to hold and didn't seem unwieldy in the couple of days I've used it, and I say this as someone who prefers smaller screens. Never slipped out of my hands even once too.

The 1344 x 2992 LTPO OLED display at 486 PPI is gorgeous, delivering incredibly detailed output with rich colours. Watching videos is a fabulous experience on the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

Given the focus on AI, Google has equipped the Pixel 9 with the new Tensor G4 processor and 16 GB of RAM with a base spec of 128GB non-expandable storage, going up to 1 TB on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. While I didn't have an opportunity to really put the processor through its paces, I'm fairly sure it will hold its own against the competition. It was quick in response time with whatever I did, from trying out the myriad AI features to watching videos and swiping between apps. There's a 5060 mAh battery under the hood, which stood up fairly well to my tinkering and should last a day or a bit more under normal use. 

There's a 50MP main lens and a 48MP ultrawide camera  and a 48MP telephoto camera with 5X optical zoom and 30X Super Res Zoom, plus a 42 MP front camera. On the video front, there's 4K video recording at 24/30/60 FPS. You can upscale to 8K video recording at 30 FPS, powered by Video Boost.

True to Pixel legacy, the camera delivered great shots with superb detail, even in low light or from a distance. Here are a few examples, most of which were shot in low light thanks to the weather:

The Pixel 9 Pro XL's AI capabilities shine through really well for the camera. The Add Me feature allows you to take a group photo and then hand over the phone to another person who is guided by an AR overlay, while you get into the frame and then both photos are merged. A very close look may reveal some fuzz in the extremities (hair or clothes) where AI hasn't been perfect, but that's par for the course. It's impressive and a great marketing tool for the Pixel 9. And could be especially useful when sightseeing in some theft-prone European cities where you don't want to hand your phone to a stranger and risk him running off with it.

Magic Editor takes photo editing to another level. It can suggest the best crop or reframe the image or can reimagine parts of the image. For instance, I could swap out a large shoe rack and reimagine a bookshelf in its place. At the end of the day, you get to decide how your photographs turn out well after the shutter has clicked; you can keep them as they are or work on them to create an alternate reality. 

A Google One AI Premium plan comes bundled with the Pixel 9 Pro for a year (Rs 1,950 per month after that). This gets you into the Gemini Advanced club with the best of Google AI on offer, alongside 2 TB of storage. You also see Gemini Live pop up everywhere from Gmail to Docs, supercharging all these Google applications. On the Pixel 9 you see the Gemini Live floating overlay when you call for it with a long press of the power button, which means you don't need to leave the app you are in. It provides a conversation-like experience, allowing you to have a free-flowing chat back and forth with Gemini. I changed topics suddenly and interrupted Gemini mid-sentence, but it didn't skip a beat. This conversational approach makes using an AI tool far easier and intuitive and could be integrated into many enterprise workflows too.

Much of the AI processing happens on-device (especially ones that impact privacy) while many others happen on the cloud.

What's impressive is the response time and the granularity of the response. I snapped a picture of Stranger & Sons' Perry Road Peru, a gin cocktail I recently saw at my local theka and asked for ideas on how to drink it. Gemini did the needful almost instantly with some great suggestions. I also snapped a picture of the see-through case back of my bespoke, handcrafted ADS 07-01 open heart wristwatch made by Aditya Sambhare in Pune. Gemini immediately identified it as a skeletonised movement, possibly put together by an independent watchmaker. It had comments to add: "likely boasts meticulous hand assembly and finishing, evident from the visible craftsmanship". Bang on!  I hope I can soon learn how to open up and repair complicated mechanical watches. That’s the dream. 

You can also have a conversation with Gemini Live with hardly any latency and lag. A cousin was looking for wedding venues in Goa and I checked to see if Gemini Advanced on the Pixel 9 could help. From shortlisting venues based on criteria like "close to the beach and a river" to more granular questions on food options to even cost, Gemini had quick answers for them all. For instance, Gemini clearly couldn't provide us with exact costing but mentioned factors that influence costs at the venue. And I noticed that though it transcribed some words wrong as it heard me, it still got the question right. For instance, Gemini heard Arpora as Opera but told me I was likely asking about Arpora in Goa and provided me the information I wanted. And obviously, Gemini could help create a document, pitch deck, and more.

Pixel Screenshots is another AI-powered productivity app that scans and helps you bring up information you need. For instance, when you are looking for a tracking number for a shipment based on a screenshot of a tracking page. Rather than scroll through screenshots to find the one I want, I asked Pixel Screenshots, and it told me the waybill number for tracking.

Gemini also has extensions for Google Calendar, Tasks, Keep Notes and utilities such as Bluetooth, the flashlight and more, all of which help improve productivity. Expect deeper integrations with other Google and apps services soon.

There’s also Pixel Studio, an image generator app. It leverages Google's Imagen 3 text-to-image model in the cloud and seems like fun. Like many other AI image generator apps, you can let your imagination run wild (within the boundaries set for the tool) and do things like asking Pixel Studio to imagine the livery of aircraft if Air India acquired Emirates.

The Weather app also gets an AI boost, and you get a custom weather report for the day ahead. Unfortunately, given how much of a hit-and-miss forecasting is in our parts I'm not sure about what Gemini Nano can do if the source data isn't good enough. The AI weather report told me it would be a muggy morning but asked me to grab my umbrella before I headed out. Fingers crossed.

Call Notes is another feature I think I would find particularly useful. It transcribes and summarises a call after obtaining permission from all parties on the call and you can go back anytime you need some information from the call. Unfortunately, the feature seems unavailable in India yet, so I will wait to check it out.

Like the Pixel 8, the Pixel 9 comes with seven years of OS and security updates, which certainly narrows a gap that existed between the Apple iPhone and the Google Pixel. Google also claims the Pixel is engineered for improved durability, which is important if software will get refreshed for 7 years.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is priced at Rs 1,24,999, while the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro will be priced at Rs 79,999 and Rs 1,09,999. This series is the future of smartphones and till Apple Intelligence lands we won't be able to compare actual experience as opposed to claims on paper. It's expensive for sure, but I think the Pixel 9 Pro XL does a great job of making incredible AI tech an integral and seamless part of your life, rather than something which seems impressive for some things, but where real-world use cases are few and far between.