The Pixel 9 , Pixel 9 Pro And Pixel 9 Pro, The smartphones released by Google on August 22, 2024 are Google’s flagship smartphones, equipped with displays up to 6.8 inches, the Google Tensor G4 chipset with refined AI processing, and a redesigned camera bar. Reviews of the Pixel 9 series have been published abroad, so we have selected the most important ones.
◆ AI-based image correction function
Google Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL review: AI everywhere – The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/24225221/google-pixel-9-pro-xl-review-ai-gemini-screen-battery-camera
According to IT news site The Verge, the Pixel 9 series looks like an iPhone when viewed from the front, with flat sides and even bezels around the screen. Although the design has been revamped, the camera bar that has become a symbol of Google smartphones since the Pixel 6 is still there, making the overall look instantly recognizable as a Pixel.
Particularly noteworthy is the improvement in heat generation, as the chip switches from the Tensor G3 of the previous model to the Tensor G4, and thanks to the vapor chamber cooling mechanism built into the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 XL, the smartphone no longer gets so hot that it could catch fire, even when used as a Wi-Fi hotspot. In addition, the fingerprint sensor has been changed from optical to ultrasonic, making it faster.
For these reasons, The Verge rated the Pixel 9 series as “Google can consider mission accomplished.”
On the other hand, the AI features, which are the main attraction, are not as complete as they could be. For example, the camera’s built-in “Add Me” feature lets you stitch your image into a photo, and the “Reimagine” feature, one of the “Magic Editor” features that uses generative AI, lets you edit images based on prompts, which worked quite well.
The photo (left) shows The Verge writer Allison Johnson being added using Add Me to the left of the man in the center, and the original photo (right). The man’s shoulder looks unnatural, but at first glance it looks fine.
However, the accuracy of Pixel Screenshots, which automatically analyzes what is shown in the screenshot, was quite disappointing. For these reasons, The Verge rated the Pixel 9’s AI feature as “inconsistent.”
◆ Heat generation and battery-related problems
The new fingerprint reader and modem of the Pixel 9 Pro impress us
https://www.droid-life.com/2024/08/21/pixel-9-pro-fingerprint-reader-modem-tests/
According to Droid Life, a news site specializing in Android-related information, the compatibility between the Tensor chip and Samsung’s modem in previous Pixel series could lead to issues such as unstable cellular connection, overheating, and excessive battery consumption.
On the other hand, the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL tested by Droid Life never lost mobile connectivity during the week-long testing period and the temperature remained within the normal operating range even after we played Pokémon Go for two hours with the screen on and only a mobile connection, something which Droid Life highly praised.
Droid Life also said that the fingerprint sensor is fast and accurate and the number of read errors can be counted on one hand.
Impressions of the Pixel 9 Pro XL: great hardware, better battery life
https://9to5google.com/2024/08/21/google-pixel-9-pro-xl-battery-life-tensor-g4-impressions/
After a week of testing, IT news site 9to5Google called battery life one of the device’s most impressive features.
Battery life has been an issue with all Tensor-equipped devices to date, so 9to5Google assumed the Pixel 9 series would be no exception. However, despite using the Pixel 9 Pro XL for 13 to 15 hours straight, including 5 hours with the screen on, the Pixel’s power-saving feature, Battery Saver, did not activate.
Based on this, 9to5Google commented that this “could be the best battery life of any Pixel ever, let alone a Tensor-equipped model.”
Additionally, the software has become faster and once a certain temperature is reached, heat generation stops increasing. Some have pointed out throttling, but from what 9to5Google has used, it seems that throttling was not noticeable during normal use or gaming.
Google Pixel 9 review: A fun AI phone for everyone | Android Central
https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/google-pixel-9-review
While battery life is well received, there are complaints about charging speed, especially on the Pixel 9, which is rather slow. According to Android Central, the Pixel 9 Pro XL was able to charge from 0 to 70% in 30 minutes, while the Pixel 9 could only charge up to 50%.
Fortunately, 50% should be enough for a day, but Android Central noted that “wired and wireless charging speeds lag behind many other leading Android smartphones with fast charging.”
◆Transcription summary function
Pixel Recorder’s summaries are actually useful on the Google Pixel 9 – Android Authority
https://www.androidauthority.com/pixel-recorder-google-pixel-9-3473920/
Although Google’s smartphones have been equipped with the generative AI “Gemini Nano” since the Pixel 8 series, the Gemini Nano in the Pixel 9 series represents an improvement over its predecessor as it has multimodal capabilities.
The transcription feature in the Pixel Recorder app has also been improved. In Android Authority’s tests, the Pixel 8 Pro couldn’t even handle a 20-minute recording, while the Pixel 9 could easily produce a transcript for a 41-minute recording.
However, since the app cannot handle an hour-long recording, Android-related news site Android Authority commented: “For students who want to summarize lectures or journalists who want to summarize long meetings, it may not be sufficient. We hope that future versions of Gemini Nano can handle even more text and the Pixel Recorder app will no longer complain that the transcript is too long.”
◆ Find my device feature
Find My Device works on the Pixel 9 series even hours after it is turned off
https://www.androidheadlines.com/2024/08/find-my-device-works-on-the-pixel-9-series-hours-after-its-switched-off.html
announced an expansion of its Find My Device feature in April 2024, allowing users to determine the location of their device even when it is turned off.
News site Android Headlines conducted a test and confirmed that the Find My Device feature works on the Pixel 9 and can still determine the location even if the phone has been turned off for several hours.
Below is an explanation of the Find My Device feature that appears when the battery is low after the first use: “If your phone’s battery is dead or it’s turned off, the Find My Device network can locate it for several hours.”
◆ The screen output function is finally supported
The Google Pixel 9 supports display output out of the box, but it’s not very useful
https://www.androidpolice.com/google-pixel-9-display-output/
The Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold all support a screen output feature called DisplayPort Alternate Mode, which allows them to output a DisplayPort signal over USB Type-C.
This allows you to mirror the Pixel 9 series screen on an external display, but since the UI isn’t optimized for landscape screens, the screen will appear unnaturally squashed unless a video is playing.
Samsung’s Galaxy series solves this problem with a feature called “Samsung DeX,” but the Pixel series doesn’t yet have an equivalent to Samsung DeX. As a result, Android Police, who tried out the screen output, said, “People who wanted to turn the Pixel 9 into a portable PC will be disappointed.”
