Pixel 9 Pro XL Review: Google’s AI-Powered Flagship Charts a New Course

Main Image
  • Like
  • Comment
  • Share

Google’s launch of the Pixel 9 series is a big deal. Instead of dropping just two phones, they hit us with four, including a foldable, and they’ve all got a significant makeover. First up, there’s the regular Pixel 9, which packs some serious specs for its price. Then, there are two Pro models this year. The one I’ve been testing is the bigger of the two—the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

I’ve had the Pixel 9 Pro XL for a few weeks now. It has a bigger display and larger size than regular phones, which has divided people around me. So, should you get the Pixel 9 Pro XL? Let’s dig into it in this review.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Price & Availability

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is available on Flipkart, Vijay Sales, Croma, Reliance, and other retail stores. Google is offering it with 16 GB RAM
and 256 GB / 512 GB of storage. The 256 GB variant will run you ₹124,999 and the 512GB variant will cost you ₹1,39,999. both these prices are without any offers. However, with a bank discount/exchange bonus, you can probably snag it for cheaper.

Pros

  • Excellent camera AI features
  • Beautiful design
  • Smooth and vibrant display
  • Clean UI with Gemini AI features
  • Fast and accurate biometrics
  • 7 years of software updates
  • Strong main camera performance

Cons

  • Edge detection in portraits looks artificial
  • Noticeable heating during heavy use
  • Eye fatigue in low light
  • Slow charging 
  • High price point

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review: Design, Build & Fingerprint Sensor

If you imagine a Pixel phone, you can picture the tapered edges and the visor housing all the cameras running across the top half. However, with the Pixel 9 Series, Google has changed the design. Instead of a visor running edge to edge, they’ve changed it to a pill shape. I like the new design; it’s still very recognizable from a distance and will still give people the impression that this is a Pixel phone. The camera bump has a striking new design and houses the cameras, an LED flash, and a thermometer sensor.

Like all other phones in the Pixel 9 series, this one also gets a refreshed design change. It has a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 flat back and a glossy aluminum side frame. The combination of Corning flagship glass and aluminum frame ensures that the Pixel 9 Pro XL can withstand incidents like knocking on the table or putting your phone in the same pocket with coins and keys.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL comes in four colors:

  • Obsidian (black/dark gray).
  • Porcelain (warm white).
  • Hazel (green/brown).
  • Rose Quartz (light rose color).

We received the Hazel color option for this review, which looks premium. If I could pick a color, I’d choose Porcelain.

The front of the device is dominated by a display with minimal and uniform bezels, providing an immersive viewing experience. The front-facing camera has an in-display cutout that is larger than usual, but users familiar with the iPhone’s notch will find it acceptable. Additionally, there is an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor beneath the display, which is super-fast and accurate.

The four sides of the frame are almost the same width and have a perfect appearance. Google retained the power and volume keys on the right-hand side but the buttons are swapped positions like every other Pixel.

In terms of durability, the phone is IP68-rated for water and dust resistance, which is a standard feature in flagship devices. Despite its XL size, the Pixel 9 Pro XL has excellent weight management and feels surprisingly lightweight.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review: Display and Audio

The front features a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED “Super Actua” display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. The display is slightly larger than last year’s 6.7-inch panel but has the same resolution, resulting in a sharp 486 PPI.

This phone is actually not showing its display at its best by default. It’s at 1080 x 2244 resolution when it can actually be way more pixel-dense. However, when you change this, it means that it’s going to use a bit more power to drive those pixels. But you got a new phone, and if you want the screen to perform at its best, you should definitely do it.

It supports HDR10+ video and can display Ultra HDR-compliant images. The max brightness has significantly improved from 2400 nits to 3000 nits. The refresh rate can be dialed down to 1Hz when idling to save energy.

If you have sensitive eyes, the display’s 240 Hz PWM may cause eye discomfort. At lower brightness levels, it can lead to eye fatigue, especially if you’re sensitive to screen flicker.

The screen is super responsive when it comes to tracking your touch and finger movements. Google gives us an option to switch between Vibrant or Natural color profiles. However, it lacks some customization settings for its displays. You only get those two profiles to choose from without the option to choose color tones.

These panels really pop with vibrant colors, deep blacks, and super bright whites. The display always looks smooth, thanks to Google’s moderate use of animations. Overall, I am happy with the Pixel 9 Pro XL display.

The haptics on the Pixel 9 Pro XL are seriously top-notch. It is linear and perfectly mimics the feeling of pressing a physical button. I really enjoyed typing on new Pixel phones.

The phone boasts stereo speakers with a ‘very good’ loudness rating, a step up from the previous generation. The sound quality remains well-balanced.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review: Software & AI Features

The Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with Android 14, offering a familiar software experience with plenty of customization options. You can personalize accent colors, icon shapes, and clock styles and add extra shortcuts to your lock screen. The Google app suite is free of bloatware and unnecessary third-party apps, featuring essential tools and extras like the Pixel Screenshots app and Pixel Studio.

A standout feature of the Pixel 9 Pro XL is Google’s Gemini AI, which replaces Google Assistant. Gemini can answer questions in over 100 languages and summarize entire conversations, making it the most advanced AI assistant on a smartphone. Gemini Advanced, free for a year, provides additional features such as real-time translation and live conversation summaries, offering smart suggestions during conversations or while browsing your phone.

READ MORE ABOUT PIXEL SCREENSHOTS: Pixel 9’s AI Screenshot App: A Deep Dive into Google’s Smart Screenshots

Pixel Studio showcases Google’s AI capabilities, allowing users to create AI-generated images like concert posters, book covers, and artwork. While the app has some limitations, it offers a fun place to get creative by changing the style, colors, and layout of images, providing a glimpse into the potential of AI design in the future.

READ MORE ABOUT PIXEL STUDIO: Pixel Studio: How AI Powers Image Generation on the Pixel 9

Google Photos features the Magic Editor tool, offering valuable tricks such as the Magic Eraser for removing unwanted elements, Zoom Enhancer for enhancing details, and the ability to create entire scenes using AI. The tool is adept at transforming average photos into impressive ones, providing an enjoyable and practical editing experience.

Circle to Search is a convenient feature that allows users to draw a circle around anything on the screen, prompting Google to instantly search it. Integrated seamlessly into the core Android experience, Circle to Search takes Google Lens to the next level, offering fast and effortless searches for text, images, and more.

The new Pixel Screenshots app, powered by Gemini AI, organizes screenshots and enables quick searches for specific content, such as a Geekbench score or a recipe.

Additionally, Google promises seven years of full software support, including OS updates, ensuring that the Pixel 9 Pro XL stays updated with the latest Android features for nearly a decade.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review: Performance

The Pixel 9 Pro XL packs Google’s new Tensor G4 chipset under the hood. The eight-core CPU has one fewer core than its predecessor, featuring a combination of 1×3.1 GHz Cortex-X4, 3×2.6 GHz Cortex-A720, and 4×1.92 GHz Cortex-A520 cores. Each core has been upgraded to its latest generation, resulting in noticeable performance gains in day-to-day tasks. Whether you’re multitasking or running intensive applications, the Pixel 9 Pro XL easily handles it.

What hasn’t changed is the Mali-G715 MC7 GPU, but it gets a slight bump in clock speed to 940Hz (up from 890Hz on the Tensor G3), making graphics performance smoother and more efficient. Paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, this phone feels snappy, even when running multiple apps or doing AI tasks.

Speaking of AI, Google’s Machine Learning cores in the Tensor G4 are where things get really interesting. These cores can now process up to 45 tokens per second using the preloaded “Gemini Nano” large language model. The performance improvements are evident in how effortlessly the Pixel handles everything from text generation to real-time translations.

ALSO READ: This Phone DESTROYS the Competition in AI! iPhone 16 Pro vs. Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra

Google seems to have hit the mark this year in optimization. The Pixel 9 Pro XL maintains its temperature even under pressure, a welcome improvement over the overheating issues of its predecessors, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. The credit goes to the new active cooling system inside the Pixel 9 Pro XL and also the more efficient Tensor G4.

In benchmarks, the Pixel 9 Pro XL scores better than its smaller sibling, with a Wild Life Stress Test score of 74.72% while scoring 8820. During the benchmark tests, the temperature rose, making it slightly hotter.

Overall, Google’s focus on refining and optimizing performance pays off. The Pixel 9 Pro XL can deliver reliable, steady performance no matter how hard you push it. It might not win every benchmark, but it’s a phone that doesn’t falter under pressure in real-world usage.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review: Cameras

The Pixel 9 Pro XL didn’t make big changes to its camera system, but the upgrades it got are pretty cool. The rear camera still has a 50MP primary camera, a 48MP 5x telephoto, and a 48MP ultrawide, but with some significant tweaks. The new ultrawide camera has a brighter f/1.7 aperture and a 1/2.55″ sensor, which means it’s better in low light. While it’s not a giant leap, it’s a smart move, especially with Google’s AI helping out.

The main camera’s daylight shots are great, capturing sharp details, nice colors, and natural skin tones. The color tone itself favours slightly cold tones, but you will only notice this if you try to match the onscreen image with a live situation. The 2x digital zoom works fine but might lose a bit of sharpness.

Macro shot

The Pixel 9 Pro XL holds up well in low light, preserving highlights and maintaining good color saturation without overdoing it. The telephoto delivers solid 5x zoom with excellent dynamic range and color consistency. However, it struggles to match the sharpness of competitors, especially in dimmer environments. And while its 75cm minimum focus distance isn’t as close as the Galaxy’s, it’s still a reliable performer for long-range shots.

The ultrawide camera produces detailed and vibrant daylight images with consistent dynamic range. Like the main camera, sharpness suffers in low light. Still, the f/1.7 aperture helps deliver bright exposures in night mode.

A notable improvement is the 42MP selfie camera, now with autofocus. Selfies are beautifully detailed with vivid colors, lifelike skin tones, and excellent dynamic range, making them a standout feature.

Where the Pixel 9 Pro XL shines, however, is in its AI-assisted features. “Perfect Photo” is a game-changer, allowing users to combine the best expressions from multiple shots, meaning no more awkward group photos. The “Magic photo editing” tool takes the already excellent Magic Eraser. It enhances it with more precise object removal, resizing, and auto-composition adjustments. Meanwhile, “Add Me” and “Best Take” let you create ideal group photos by inserting yourself or swapping in better faces.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL can record 4K video with all cameras, and although the main and telephoto cameras now support 8K, that’s only possible with Video Boost. Nonetheless, 4K videos from the main camera lack sharpness, and the telephoto and ultra-wide cameras show similar results. Low-light 4K videos also lag behind the competition in sharpness. Stabilization is excellent across all cameras.

ALSO READ: iPhone 16 Pro vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro Ultimate Camera Comparison: Which Phone Takes Better Photos?

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review: Battery Life and Charging

The Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with a 5,060 mAh battery, just like last year’s 8 Pro. But with the help of the LTPO screen, a new power-efficient modem, and an overall more efficient chipset, the 9 Pro XL lasts longer than the 8 Pro. Even heavy users and content creators using the cameras frequently can expect the device to last at least more than a day.

The top-end Pixel 9 Pro XL supports fast charging up to 37W via the PD standard, which is fast but not as fast as the competition. It takes about an hour and a half to fully charge the 5,060 mAh battery, which, again, is faster than before but still not as fast as some Chinese smartphone brands that offer charging speeds of around 40 minutes with ratings of around 100W.

The device also supports fast wireless charging speeds of up to 23W with the Pixel Stand. Overall, the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers good battery life and decent charging speeds, making it a reliable choice.

Should You Buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL?

Smartprix Rating: 8.5/10

Design:

Display:

Cameras:

Performance:

Software

Battery and Charging:

9.5/10

8/10

8.5/10

7/10

8.5/10

8/10

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is one of the top choices for 2024, with improved hardware and Google’s awesome AI and software skills. It may not win every spec battle, but it nails the important stuff: looks, screen, camera AI, and the overall Android vibe. The camera got a nice upgrade, there are cool AI features, and the new design is sleek, making it a well-rounded flagship that’ll stay relevant for a while. But it’s not cheap, and it’s not the fastest out there. If you’re all about Google or you love a versatile camera and AI, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is for you. But if you want raw power or a better deal, there are other options to consider.

First reviewed in October 2024.


Deepak RajawatDeepak Rajawat
Experienced technology journalist with over 7-years of experience. Before embracing online journalism, he has worked with several legacy publications including print editions at Hindustan Times and The Statesman. He also has a keen interest in Sports, which he used to cover with equal enthusiasm in his early career.

Related Articles

ImageASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA Review (Ryzen AI 9 HX Machine): Should You Buy It?

The ultrabook laptop segment has been booming recently, with several major players—Qualcomm, AMD, and Intel—competing to challenge Apple’s M-series chips. AMD is a key contender with its Ryzen AI 9 HX processor, which powers the newly launched ASUS Vivobook S14 OLED M5406WA. This CPU goes head-to-head with the Snapdragon X Elite, Intel’s Core Ultra 2, …

ImagePixel 9 Pro XL Vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: How Do The Latest Flagships From Google And Apple Compare?

With the Pixel 9 Pro XL, Google has pulled another page from Apple’s book of iPhone lineups and their screen sizes. For years, Apple has released four main iPhones at its September launch event. The models consist of a regular iPhone (with a 6.1-inch screen), and a bigger of the regular iPhone. Then, there are …

ImagePixel 9 Pro XL Vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Android Flagship Showdown; Which Is Better For You?

With its massive Super Actua screen, triple camera setup, and Tensor G4 SoC, the Pixel 9 Pro XL competes directly with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Even though Samsung’s flagship is six months old at this point, it is among the best, most feature-rich smartphones. This creates confusion among buyers looking for flagships. To end their …

ImageThis Phone DESTROYS the Competition in AI! iPhone 16 Pro vs. Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra

AI has become an indispensable thing in smartphones these days, especially with the flagship ones. The main players in this are the Google Pixels, Galaxy S, and Apple’s iPhones. In this comparison, we’ll dive into the AI performance of the three major flagship devices of 2024: the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, iPhone 16 Pro, …

ImageiPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: The Flagship Battle

Apple has finally launched the highly anticipated iPhone 16 Pro Max, which comes with some notable upgrades like a larger display, a more powerful A18 Pro chipset, and the introduction of Apple Intelligence features. And, this new Pro Max model costs the same as last year, starting at $1,299.  As we dive into this comparison, …

Discuss

Be the first to leave a comment.