Google Pixel 9 series hot take | Infinium-tech

Google held its Pixel 9 event last week and it left us with some thoughts. So without further ado – here are those thoughts.

Holding the event in August instead of October makes a big difference

The Pixel 8 series was announced on October 4, 2023. The Pixel 7 series was announced on October 7, 2022. Google introduced more devices this time around, and it happened in mid-August – impressive!

Changing the unveiling from early autumn to early summer changes the entire dynamic of the launch and the Pixel 9 series is now a viable option to handle your summer vacation photography – a huge opportunity for the photography-conscious Pixel phones. Not to mention that Google’s phones are now selling out a full month earlier than Apple’s iPhones.

We like the new flat aesthetic

It seems like everyone is making their phones flatter these days. Apple did it a few years ago, Samsung started it with the Galaxy S23 series and finally made the S Ultra flat this year. And now Google has done the same with the Pixel.

We like the new look of the Pixels. Plus, their corners are slightly rounded, making them easier to hold, and they’re a little less rectangular.

Being flat also means that the phone is less likely to break if you drop it, but more importantly, it’s easier to apply a glass protector. Plus, the flat side makes it easier to properly utilise the available volume.

But please make all surfaces matte next year

The Pixel 9 Pros frame has a polished metal finish that attracts fingerprints like nothing else (except maybe the piano black plastic trim on cars..) and while the Pro has a frosted finish, the vanilla Pixel 9’s rear glass panel is also glossy and gets dirty within minutes.

Just look at the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24 Ultra and make everything matte, please, and thank you!

Making a compact Pixel 9 Pro is bold — but will it work?

The tiny Pixel 9 Pro is arguably the biggest (ha!) story of the event. Many people prefer compact phones over ultra-sized flagships but don’t want to compromise on specs.

But if you look at the sales figures, most people want a bigger display – current multimedia consumption trends clearly explain why. This could mean that the market prospects for the Pixel 9 Pro are weak.

What’s worse is that Google made the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL available just a week after launch, while the Pixel 9 Pro will arrive in September, making its chances even worse.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a mature foldable in its second generation

After the original Pixel Fold, which was somewhat of a dud, we were pleasantly surprised by the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Google has made a lot of the right choices with its new book-style foldable — the screens are big, the cover screen is a natural 20:9 aspect, the phone is impressively thin, and it has a capable camera system.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold might even make the Galaxy Z Fold6 look nervous in the back. The Pixel foldable has a better display, better cameras, and more RAM – not bad for a company often criticized for being too conservative with hardware upgrades!

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is a smart, safe update

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL will be the biggest customer in your family, and there’s a good reason for that. If you want the best Pixel, this is the best choice – it has the biggest display and the best camera.

Google has made its premier flagship even better than the last one – it has a better camera system, thanks to a brighter ultrawide lens and a new, wider-angle selfie camera. It also has the yearly chipset upgrade and a smart new design, especially on the back.

The new ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is a great option

One change that might go unnoticed, but which will certainly be felt by those upgrading to a Pixel 9 device, is the move to an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.

Until now, Pixel phones used optical scanners, which rely on light to scan your fingerprint, and people weren’t happy with their responsiveness and stability, especially with screen protectors.

The ultrasonic technology provided by Qualcomm is the best. The scanner works even in the dark and is faster and generally more reliable.

The Pixel 9 isn’t a small phone like the Pixel 8

We have the Pixel 9 for review and we’ve found that it’s not as small as you’d expect.

When you A/B test it with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, the smaller Pixel feels smaller. But it lacks the “hey, this is impressively compact” feeling of the Pixel 8. It’s 11 grams heavier, but more importantly, it’s 1.2mm wider and 2.3mm taller. Put a case on it and it becomes a thick and bulky phone that’s only slightly more compact than the Ultra.