Google Pixel 9 Pro Review: Pixel perfect

Nothing is perfect, but the Pixel 9 Pro comes really close. It also finally grants the one big request I’ve had for Google since the Pixel 6 series – give me a small Pixel phone with a telephoto lens.

Starting with the Pixel 6 line, Google started offering regular and ‘Pro’ Pixel variants. The Pro Pixels had some extra features, most notably the telephoto camera, but they were also larger devices. As someone who prefers a smaller phone, the ‘regular’ Pixel phones were a better fit, figuratively and literally – they actually fit my hand better. But I felt left out of some of the extra Pro features.

Well, that’s no longer the case. The Pixel 9 Pro is the ultimate ‘Goldilocks’ phone. It’s just right for me—the right size, the right camera setup, and the right features. I really like this phone. But nothing’s perfect… the 9 Pro included.

Specs

Google’s best hardware yet

Given that I already reviewed the Pixel 9 and there’s a ton of overlap between the two devices, I’m going to focus on the things that are significantly different. That should also save me from repeating myself too much.

For example, the Pixel 9 series is some of Google’s best hardware yet, but I already wrote about that in the Pixel 9 review. But there are some notable differences between the 9 Pro and the 9 in the design department. The 9 Pro sports a matte glass rear panel and a glossy metal frame, the inverse of the Pixel 9’s glossy glass rear and ‘satin’ metal frame. Of the two, I do prefer the Pixel 9 Pro’s matte glass back thanks to it’s improved grip. However, the glossy metal sides don’t feel good, and on my ‘Obsidian’ 9 Pro, they’re a total fingerprint and smudge magnet. I’m sure the other colours aren’t much better in that regard. Ultimately, I want to see Google move to matte sides and back across all of the Pixels.

Beyond that and the aforementioned telephoto camera, there’s no real, palpable difference between the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, though if you dig through the specs above, you’ll see that there are other hardware differences. The Pixel 9 Pro boasts a brighter, higher-res display with a dynamic refresh of 1Hz-120Hz, 16GB of RAM, a 42-megapixel selfie camera and more. Extra RAM aside, though, there’s not much difference in performance thanks to the Pixel 9 Pro using the same Tensor G4 chip.

Tense about Tensor

The Pixel 9 (green, left) and Pixel 9 Pro (black, right).

In my Pixel 9 review, I criticized the Tensor G4 for its disappointing performance. I largely stand by that assessment. At the Pixel 9 series’ price point—flagship pricing in line with devices from Apple and Samsung—the Tensor G4’s performance is just not good enough. At the same time, the Tensor G4 is sufficient to produce a smooth, fast user experience on the Pixel 9 Pro.

In my day-to-day usage, everything felt fast and fluid. Apps opened quickly, web browsing was fun, and the camera was reliable. I had no issues there, and most people won’t have problems either. Instead, the issues start when you step outside those typical daily tasks to do something more intensive, like gaming or video editing. In my usage, gaming was notably worse on the Pixel than on other devices, including devices several years older than it. Of course, which games you play will have an impact. Games with more intense graphics, like Diablo Immortal, look worse and run much less smoothly on the Pixel 9 Pro compared to other flagships. But other, less graphically intense games run fine – for example, I had no issues playing Vampire Survivors. Ultimately, your mileage may vary with the Tensor G4, which can be a tough pill to swallow when you’re spending this much on a phone.

In benchmarks, the Pixel 9 Pro did outperform the Pixel 9, which disappointed with scores worse than the Pixel 8, 8a and 8 Pro. The 9 Pro bested all of them and even slightly beat the Pixel 9 Pro XL in Geekbench 6, with a single-core score of 1,934 and a multi-core score of 4,586.

Ultimately, the Tensor G4 remains both capable and the Pixel 9 Pro’s weak point, one of the few things holding it back from a higher score. Rumours indicate that Google is working to improve Tensor, which is a good sign, but I think that Google has a lot of work ahead of it to get Tensor competitive with flagship phone chips from Qualcomm and Apple.

Zoom zoom

And finally, that brings us to the Pixel 9 Pro camera. Once again, I don’t have much to add that hasn’t already been said. The Pixel 9 Pro camera has the same primary sensor as the Pixel 9, and it’s the same camera system as the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which we’ve already reviewed extensively. MobileSyrup head of creative Brad Bennett also took the Pixel 9 camera for a spin and shared his thoughts here. Across those three stories, you can get a pretty clear picture of what the Pixel 9 Pro camera is capable of and I don’t have a lot to add.

For me, the biggest upgrade with the Pixel 9 Pro camera over the Pixel 9 is that third telephoto shooter. I’ve long held that a telephoto option is much more useful than an ultrawide camera. While I’ve come to appreciate the ultrawide for stylistic shots, on the 9 Pro, I went for the telephoto much more often. Having easy access to a high-quality 5x zoom camera truly opens up your shooting options.

Sure, the Pixel 9 can still do 2x zoom via a sensor crop, retaining decent quality. However, it doesn’t stand up to the crispness of the 5x optical zoom available on the telephoto lens. Plus, I found the telephoto camera worked great in various settings where the sensor crop might not hold up. For example, capturing photos of my toddler in dim lighting – I found the telephoto camera more reliable here than the sensor crop. I also used the 5x lens to capture close-up pictures of nature, like a bee landing on a flower or a squirrel at a park. I might have been able to get those shots without the telephoto lens, but I’d either have to reduce the image quality with digital zoom or move physically closer, potentially disrupting the scene I wanted to capture.

That 5x zoom also gives you a better base to work with when you need to zoom in more and rely on digital zoom. The Pro phones also have Google’s AI-powered Zoom Enhance feature to further improve zoom shots as needed.

Part of why I’m putting so much focus on the telephoto lens is that it’s arguably the single biggest reason to go for the Pixel 9 Pro over the regular Pixel 9. Aside from the telephoto lens and the selfie camera, the Pixel 9 sports the same camera system as the Pixel 9 Pro, and with the rest of the specs being so similar, if you won’t get much use out of the telephoto lens, you can save yourself some money by picking up the Pixel 9 instead.

To Pro or not to Pro

That brings us to the biggest question: whether to go Pro. First, let’s get the issue of which Pro out of the way—if you want a big Pixel but not a foldable, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is really your only option. But if you’re fine with the 6.3-inch size of the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, then you have some choices to make.

There’s not much to consider on the software side, as there’s virtually no difference between the devices beyond some extra ‘pro’ camera features. For me, most of these bonus camera features weren’t worth the hassle of actually using them. For example, the extra camera controls available on Pro Pixel phones. However, I think the main benefit of the Pixel is its quick, reliable point-and-shoot camera. If I wanted to fuss around with camera settings, I’d get my DSLR. Obviously, that’s not the case for everyone, so I’m glad the Pro controls are an option, even if it’s not something I’d use.

Beyond that, you’re getting the same AI and Gemini capabilities across both the regular and Pro Pixels, the same software and the same version of Android. The real differences are in the hardware, and they’re minimal. A slightly brighter display with higher resolution and better dynamic refresh, a little extra RAM, and that’s it except for the telephoto lens and enhanced selfie camera. Having now used both the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro extensively, that telephoto lens is easily the biggest differentiator.

So the decision really comes down to how much you think you’ll use that telephoto lens and whether that use will justify the extra $250 for the Pixel 9 Pro. Sure, there are the other hardware benefits, but you won’t notice them in day-to-day use (I certainly didn’t, and it’s my job to notice those things). If that telephoto lens doesn’t do it for you, then save yourself $250 and get the Pixel 9.