Review: Google Pixel 9 vs. Pixel 9 Pro XL vs. Pixel 9 Pro Fold – National Post

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With our phones such an integral component of our daily lives, having an intuitive device in our hands makes all the difference between a nice gadget and an essential piece of equipment. Google’s new line-up of Pixel phones is firmly in the latter category, combining a sleek design with improved AI tech (also found in the latest Google TV Streamer) that subtly makes every interaction one that — well — you don’t actually need to overthink. 

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I’ve spent two months testing out the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro XL and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and have gotten familiar with the best features of each and what works best for different types of users. See how the phones compare to the previous models of the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro here. 

Those familiar with the Pixel family of phones will already know to expect the top-notch quality of the cameras and the helpfulness of Google Assistant. What takes the current line-up to the next level is how much more markedly advanced each of these features has become, making the Pixel 9 lineup easy to use and a major asset for capturing memories you don’t want to forget.

What: Pixel 9
Release date: Aug. 22, 2024
Price: Starting from $1,099
Colours: Peony (pink), Wintergreen (mint), Porcelain (cream), Obsidian (black)
Where to buy: Google | Amazon | Best Buy
Specs: Full Pixel 9 specs

What: Pixel 9 Pro XL
Release date: Aug. 22, 2024
Price: Starting from $1,499
Colours: Porcelain (cream), Rose Quartz (pink), Hazel (green), Obsidian (black),
Where to buy: Google | Amazon | Best Buy
Specs: Full Pixel 9 Pro XL specs

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What: Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Release date: Sept. 4, 2024
Price: Starting from $2,399
Colours: Obsidian (black), Porcelain (cream)
Where to buy: Google | Amazon | Best Buy
Specs: Full Pixel 9 Pro Fold specs

Key updates in the Google Pixel 9 range

Design and display

Pixel 9: The entry-level flagship Pixel 9 model has a slightly larger screen than its predecessor, the Pixel 8, with a 160 mm (6.3 in) display. But it still manages to feel compact in one hand, with a height of 152.8 mm, a width of 72 mm, and a depth of 8.5 mm. The overall design is sleek and luxurious, with a satin metal case.

Pixel 9 Pro XL: The Pixel 9 Pro XL features a polished metal look that has a 171 mm (6.8 in) display. The phone has a height of 162.8 mm, width of 76.6 mm, and depth of 8.5 mm. It has a solid feel and weight in larger hands, but can feel unwieldy in smaller ones. 

Pixel 9 Pro Fold: The Pixel 9 Pro Fold surprisingly doesn’t feel too bulky and features the same display size as the Pixel 9 when folded. But it has a height of 155.2 mm, width of 77.1 mm folded (150.2 mm unfolded), and a depth of 10.5 mm folded (5.1 mm unfolded). The slim-fitting Google case doesn’t change the silhouette much, meaning the Fold provides an abundance of screen real estate for a minimal amount of mass. 

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The actual experience of unfolding and folding the phone feels smooth and novel. There is a slight crease in the unfolded screen that can be somewhat annoying and I certainly wouldn’t recommend watching any cinematic masterpieces for the first time on the phone, but it’s a negligible issue for day-to-day use. The ratio of the unfolded screen is largely square as well, meaning that any “full screen” videos you’d be playing will leave letterboxing anyway. But for a kids’ YouTube video that your toddler likes to zoom in on? Perfect.

Next-level photography

Pixel 9: The Pixel 9 comes with an advanced dual rear camera system that features a high resolution: 50 megapixels wide and 48 megapixels ultrawide. The camera also provides a Super Res Zoom up to 8x, with optimal photo quality at the 0.5x, 1x, and 2x levels. Overall, the Pixel 9 camera provides crisp images that look stunning and will make older models feel inadequate. 

Pixel 9 Pro XL: The Pixel 9 Pro XL has the most powerful camera of any Pixel to date and is truly for the photography and video enthusiast who wants to take advantage of the full resolution, telephoto lens up to 5x, Super Res Zoom up to 30x and Super Res Zoom Video up to 20x. This is the camera that will allow you to not only take your birding souvenir shots to the next level but shoot cutting-edge 8K video. Video Boost will stabilize your shots, but also improve colour and lighting. 

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Pixel 9 Pro Fold: The Pixel 9 Pro Fold boasts the same telephoto lens up to 5x, but with a 48 megapixel wide and 10.5 megapixel ultrawide. The Super Res Zoom is up to 20x, but what it lacks in power compared to the Pro XL, it makes up for in features that make the most of its dual screens. Not only can you switch from front to rear cameras, but the dual screen allows you to take a selfie using the superior rear camera while framing the shot with the front screen. It’s a handy feature perfect for those seeking the best Instagram-worthy snaps, but holding the unfolded phone one handed can be a tricky endeavour.

And if you’re taking a photograph normally using the rear camera, the front screen facing the subject can be activated with four different Made You Look animations that will help capture the attention of little ones. The chicken graphic was my 21-month-old’s favourite.

There are several features found across all three models that are especially noteworthy:

Add Me AI tool

The new, built-in AI editing tool Add Me is a fantastic feature that allows the photographer to also be a part of the final group shot. The process is fairly simple for a tech-savvy user: simply snap the first photo, then swap places with someone else already captured and then take a second photo. The final combined image takes a few seconds to process, and the result is a seamless group shot. 

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There are some quirks, however. The AI tech is good, but not so powerful that it knows what to do if one of the subjects has an outstretched arm, and the scale of the added individual can come off disproportionately. In one test scenario, the second photographer accidentally moved about a foot over from the original photographer’s position and the resulting image had a gap inserted randomly between two people. So while the Add Me feature is remarkable, it’s not a miracle worker. The step-by-step instructions are straightforward, but can still be confusing for those new to the feature. In the end, it is still simpler and faster in many cases to ask for a passerby to snap the group shot. 

Magic Editor and more

The power of the new AI editing tools is really the advantage of the Pixel phones. For those who don’t have a subscription to a photo editing service like Adobe PhotoShop, Pixel’s built-in Magic Editor offers a great level of control that makes quick photo edits an easy and accessible solution for professional-looking shots.

The Magic Editor not only helps you crop and reframe photos, but you can move individuals closer together, delete gaps and also wholesale editing sections of the photo using AI. The tech is still limited, however. Even Magic Editor doesn’t know what to do with any text on screen, turning letters into garbled alien scripts. And one prompt to add in a “crisp autumn landscape” inexplicably saw a castle inserted into the background. 

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Without even launching the Magic Editor tool, the Pixel’s other editing capabilities are nothing to laugh at. The Magic Eraser tool can take out any pesky pigeons flying through your shot or remove strangers in the background of photos that aren’t easy to re-take. The Unblur feature works surprisingly well, making fast-moving toddlers crystal clear in impromptu snaps of their mischievous antics. And the Audio Magic Eraser tool is an incredible way to remove any unwanted sounds from video. The tool can hone in on music, speech or crowd noises and delete it with accuracy so you’re left with only the sound of your child’s laughter without the loud “Wow, good job!” of a proud mama. 

Gemini at a glance

The Pixel 9 lineup of cameras isn’t the only thing benefitting from the upgraded AI tech. All three phones now also come with Gemini, the built-in Google Assistant that takes its support up a level with its Machine Learning capabilities. Now when you ask your phone a question, rather than just populate the screen with the top few results for you to read through, Gemini will summarize its findings into a comprehensive summary for you. 

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Its advanced creative writing skills are useful in any number of scenarios: Have a hard-to-craft email addressing a sensitive issue? Gemini will help you with the wording. Need a funny yet sweet poem to text your partner? Go ahead and ask Gemini. Need to compose a message in a foreign language? Gemini will knock it out of the park. In a test of direct comparison to ChatGPT, Gemini’s translation of a text into Korean was far superior, capturing more of the cultural nuance and outputting a paragraph that read well and conveyed the meaning accurately. 

If you connect Gemini to your Google Workspace account, it can help manage your schedule and even skim your emails to summarize incoming messages. It also offers improved accessibility features like text-to-speech and screen reader functions. 

Battery life and additional features

Each phone boasts a 24+ hour battery life and it does stand up to real-world tests. Even with moderate use throughout the day — sending emails, making phone calls, checking social media apps, and hours of reading — most evenings my battery still has at least 30 per cent left, which would easily take me straight through to the morning with charge to spare. 

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My phone actually lasted for almost 48 hours when I spent a day in transit to Seoul, although at least 14 of those hours were spent in airplane mode with minimal use. Still, the phones all pack an impressive battery. 

The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL also offer Battery Share, in which other devices can get charged wirelessly. 

There are many other small updates to existing apps of note. The Digital Wellbeing section now offers a Cough and Snore Activity summary that activates when the phone is in Bedtime Mode. Although it was unable to differentiate between when I was coughing versus my husband snoring or even my toddler making noise coming through the baby monitor, it does provide an interesting look at the data on your sleep. 

So, how to pick the right phone? 

Pixel 9: For the everyday, yet discerning, user, the Pixel 9 will absolutely meet your needs and exceed your expectations. It takes fantastic photos and is honestly a breeze to use and a pleasure to play around with all the AI tech and features. 

Pixel 9 Pro XL: If you’re into photography and want to see what’s capable with your handheld device, this will not disappoint. The amped-up camera capabilities are stunning and will make any thought of carrying a separate camera fade away like you used a Magic Eraser on it. The larger screen is great for both creating content and consuming media as well. 

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Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Though the camera on the Pro XL is stronger, this is a great option for a family-focused user with deep pockets (it’s more than double the cost of a Pixel 9) who wants to capture every precious moment. Not only do the camera features make it easy to capture the whole family, but the unfolded screen can also take the place of a tablet. The size will take some getting used to, but the functionality of the phone is great. 

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