Customer Ratings & Reviews

The venerable Pixel line of phones has entered its ninth generation - and this time, Google was keen to offer a model that packs all the features of a typically phablet-sized Pro model into a more modest-sized chassis. The Pixel 9 Pro is a normal-sized, flagship phone that seemingly makes no compromises to meet its reduced dimensions, sharing identical specs to its larger brethren minus the physical screen size. To me that sounds like a perfect device, and indeed, I found almost nothing to fault with this pocket-sized wonder. This is the one to have. - Unboxing & Setup Mimicking other smartphones, Google’s unboxing experience is spartan but organized. A charger, USB-C cable, SIM tool, and a USB-C cable are included alongside a very short quickstart guide. Initial setup is a breeze, especially, if you’re coming from another Android phone. You’ll be prompted to power-on your old phone and connect to the Pixel 9 Pro to transfer your data over either wirelessly or wired - the latter is definitely better for large transfers as the wireless option slowed down significantly after just a few gigabytes of data. Otherwise this worked flawlessly transferring data from a fairly recent Android phone. The remainder of the initial setup sets your Google device and account preferences, including how you want to configure Gemini (an AI-based Google Assistant replacement; the classic assistant is still available), Google Wallet, face unlock, and more preferences. Once setup is complete, apps identified during the data transfer (and any other apps you had downloaded previously) are downloaded from Google Play to update them to the latest version. - Screen & Sound The Pixel 9 Pro packs a gorgeous OLED display with bezels so thin that, if you use any kind of phone case, you might be tricked into thinking there’s none at all. With about a 20:9 aspect ratio and just a small punch out for the front-facing camera (I would’ve liked to see a completely hidden one, but I’m nitpicking), the 495-PPI display can get insanely bright, pushing nearly 3000 nits and making it wonderfully viewable in bright daylight. Colors are of course incredibly vivid while remaining very accurate, and adaptive brightness constantly adjusts to the environment, though it does take an extra moment to adjust when moving into darker places. By default, the Pixel 9 Pro runs at a 120Hz refresh rate, which is dynamically changed as needed to preserve battery life. You can enable 60Hz as a developer option for additional battery life if you prefer, but the high refresh rate makes a difference in just how fast and fluid the phone feels in use, making the most of Google’s latest Tensor processor. The front-facing earpiece speaker and a bottom-facing speaker offer stereo sound, and these speakers get pretty loud with little distortion at high volume. Though the EQ seems tuned for speech, bass reproduction is good when listening to music. There’s no headphone jack, as expected, so you’ll need to use a USB-C headphone adapter (not included) or a Bluetooth device if you want to listen privately. - Performance Google’s Tensor chip, now in its fourth generation, differs from previous iterations by focusing on efficiency and “real-world” performance rather than pure speed. To make up the gap (and to power more on-device AI functions), Google paired the Tensor G4 with a whopping 16GB of RAM, which is only bested by a select handful of gaming-first phones that sacrifice daily usability for game performance. Even so, gaming on this phone is a great experience with high fidelity details, but it does fall short of its competition and can occasionally throttle. Speedy or not, the focus on real-world use has paid off. I’ve been using the phone for about a week and still can’t get over just how immediately responsive everything is. There’s no hesitation or delay switching between apps or any number of browser tabs, and the Pixel 9 Pro seemingly has no limit to how far I can push the device. This is a seamless Android experience - helped immensely by the fact that as a Pixel device there’s no OEM-preinstalled bloatware or OS customizations to contend with. - Camera Google’s work with AI has been integrated into the Camera app on the Pixel 9 range, and while the high quality sensors and optics on the Pixel 9 Pro are fantastic in their own regard, the AI-enabled post-processing makes this phone’s pictures stand out better than with any other flagship phone I’ve seen. Semi-professional grade photos are achievable with little effort, as the app continuously stitches shots together from the phone’s rear cameras and depth sensor, and only saves the result once you press the shutter. The rear cameras feature a 5x optical zoom and the Camera app continues harnessing AI for a super-scaled, up to 30x digital zoom that looks quite a bit better than you’d expect. Though I wasn’t too surprised I could capture great portrait photos and panoramas with minimal distortion, what impressed me is how well the phone does in low-light shots. Night Sight works magic to bring details out of the shadows, and no doubt more AI integration here is helping extrapolate what little data the sensors can read to deliver fantastic results. One area that’s been quite improved from previous Pixels is the front-facing camera, which delivers excellent shots on par with, or arguably better than, their prior flagships’ main cameras. For once you’ll want to freshen yourself up before taking a video call on mobile - it captures that much detail. See the attached photos for examples of the camera’s capabilities - the steeple shot is a particularly good example of how much detail is captured in a 16x combined optical and digital zoom, and the low light shot of a puppeteer comedian was at 5x zoom from a far distance in the crowd, quickly snapped from the hip. Extremely impressive results! - Gemini With AI integration comes Google’s latest upgrade to the classic Google Assistant - Gemini. As an AI skeptic I was hesitant to enable at first, especially as it feeds all of your data into Gemini’s algorithms and integrates across most, if not all Google applications, but after using it for a week I’ve come back very impressed. Gemini integrates seamlessly into the experience and is a much more powerful tool than the classic Google Assistant. With continued conversation enabled (and subscribing to Gemini Advanced), Gemini becomes an all-in-one personal assistant that helps organize your digital life. It has largely the same functionality as Google Assistant but with the ability to use much more natural language when asking it to perform tasks, and generative prompts are useful to push through things like writers’ block - for example, asking Gemini for help coming up with technical interview questions for job candidates was a breeze. Some of Gemini’s most impressive feats come with Google Workspace integration. Gemini is able to search through your email and Google Drive to find conversations, documents, photos, and more by simply describing what the content is, and nearly every time it found the item I was describing without any reference to its name or metadata. Google Workspace is predominantly for business users and such managed accounts, but its capabilities are nonetheless very impressive for both work and personal environments. [Full disclosure: I did not use Gemini or any other AI tools to generate, nor assist in writing or editing, any part of this or any of my reviews posted to Best Buy.] - Battery & Charging Google’s focus on power efficiency for the Pixel 9 generation has absolutely paid off in battery life. Starting from a full charge in the morning, I have never gotten the phone below 50% battery most days - I saw 40% once with heavy use through the day (navigation directions, etc) - and that’s with default screen settings including dynamic brightness and up to 120Hz refresh. I was able to go off-charger from morning to 10pm the next day when I finally got a 5% remaining notification. Impressive stuff. While some may lament the fact that the Pixel 9 Pro uses the older Qi charging standard (maximum 15 W, typically more like 5 W) rather than the updated Qi v2, the USB-C port supports power delivery for 27W rapid charging, which is enough to bring the battery from 0 to 75% in about 30 minutes. The convenience of wireless charging is preferable all the same, and a slower overall charge rate is generally better for a battery long-term, though even as it ages I’m still plenty happy with more than a full day’s usage. Excellent stuff. - Bottom Line A flagship phone with top-line specs in a normal-sized package is all I could ever ask for, and Google’s Pixel 9 Pro delivers exactly that. More than anything, I’m stunned this all fits within the smaller form factor. Sizing down usually means compromising on one or two key specs or features, but the Google phone team has made no sacrifices for people who want a standard-size phone. Better yet, the smaller size comes with a slightly smaller price than the Pixel 9 Pro XL models, lopping $100 off at each storage capacity. I genuinely struggle to find fault with this flagship phone, and though some may balk at the $999 price tag, I don’t think there’s a better pure Android experience out there, and certainly not in a device that fits this well in-hand and in the pocket. Highly recommended!

The Pixel 9 Pro is my second Pixel phone and my family's 4th. I made the jump to the Pixel phones when I switched carriers to Google Fi and after I started having problems with *physical* SIM cards in Motorola phones on Fi and I have not been disappointed in that decision yet. Side-by-side, the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 9 Pro are identical in size and weight for anyone who might be making the jump from 8 to 9 Pro. They could *almost* even use the same phone case and screen protectors. The 9 Pro has a solid feel to it. It is a little less "rounded" on the edges compared to other Pixel models. Where that is most notable is on the camera face. Previous "jut out cameras" on Pixels curved into the body of the phone. On the 9 Pro, the camera looks like it was a superglued Lego piece on the back of the phone. In a phone case, that doesn't matter much, but if you don't use a case, the lens/flash casing on the camera seems like it could easily snag or catch on things as you pull it from your pocket or purse. Regardless, I have average sized hands and the phone fits very comfortably in my hand and can reach nearly every corner of the phone one-handed with my thumb with relative ease. The aluminum body is sleek and comfortable. Now for the fun stuff... Inside, the Pixel 9 Pro sports a Tensor G4 processor which is a model step up from the 8's that had Tensor G3 processors. The 9 Pro has a slightly brighter screen than the previous series and has the same Gorilla Glass Victus 2 as the 8 pro. Google did not add any additional onboard storage (128GB) and, like previous models, does not support additional storage via microSD, however, Google bumped the memory up to 16GB for the Pixel 9 Pro which is a significant upgrade. The battery capacity is comparable to previous models of its size, which has me a bit concerned as just recently I started to suffer from unidentified battery drain on my Pixel 8. [Likely a misbehaving new app or possibly a result of a change in lifestyle that has me using the phone a bit more frequently as I travel.] Regardless, you can get a whole day out of the phone no problem (unless you plan on watching streaming TV on the phone all day long). The battery is fast charging (27W) and Qi wireless charging (21W) capable. Given the Tensor 4G is supposed to be more energy efficient, I hope that the battery life is improved even if the capacity is about the same as my Pixel 8. The main camera is a very good "triple camera system" similar to the 8 and 8 pro with improvements to night/low light photos and videos as well as a wider field of view plus optical quality zoom at .5x, 1x, 2x, 5x, and 10x--per the specs. I find it very nice that when you take a standard photo, the screen has quick buttons for .5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x zoom so you don' t have to pinch/drag the zoom slider. By default the phone takes 12MP quality photos. If you go into the settings, you can bump that to 50MP which is huge (figuratively and literally). 50MP resolution is beautiful on this camer...um, phone. You can also save pictures in RAW format. There are SO MANY FEATURES with the camera that I cannot share them all other than to say the Pixel 9 Pro might actually be a camera first, and a phone second. Cool features like "palm selfies," dirty lens warning, time lapse for astrophotography, Ultra HDR, "add me" (where you can add yourself into a photo), long exposure, action pan, Magic Editor, Best Take, etc. and even 8K Video Boost make this the most advanced Pixel camera system to date. The front camera is 48MP offering incredible quality, zoom, and even a strangely invasive auto selfie mode that identifies faces and counts you down from three to take perfect selfies...if you are into that kind of thing. While the camera and hardware specs of the Pixel 9 Pro and my old Pixel 8 aren't that much different, the Pixel 9 was built for AI. I am not super excited about that, but I also must admit that I have used the Google Assistant ("Hey Google...") for years now so I need to get over the idea that really Gemini is just an enhancement of Google Assistant. I like how you simply LONG PRESS the power button to get Gemini to pop up. You don't need to "Hey Google" the device...although I think you still can. Long press the power then simply as the phone to do something like "open my email" or "text Stephanie to pick up milk on the way home." Obviously, you can get really creative with the AI functions and pretty much just talk to your phone all day long if you want. A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT from the last Pixel is the improve fingerprint reader and facial recognition. I have had problems in the past with the fingerprint reader. The ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is much faster and more accurate. Call quality is very good (but is of course dependent on a number of factors including network and carrier) and volume options are solid. Video quality is great for video calls or recording video. The phone takes a physical SIM or an eSIM. The slot is at the bottom of the phone. THERE IS NO AUX PORT FOR HEADPHONES ON THE PIXEL 9 PRO. :-( Charging is a mixed bag on this phone. Technically Pixel took a step backwards, but charging times are still pretty good. 15 minutes on a 27W charger should boost your battery by about 25%. 30 minutes gets you 50%. It will take about 90 minutes to get a full charge. This also assumes you don't have any weird battery charging settings turned on. For example, you can "slow charge" overnight based on the time your alarm is set for. This supposedly helps preserve the life of the battery. Overall, this is a rock solid and FUN phone. The components from processor to display to memory to storage to camera are all an improvement and very top-of-the-line. Add 7 years of guaranteed OS and security updates, plus features like satellite SOS to connect with emergency services when out of range of a cell tower and you cannot go wrong with this phone. Increased security features (such as password protected private space to install apps and store content that only the owner of the phone can access) and Wifi 7/Bluetooth 5.3, a noise canceling microphone, and NFC to do tap and pay...this phone is built to last. The software enhancements for photos, AI, and more make it a joy to use. [Be sure to check out Pixel Studio image generator, try AI organization of your screenshots, and let Call Notes help summarize your phone calls.]

The Google Pixel 9 Pro is the latest flagship from Google. As a long time Pixel/Nexus user, I’m always excited to get my hands on the latest offering in the Pixel line. The build quality of the Pixel 9 Pro is great, as expected. Google has really leaned into the sleek and premium design this time around. It’s available in 4 distinct colors, Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose Quartz. The polished aluminum frame adds to the premium feel but at the cost of making it a bit slippery in the hands. Google’s Tensor G4 chip promises smooth performance and efficient power usage. The fingerprint scanner is beyond belief. One of the best upgrades to the whole 9 line! The 16GB of RAM and multiple storage options, ranging from 128GB to a whopping 1TB, give you all the options you need. It would have been nice to see 256GB considering the starting $1,000 price tag. The 6.3-inch OLED display is bright (3000 peak nits) and vibrant, with a resolution of 2856 x 1280 pixels and a refresh rate that can go up to 120Hz, it might be the most beautiful screen I’ve seen yet. I’m not a huge camera person, but the specs here are high. It’s a triple camera setup, featuring a 50MP main sensor, a 48MP ultra-wide lens, and a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. The zoom is nice to see and comes in handy when trying to capture your kids on stage or on the field. Google’s AI-powered features are fun and offer some cool real world use cases. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is a fantastic all-around smartphone. The build quality, hardware features, camera setup, and overall performance don’t disappoint!

Competition in the phone market is intense; and dominance is fleeting. A new model comes out with features surpassing the last generation; but before the ink is dry competitors are out declaring their next model will outshine the rest. So, no surprise the Pixel 9 Pro is launched with much fanfare, and the Apple folks are shouting "Hey, hold on - wait'll you see what we got!" I have to say, out of the box, the 9 Pro was impressive. It's sleek, smart, a definite gem in your hand. Given its size, it's got heft - unexpectedly heavy to the hand. A very impressive build. Startup was excellent - within 15 minutes it had copied my sim, duplicated all my programs, restarted and was on the job. The hardest part was redoing my passwords - it's really about time I got myself a password app. The "Super Actua" display was brilliant, by default it's not on its highest setting for battery saving, but easily changed in settings if you need the detail. My first experience with the Tensor G4 chip was offered by the fingerprint reader - it's just flat out instantaneous, as are screen changes and app response. Over the past few days, my focus has been on the camera features.I was anxious to try the 5X telephoto feature. During the week prior, my wife & I had taken shots of the vent fan on our roof, seeing something that appeared strange. Comparing the 9 Pro's closeup shot against a five year old Samsung, it's as if we jumped an entire generation in processing. It actually caused me to lose control of my phone for the time being! Being a photo buff, my wife took control. She snapped photos of our dogs, and upon blowing them up, was amazed at being able to discern the individual hairs on their coats. That was the appetizer to the camera's ability. Where the Pixel really shines is in the dark. We started taking side by side shots in low light, and the image quality far surpassed what has been available in the market to date. Our fascination with the camera's abilities continued into the night. My wife took the Pixel for some outside night shots which I've included below. These photos were not taken at dusk, this was dead of night, the only yard lighting are a couple of 60 watt LED's on the house, and garden path lighting. It's just amazing what this camera can see that's invisible to the human eye. There's definition to the clouds in the night sky. We tried the AI enhanced photo features such as the "Add Me." You basically do a short pan of the area, leaving enough room to fit yourself in the photo. Then hand the camera to someone else in the party, take a shot of you, and the AI will incorporate the new photo into the original. Works well. I used the Magic Editor on a shot of the dog. I have a white dog, I simply said "brown"; and a few seconds later the pup had a very impressive looking dye job. Other things I noted along the way was the speaker was very good for a phone. Sometimes, when a ring tone comes on, it's almost as if it "throws" the sound. The Pixel has also been very helpful during the first few days, offering a lot of suggestions of the "do you know we can do this for you type?', highlighting features you may not be aware of. So yeah, as I said at the start, top of the hill phone features are fleeting, what comes next we'll see. I know I'm not one to change phones with every iteration, so it's nice to know Google has guaranteed updates for this phone for 7 years - I may have to take them up on that!

The Google Pixel 9 Pro is an outstanding smartphone. The camera quality is exceptional, capturing sharp photos even in low light. Performance is fast and smooth thanks to the upgraded processor, and the display is bright and vibrant. Battery life easily lasts a full day, and Android integration feels clean and efficient. Being unlocked adds flexibility with carriers. Overall, it’s a premium phone that delivers excellent value for the price.

I recently got my hands on the Google Pixel 9 Pro (128GB, Obsidian), and it has exceeded my expectations. Here are some key points: Design: The Obsidian color is sleek, and the build quality feels premium. The curved edges give it a modern, elegant look while remaining comfortable to hold. Display: The OLED display is absolutely stunning with vibrant colors, deep blacks, and smooth scrolling thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. Whether watching videos or playing games, the visuals are top-notch. Performance: Powered by Google's latest Tensor G3 chip, this phone handles everything smoothly, from multitasking to running heavy apps and games without lag. Camera: The Pixel’s camera continues to be one of the best in the market. The AI-enhanced photography delivers crisp and detailed photos, even in low light. Portrait mode and zoom are especially impressive, giving professional-like results. Battery: The battery life is solid, easily lasting a full day with regular use. Fast charging and wireless charging make it even more convenient. Software: Stock Android 14 is a joy to use, free from bloatware and optimized for performance. Plus, timely updates from Google are always a bonus. Storage: 128GB is ample for most users, though heavy media consumers might want to opt for a larger storage option. Overall, the Google Pixel 9 Pro offers excellent performance, an incredible camera, and a smooth user experience, making it one of the best flagship phones available. Highly recommended!

The Pixel 9 Pro is the smartest phone I’ve used. The camera is incredible features like Best Take and Magic Editor actually fix group photos like magic! It’s fast, smooth, and the battery easily lasts a full day. I also love that Google promises 7 years of updates it feels built to last. Highly recommend it if you want a phone that’s smart, fast, and fun to use!

Best android phone out there. Good camera and fast processor as well. Body design is beautiful.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro offers a stunning display, excellent camera performance, and smooth, fast operation thanks to its Tensor G4 chip. With a sleek design, long battery life, and clean Android experience, it's a top choice for any smartphone user.

The Pixel 9 Pro is a fantastic phone with a lot to offer. The performance is fast, apps open quickly, and it handles gaming and multitasking like a champ. The camera is easily one of the best out there, capturing great photos in any light. The screen is bright and clear, making videos and games look amazing. Battery life is good, though if you're a heavy user, you might need to charge it before the day is over. It’s pricey, but if you want high-end features, it’s a great option.

The camera quality is outstanding, producing sharp, vibrant photos in various lighting conditions, especially with the new AI enhancements. Battery life is solid, easily lasting a full day with moderate to heavy use. The performance is smooth and responsive, thanks to the upgraded chipset, making multitasking and gaming a breeze. One of the standout features is the integration with Google’s ecosystem, making it seamless for productivity and media consumption.

The Pixel 9 Pro is the best Pixel yet—stunning 6.3” display, powerful Tensor G4 performance, and an incredible triple-camera system with AI magic. Smooth, fast, and with great battery life, it’s everything a Pixel fan could ask for!

The Pixel 9 Pro is comfortable to hold. The screen is amazing. Cameras are top notch. The Tensor G4 is powerful enough for most people. And when it comes to AI, Pixel is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. With 7 years of OS and Security updstes. You'll get the latest OS updates first. Oh yeah, it also has a sim c a rd slot!!

Just got my Pixel 9 Pro and I’m loving it! The display is vibrant, the camera captures amazing details, and it’s super fast with no lag. Plus, the battery easily lasts a full day. Definitely a great upgrade!

Phone is fast and has fluid display with long battery life

Best Pixel phone to date. Perfect size for one handed operation. Snappy processor. Good battery life. Truly feels like a flagship Google phone

Great phone, enough to offer with the Pixel 9 Pro. It runs smoothly, opens apps rapidly, and does multitasking and gaming flawlessly. The camera is undoubtedly among the best available; it takes excellent pictures in any kind of lighting. The bright, clear screen produces a fantastic visual experience for videos and games. The battery life is decent, but if you use it frequently, you may need to charge it before the end of the day. Although it is expensive, it is a fantastic choice if you desire high-end features.

This was purchased to replace my Pixel 6 Pro. The 9 Pro is faster and has lots of nice new features, especially to the camera and photo processing. The "add me" photo option is really nice and works amazingly well! A whole new level of the "selfie"!

The camera on the phone and the speed is amazing. Unfortunately, the phone decided to stop working and died not even four months after purchase. It has not fallen or gotten wet.

Fastest Phone. Camera is so good, moved from Apple. Love this phone so much.