Customer Ratings & Reviews

Coming from a Google pixel 6. The device is a similar size. In this case smaller is better for smaller hands. The camera takes very good photos which is why you would buy a phone like this. The zoom is not as powerful as an s24 but there's not nearly as much Samsung bloat. The device runs well not too different from the pixel 6 but still an incremental improvement. Will it be too different from another pixel only a year or two old? No but I've coming from a 6 or earlier it's a good buy.

Great compact device coming from the pixel 8 pro which always felt a little too big. I wanted a compact device with flagship specs and this is it.

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 the “regular sized” pro model in the 9-series lineup this year. In the past, you had to buy the XL version to get all of the Pro features, but now thankfully, for the most part, you get all of the features of the 9 Pro-XL in the 9 Pro, with the exception of the screen on the 9 Pro being a 6.3 OLED (more one-handed friendly). All other features such as the AI, RAM, cameras… all match the larger sibling. Along with the phone you get the standard items including a USB-C charging cable (no charging brick, though), and a sim tool. You can order a 256 gig storage version of this model, but unfortunately, they stuck with 128 gigs as standard for the base price (boo). The 9 Pro feels premium. It’s solidly built and has new more flat/squared edges along with a flat screen. This causes it to resemble “other” phones from the front, but it does look and feel really nice. The back has a camera bump now shaped like an elongated pill form instead of a visor that goes across the entire screen. I like the new version better, though it does protrude a good bit, so I’d suggest having a good case and even a screen protector for the camera lens area to help protect everything. A neighbor had ordered this exact model for their Son and received it before I got mine, and asked me to set it up for them, so I have the benefit of being able to have set up two Pixel 9 Pros – and both setups went without a glitch. Out of the box, you of course want to run any and all updates to the OS and phone to make sure all important tweaks and updates are installed – manually check for all updates in settings, and make sure to update your apps as well once done, then reboot. Once done, note that the screen resolution is auto set at 960 x 2142 pixels, which saves battery, but if you want, you can crank it up to 1280 x 2856 pixels in settings to get a little more resolution and detail, at the expense of a little more battery power being used. This screen is nice and bright with deep blacks and rich, though realistic, colors. In auto brightness mode it can go up to 3000 nits of brightness so you can see it really well outdoors, but even in normal manual brightness you can adjust it to just about any setting. The 120Hz refresh rate keeps things running smooth on screen but it will adjust depending on what you’re doing, to save battery. An ultrasonic fingerprint reader unlocks the phone faster and more accurately than the older versions. The 16 gigs of RAM also helps keep things running smooth. The Tensor G4 processor is really just a minor update over last year’s G3 processor and it’s not among the most powerful, but for most people, it will do everything they need it to do, even with some gaming, and does not overheat like previous versions. A Titan M2 security co-processor helps keep things more secure. Like the larger sibling, the 9 Pro now has three cameras on the back including one that has a 5X optical zoom (yes!), with a new zoom enhance feature that will clear up heavily zoomed photos after the fact. So now, you have the 50 megapixel main camera, an updated 48 megapixel ultrawide camera, and the 5X zoom 48 megapixel tele camera. All of them take really nice shots which are what Pixels are known for. Realistic colors and good dynamic range detail in shadows and highlight areas make these probably the best cameras in many ways of any phone, currently. The newly updated front facing camera is now 42 megapixels and is sharper and has better colors than previous versions. Video can be cranked up to 4K 60 frames per second with a new AI feature allowing you to upload the video and have it sent back at 8K resolution (though this does take a while). The only hiccup is that when using the zoom during video recording, you might see just a small amount of jerkiness as the phone switches lenses for zooms. Nothing major, but of note. The amount of AI features in this year’s 9-series models is crazy-good. The main show stopper is “Gemini Live” which allows you to literally have a conversation with the computer pretty much as you would with any human (scary, but neat). Gemini live has been able to answer all kinds of questions for me from travel inquiries to trivia, help me write the text for an email or letter, and tons more. It will tap into Google’s assistant when needed to control phone features. The ONE thing, though? You only get Gemini “live” for one year when buying a Pro model, and after that, you have to pay monthly for the full live feature. Ok, I really think Pixel buyers should at least get two years of this! Hopefully their policy will extend this as time progresses. Anyway, aside from Gemini, you get a range of other AI features that allow you to put yourself into photos called “Add me” so you don’t have to get strangers to take a photo – just take one of your friends, have one of them step over, and take one of you superimposed into the photo so it looks like you were there in the original. AI also will be able to enhance zooms to make them clearer, clean up night shots, remove unwanted items (or people) from photos with “Magic Editor”, and add backgrounds to photos, and more. “Pixel Studio” lets you create AI images of pretty much anything you want (except people, so far). Live translation helps you communicate if you are with someone who doesn’t speak your language (works pretty well, too), can you can even have the Pixel take notes of calls you are on. If you don’t like AI all of these can be quite a bit overwhelming, but they are really nice to have if you do want them, and they do for the most part work as advertised once you get the hand of how to use them all. Another not quite AI feature is satellite SOS texting, so if you wind up in the boonies and have no cell service, you can use satellites to send an emergency text should you need help. Handy, though I’m not sure if there’s a firm amount of free use time decided yet, and it may become a pay feature after two years or? Battery life is pretty good – better than previous Pixel models. The new processor and other tweaks along with the screen help extend the battery (4700 mah), so it’s definitely a full day phone so long as you don’t use it full throttle the entire day, but if you do, having a portable charger isn’t a bad idea. The charging speed is only mediocre when plugged in, and slightly slower when using wireless charging. It would be nice to see Google up the wattage on charging so it would be faster. Oh, and yes, it’s also a PHONE! People do actually still make calls. This will be subjective to the service you use, where you use it, and many other factors. I’m in Atlanta where generally, cell service is good across the board. I’ve been trying this out inside of a brick ranch style home in the suburbs, and so far, no dropped calls. So the updated modem/antenna seem to be very good on the Pixel 9. Again, your experience may vary, but I can say that on the Pixel 8 I did drop a handful of calls, and using the same service, I haven’t dropped any on the Pixel 9 in the short time I’ve had it, but I’ve called around a bit to test it even deep inside the house. Overall I really like the new Pixel 9 Pro. The size is manageable. The body and design updates are nice, and the screen is very nice. Cameras are of course “Pixel great” as usual for a Pixel, and the AI features though almost overwhelming in choices, are really nice to have and can take your phone use to a new level. Complaints? A couple: The biggest – having only 128 gigs as base storage in 2024 is NOT what I’d like, as I really do think the Pro models should come with 256 gigs as standard. Gemini Live should be at least a two year free service, as I’m just not sure people will be paying a fair amount monthly beyond the free period. Also, the new text SOS feature should be a lifelong feature as it can save lives, and not just limited to two years (as I understand it now). I do recommend the Pixel 9 Pro. It’s a good size, and aside from the issues above, it’s still a very good phone for most. If you need a larger screen and better battery, go with the XL version, but this should suit many users. Thumbs-up.

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!

There has been a lot of hype around the release of the Pixel 9/Pro/XL series and I am for once glad the phone, in this instance the 9 Pro, is living up to it. Not since the Nexus years do I remember a Google phone that delivered on being the best of both software, hardware, and design; thinking of the Huawei Nexus 6P. Honestly, looking at the Pixel 6 you can see the design language carried over from the Nexus 6P. The 9 series feels like an evolution from that design and one that I gladly welcome. The ergonomics of the 9 Pro and its symmetry makes the device feel every bit of premium and at least this can help you deal with the price point. If you’re a gamer, no it’s not going to beat other chipsets, but the total hardware package in the 9 Pro is working really well. And to my knowledge this is Pixel’s first launch without some issue at launch…if you don’t count the on-stage snafu with AI. I know many want a “mini” Pro/Ultra device and for Android, this is as close as you're going to get; all the features of the XL in a pint size 6.3”. Day-to-day use is mostly my concern and over the years I have come to care less about the hardware specs being the latest just because they are. Rarely does it translate into the real world. With Google designing its own Tensor Chips, I will say the G4 series is definitely a refinement and the modem being used is a huge upgrade. My wife has had the 8 Pro since it came out and it has had horrible audio quality on phone calls. I sent it in for repair as an update never came, thinking it could have been software related, but Google said it was working fine. Our home has a Pixel 5, 7, and 8a in use and the 8 Pro was the worst of them all. Like a car having a 1000 horsepower and all the bells and whistles, if it doesn't drive straight, what’s the point? The 9 Pro drives straight! Call quality is what it should be and overall daily use is fantastic. AI has now taken over phones, which I don’t think I am complaining about…yet, but there is definitely a lot of new AI features that loaded up and while they are nice, I don’t think it really changes how I use my device. Pixel OS has a great list of communicating features, but honestly I don’t use any of them. Where my concern in a device lies, is whether or not it works at the basic tasks with buttery smoothness that a $1k device should and give me minimum real ALL DAY battery life…AND IT DOES! By morning when it is time to charge I am still at 30%. Obviously your mileage will vary based on usage, but for me, it’s great. There are plenty of tech reviewers out there that have all the stats, teardowns, and in-depth breakdowns, so I’m not trying to be that. I can’t answer if it is worth to upgrade, cause your needs may be different, but coming from the 8 Pro, it is definitely worth the upgrade. The smaller screen size isn’t even all that noticeable, what is noticeable is the ease of fitting it in a pocket or purse. If you can budget for the 256GB model, I would, 128GB is barebones these days for the amount of stores, restaurants, parking apps that are deemed necessary these days. Add to it the awesome camera photos and storage will fill up quickly. Can’t go wrong with a Black phone, especially if you're just going to throw a case on it. The 9 Pro is the first phone I can remember not wanting to put a case on because it feels so good in hand, so if you must cover up, find one worthy of the cause. That wintergreen of the base 9 series is pretty sharp looking and I wish the 9 Pro had color that wasn’t so bland…again, can’t go wrong with Black.

I really enjoy the pure Android experience from the haptics to the fluid software experience. Every brand has its strengths and weaknesses but with pixel it’s an experience you will enjoy. The more I use it the more I say that I love this phone. Great build quality and I love this form factor, google hit it on the head with this Pixel! I have the pixel 9 pro and it’s the perfect size and it’s very comfortable to use as a daily driver!

Good build quality and works smooth. Compact, bright, smart—AI shines, but needs polish.

Great sized pixel, came from a 7 pro and don't miss the giant chunky screen or the curved edges. Nice to have a flat phone screen, feels more solid. Battery life is good, but recent software updates are eating it a little more than I'd like. Screen quality is great! Easy to import everything from my Google account. Ib less than 2 hours u had my background, apps, passwords all saved. Took no time

The P9P has become my favorite phone, surpassing both the Nexus 5 and OnePlus 5T. It runs super smoothly, and so far, no major overheating issues. I previously had the Pixel 6 Pro, which, while smooth, overheated constantly and had a terrible modem. The Pixel 7 felt more like a glorified mid-range device. With the P9P, it finally feels like Google got everything right (though I haven’t tried the P8). No modem issues, and I love that it isn’t the size or weight of a phablet. The smaller form factor Pro was another key reason I decided to buy it. No sense in waiting for the P10 honestly.

Great size, easy one-handed use. Camera is amazing, and battery life easily lasts all day. Best Pixel to date!

Upgrading my old Pixel 5, which still worked well, but not able to receive all updates anymore. Camera on the 9 is much better. 9 is slightly larger, but not overwhelming. Easily transferred everything over from old phone to new. If you like the Pixel, it's a winner.

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

Great size, better battery, perfect camera and good price

Great battery life and perfect size. The camera is great.

Best pixel phone made to date. Camera is the best in the market and the scaled down size makes it the ideal phone for those that want a pro level hone without the 6.7 size

I like the size and the camera is cool. It is a reliable phone

Great phone, I strongly suggest this phone #1 phone at this size!

Great Device, works as expected. Ai features are great. good size to hold the phone.

The perfect size. Came from a larger Pixel 6 Pro and do not regret getting this more comfortable size. My concerns were mostly display size and battery life. Battery life is yet to be determined, but display is big enough.