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A quick look at the new Google Pixel 9 series phones and how they compare to their Pixel 8 counterparts read more
 "What has changed in Google’s new flagship phones")
Image Credit: Firstpost | Ameya Dalvi
The new lineup of Google Pixel phones is already upon us, and a good month and a half sooner than usual. Is it a ploy to catch one of their prime competitors off guard, the one who typically launches their new phones in September, or they had enough new features packed into the Pixel 9 lineup and couldn’t wait anymore to unleash it on the world?
That is a question we will answer at length some other day, but today let’s take a quick look at what the Pixel 9 series brings to the table, how it compares to the Pixel 8 series and whether you would need to sell one or both your kidneys to get the top variant of their new flagship device. Let’s start with the Google Pixel 9 and then move on to its Pro and XL variants.
Google Pixel 9 vs Google Pixel 8
The first noticeable change is in the design. While the Pixel 9 still speaks the design language of its predecessor, Google has done away with the curvy frame and opted for a flat one similar to that of an iPhone. The camera island is also a little different now. Though its location hasn’t changed much, it is now capsule-shaped and disconnected from the edges, rather than a band running from edge to edge like in the case of the Pixel 8. It looks nicer but is slightly bigger than that of its predecessor. The same can be said about the overall design too.
Interestingly, the Pixel 9 is supposed to be 0.4 mm slimmer than the Pixel 8 but it doesn’t seem that way when you hold the phones side by side. The slight increase in the overall size can also be attributed to a 6.3-inch OLED display used here in place of the 6.2-inch option on the Pixel 8. While the resolution and refresh rate are largely the same (Full HD+, 120Hz), the Pixel 9’s display is brighter with a peak brightness of 2700 nits versus 2000 nits on the previous one. Scratch resistance has been upgraded from Corning Gorilla Glass Victus to Victus 2.
As expected, the Pixel 9 series gets the new Google Tensor G4 SoC. Though it has a core less as compared to the Tensor G3, its upgraded cores are expected to deliver better performance. It also has the Titan M2 chip for on-device AI. Battery capacity sees a marginal increment from 4575 mAh to 4700 mAh, but the charging speed may not see much of a jump. We will share speeds and scores in our final review, as well as camera samples.
Speaking of which, the 50MP primary camera and the 10.5MP selfie camera seem to be carried forward from the Pixel 8. Of course, one can expect refinements and new software tricks, and the front camera now gets auto-focus for sharper selfies. The ultrawide camera sees a big change here. It has always been inferior to the one on the corresponding Pro variant, but not here. The Pixel 9 gets the same 48MP ultrawide camera as on the Pixel 9 Pro/XL. It also has dual-pixel auto-focus and can double up as a quality macro camera.
A dedicated telephoto camera remains absent on the non-Pro models. All the Google Pixel 8 and 9 series phones run Android 14 with 7 major Android updates promised going ahead. We appreciate the manufacturer’s long-term commitment. The Google Pixel 9 with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage is priced at Rs 79,999 in India and available in four different colour schemes.
Google Pixel 9 Pro/Pro XL vs Google Pixel 8 Pro
Before we get into the generational comparison, a quick word on the difference between the Pixel 9 Pro and the 9 Pro XL. The only major difference is the size of the devices. While the 9 Pro sticks to the Pixel 9 size with a 6.3-inch OLED screen but a higher 2856 x 1280 pixels resolution, the XL has a larger 6.8-inch screen with an even higher 2992 x 1344 pixels resolution. The battery capacity is also a little higher on the XL (5060 mAh) than on the 9 Pro (4700 mAh).
The rest of the key features ranging from processing hardware to camera setup are pretty much identical. In reality, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is more akin to the Pixel 8 Pro, with the Pixel 9 Pro being the new compact flagship - a category previously missing in the Google lineup. Think of the two Pixel 9 Pro phones as the Apple iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. You get the point, right?
Moving on to the comparison to the Pixel 8 Pro, the design traits I mentioned in the Pixel 9 section apply to the Pro models too. Another thing to note is that the camera band on the Pixel 8 Pro had sharpish edges, while those on the 9 Pro XL have been nicely blunted. In fact, you wouldn’t find a single rough edge on the phone anywhere, which is great. The presence of the extra-large camera band/island will continue to polarise aesthetic opinions, but the phone does look better than before.
The display on the XL is slightly larger than that on the 8 Pro - 6.8-inch vs 6.7-inch. The resolution and refresh rate are identical but the peak brightness on the new phone is 25 per cent higher at 3000 nits. The screens on both phones have Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. The battery has a mere 10 mAh difference but the one on the Pixel 9 Pro XL is expected to charge faster due to support for 37W fast charging as opposed to 30W on the 8 Pro. Google claims that one can charge 70 per cent of XL’s battery in 30 minutes, while one could only get to 50 per cent in that much time on its predecessor.
The rear camera department doesn’t see much of a change on paper at least with both phones sporting a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 48MP periscope telephoto camera with OIS for 5X optical zoom and a 48MP ultrawide camera with dual-pixel PDAF that also handles macro photography from as close as 2 cm. The selfie camera sees a big jump from 10.5MP to 42MP with auto-focus. The rear cameras can now record 8K footage as compared to 4K in the previous generation.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL with 16 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage is priced steeply at Rs 1,24,999 in India, while the Pixel 9 Pro with similar RAM and storage will sell for a good Rs 15,000 lower. Both phones will be available in four different colour variants. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold foldable phone is also expected here shortly. We shall unfold its mysteries once it reaches the Indian shores.
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English (US) ·