Customer Ratings & Reviews

Love my purchase. But pick up seemed to be a bit rough with adding a pick up person

The Google Pixel 9 Pro 128GB is the latest (smallish) flagship device from Google, while some very welcome improvements over previous Pixel hardware. For context, this is a “replacement upgrade” for a Google Pixel 7 256GB. Additionally, an iPhone 15 Pro 1TB is being used for comparison. Yes, two phones. That work vs. personal phone life is a real thing. Very excited for this opportunity to try out the latest hardware from Google and looking forward to putting the Google Pixel 9 Pro through it’s paces in the coming months. However, this is just going to be an initial review/impression and not a long term one. There is a conscience effort to use more renewable packaging. The tabs that you tear are paper/cardboard vs the plastic ones that have been historically found in phone unboxing experiences. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is wrapped in a waxed paper. The charging cable is typical with Pixel phones. USB-C to USB-C in white. That’s it really, unboxing experience was nicer on the iPhone 15 Pro. It just felt nicer with more polish and attention to detail with the materials used with the packaging. Not that any of this really matters, but some people enjoy the unboxing experience so take it for what it is worth. The Google Pixel 9 Pro has an incredibly familiar and modern design, it feels so much better in the hand than the Google Pixel 7, and I have mistaken it for the iPhone 15 Pro on several occasions over the past couple of days. It would probably be a good idea to get a different color case to help distinguish the two (Pixel 9 Pro/iPhone 15 Pro). With the rounded edges and a stout metal chassis, the Google Pixel 9 Pro, does feel a wee bit heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro. The phone feels incredibly solid in the hand, with a substantial build that demonstrates quality. The Google Pixel 9 Pro’s dimensions are remarkably similar to the iPhone 15 Pro (with the iPhone being lighter – probably due to the titanium frame/chassis) making it comfortable to hold and use one-handed. It is so awesome that Google has decided to offer a flagship (pro level) phone in a smaller size. Though some users, this one included, would love to see some smaller flagships. Hopefully, at some point in the not so distant future, with solid state battery technology, we can have the familiar battery life we’ve grown accustom, blazing performance, and a more compact form factor. It is also great to see a physical sim card slot on the Google Pixel 9 Pro! Not sure why Apple thinks people do not want these things. Also, the sim card slot, on the Google Pixel 9 Pro, has been moved to a way better location - the bottom of the phone (by the charging port). Great change vs. being on the side of the phone like the Google Pixel 7. The screen on the Google Pixel 9 Pro is a little bigger than the iPhone 15 Pro, and of better proportions to the Google Pixel 7. The Google Pixel 9 Pro gets incredibly bright! Feels like it is twice as bright which is great when using the phone outdoors with bright sun. This helps add a significant boost in drone operation confidence because both hands can remain on the controls and you don’t have to use one hand to shield any glare. The display is stunning, colors are vibrant and blacks are nice and dark! #darkmodefan The camera on the Google Pixel 9 Pro is great, photographs taken in low light look much better than compared to those taken on the Google Pixel 7. Not sure if that is polishing or processing being done on the software side, or if it is on the hardware side of the house. Unfortunately, the low-light photographs taken on the Google Pixel 9 Pro do not look as good as ones taken on the iPhone 15 Pro. Again not sure if Apple just has better on device image processing, for low light images, or if there is a significant difference in the hardware itself. The iPhone 15 Pro is clearly the winner on the low-light photograph front! Where light is adequate the Google Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro are pretty equal to each other. The Google Pixel 9 Pro’s upgrade to 16GB RAM, Tensor G4 Processor make it run laps around the Google Pixel 7. The Pixel 9 Pro is wicked quick and this combination provides lightning-fast performance. It was impressive to see the phone’s ability to handle multiple tasks at once, without noticeable slowdown or lag. However, why do phone manufacturers keep the default storage at 128GB, like seriously, Google, Apple, Samsung, get with it. We the consumer are tired of paying $1000+ for flagships with ONLY 128 GB of on device storage!! Or please consider giving us better bang for the buck to upgrade storage! Google, THANK YOU for including an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the Google Pixel 9 Pro!!! It is fantastic to not be blinded by a white screen when unlocking the phone in dark environments! It is also wonderful that the finger print sensor now works with privacy screen protectors too! The battery life on the Google Pixel 9 Pro is wonderful. All day battery life the 4700mAh is great to have! Looking forward to seeing how phone manufacturers will design their phones to meet the European Union’s user replaceable battery regulation coming in 2027. It is quite unfortunate that the Google Pixel 9 Pro did not release with Android 15, but suppose it is better to not release something unless it is ready for the big show. Hopefully that Google will really put some work into the desktop mode within AOSP to really compete hard with other flagship Android phones. A Google Pixel with a desktop experience, when plugged into a monitor, with true convergence, would be nothing short of incredible! Samsung has it with DEX, but you can do things with Google hardware (re-locking of the bootloader within developer options) that you just cannot do with any other hardware. An overal B+ for the Google Pixel 9 Pro.

The processor performance drags it down from one of the top positions. Nevertheless a great device for average user

Good phone with latest features. But pixel phones are losing value faster when new phones introduced in the market

Other than the battery life everything seems to be good.

I bought this phone for my friend, don't know how it works, never used it

I’ve just spent the last week+ with the newest Google Pixel phone: The Pixel 9 Pro. Here’s some of my thoughts about the device: The device itself is nicely sized for a smaller device. It’s still not miniature, by any means, at 6.3” screen size. But it is relatively small in comparison most of today’s popular phones. I ordered the black version, which is color accurate to the pictures you see online. I can’t speak about the other colors though. While I found the back of the phone to have a nice, soft-feel texture, overall I found the phone to be slippery and difficult to handle without a case. In fact, this is one of those phones I think MUST have a case for both usability and durability. The screen is very nice!! The colors pop just as well as my Samsung Galaxy S24, and I think it’s even a bit brighter. There is a bit of a software issue here though: I found the auto-brightness to be consistently slower and dimmer than that of my Samsung phone. Any number of times per day, I found myself manually increasing the brightness of the screen (both indoors and out). I was impressed at the touch sensitivity as it’s very accurate and usable. After a few months, I found my Samsung lost some of it’s touch sensitivity, hence why I mention this (very annoying when speed texting, trust me). I also give high grades to the under-screen fingerprint reader, which works better than most of the button-mounted readers I’ve used previously. Yes, it’s that good. And, of course, face unlock works well, too. But, personally, I like the fingerprint reader when using these smaller phones. It’s fast, accurate, super secure, and easy to reach. Kudos, Google. Camera shots are also very sharp, if not a touch muted when compared to my S24. Without the comparison, I’d give 5-stars though. I found nighttime pictures to be mind-bending good though, and even better than any Samsung or Apple night picture I’ve taken. The pictures I’ve taken around dusk or sunset have been very, very good—nothing standing in the way of the camera and my intended shot. More camera stuff in just a second… The overall speed and snappiness of the phone has been excellent. Honestly, I’ve read previous critiques of Google’s Tensor chipsets and I didn’t have high hopes for this iteration. Maybe it was my low expectations, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the Pixel 9 Pro. All of my scrolling goes by fast and super smooth, and apps open in a blink. I’ve had zero, ZERO slowdowns or buffers. Benchmarking software doesn’t do the Tensor 4 CPU justice. This chip just works in this phone supremely well, maybe even better than the Qualcomm chip in my Samsung. Like how Apple designs their chips specifically for their products, Google has done the same, and did a great job this go around. Batter life has been stellar in my week+ with the phone. I run diabetic software on my phone that uses Bluetooth to collect and analyze my blood sugar every 5 minutes, and send insulin information and dosing to my Bluetooth insulin pump immediately after. This app alone is a battery hog as it performs complex calculations 24/7 without ever sleeping. On my Samsung phone, it would eat about 12-15% of my daily battery and the same holds true for the Pixel 9 Pro. However, at bedtime each night, I’m left with about 8-10% MORE battery life left with the Pixel (about 55% left is my average). I’m not a power-user, but I definitely spend a lot of time browsing and posting on multiple social media apps, watching YouTube videos, emails, multiple calendars, banking, etc. My average screen time hovers between 3.5 and 4 hours. So to have over 50% battery remaining at the end of my day is outstanding in my eyes. My mobile connection speeds have been fast enough with the Pixel 9. Download vs download, the Pixel trails my Galaxy S24 by a few percent regularly. The one thing the Pixel does have going for it though is Wfi 7. While still rare in most homes, it’s the next generation Wifi standard, set to deliver multi-gig speeds. I DO have wifi 7 routers set up in my home, and even 50 ft away and through three walls, I’m still maxing out my internet plan at approx. 1400mbps (1.4 gigs per second). Nice to put those expensive routers to full use. Now for the more abstract usage…the AI and gimmick uses, if you will. There’s a ton of AI options and use cases being baked into Android and Google as a whole. I’ve not found a whole lot of use for all the applications, but just know that they’re there and waiting. The things I did use to good effect were the “Add Me” picture editor and the 360 degree panorama picture. “Add Me” was cool because it essentially added a shot of me to a family picture that I was the one taking. It’s hard to be in a scenic family pic when you’re the one pushing the button, right? “Add me” came through. It wasn’t 100% perfect when zooming in on the picture, but view it from a reasonable distance and you’ll barely notice. The 360 Panorama I used inside a room that I really like the décor of, so I just thought it was a good test for the function and let it rip. It worked well and everything came through in one piece—no odd stitching artifacts or anything like that. Is it something I’ll use a bunch? No. But it was a cool use-case for a neat piece of software. There are all sorts of other AI features baked into the phone, camera and OS that I highly recommend diving into, but I won’t do it in this review. Seriously, take a look on Google’s Pixel website for all the cool things it’s capable of. Finally, I must mention the price. It’s high. No longer are these the days of the cheap Google Nexus phones. At $1000, this isn’t a cheap phone. Shoot, at that price, I can’t even say it’s ‘mid-range’ either. It’s right there, neck and neck, with the Samsungs and Apples of the world. What you’re getting is a more customized hardware solution, excellent build quality, and many years worth of software updates. If you’re the type that keeps your phone until it’s last breath, then the $1k may be worth it since the software will be updated and secure. For others, this might be a tough pill to swallow. My advice: Don’t pay full MSRP, wait till it goes on sale, and scoop one up. I have no problem spending big money on my phones and tech, but I can see the argument some may have with the $1k price tag for (maybe) lesser hardware (CPU). Even without the AI features, I find this phone to be a great device, especially for Android enthusiasts. Even those just looking for a solid, well-built phone with excellent battery life will have a lot to like with the Pixel 9 Pro. The cameras and the AI chops are just an added bonus!

The Google Pixel 9 Pro delivers clever AI features, a super bright display, and the longest battery life yet from a Pixel phone. It’s a device that has been highly anticipated and it seems to have lived up to the hype. The Pixel 9 Pro’s design is a departure from Google’s previous models, with a more compact size. It has a 6.3-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. The display is super bright and the overall build quality and design is excellent. Performance The Pixel 9 Pro is powered by the Tensor G4 chipset, with 16GB of RAM. It’s worth noting that the performance of the Tensor G4 chip could be better compared to other flagship phones. Perhaps due to the more compact design, it also runs noticeably warmer than my old phone at times. The camera performance is excellent, partiuclarly when using zoom. It has a 50MP wide lens, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 48MP 5x telephoto lens, lending the camera capabilities that are impressive and flexible. The Pixel 9 Pro comes with an AI-powered photo editing tool called Magic Editor, a tool you can use to enhance the pictures you take on Pixel’s excellent camera, letting you move, remove, and resize people or objects in an image and even change the background. One of the new features in Magic Editor is called Reimagine. This feature allows you to make selections in existing photos to tweak them. For example, you can change not only change the background in your photos, add items to portraits, or even generate a “sombrero with a cat on it”. It’s worth noting that while some edits are handled well, others may not be as successful. For instance, changing the color of clothing or removing sunglasses was not possible in one test. Truth be told I'm not a huge AI guy. I find it's a lot of hype and marketing jargon that really doesn't do what it implies, but overall the Magic Editor and its Reimagine interesting and fun to play with in the little time I've spent with it. It's also worth mentioning that some of the AI features are still a work in progress. The Pixel 9 Pro has a 4,700 mAh battery. The battery life is above average, but it charges slower than my old Ultra. The base storage starts at 128GB. Other options include 256GB, 512GB, and a high-end model with 1TB of storage. The Pixel 9 Pro does not have a card slot for expandable storage, so you’ll want to choose a model that will accomodate your storage requirements. Music Playback supports high-resolution audio, and features an audio boost option called Adaptive Sound, which enhances the audio clarity. Google has made improvements to the call quality on the Pixel 9 Pro series using AI enhancements. This includes support for calls made over narrow-band LTE4. Overall I found the call quality to be reliable. The Pixel 9 Pro’s speaker quality is quite competitive when compared to other flagship phones. While the Pixel 9 Pro does gets many things right, I've also never been so infuriated by a new phone. SmartSwitch simply will not work in moving my data from my S24 Ultra to the Pixel 9 Pro. I've restarted both phones, cleared caches, specified USB transfers, made sure both phones had the latest updates, and so on. No joy -- I will have to move everything manually. This seems rather weird since the Androis OS is developed by Google. Huge fail there. In the end, the Google Pixel 9 Pro is a solid choice for those looking for a compact, high-end phone with excellent cameras, upgraded build quality, and a software commitment that stretches into the 2030s. However, it’s not without its drawbacks, such as the performance of the Tensor G4 chip and the slower charging speed compared to my Ultra. Overall, it’s a device that balances a superlative camera phone and a host of AI-powered capabilities, which you may or may not find useful.

Disappointed in this iteration of this phone. Many things could be improved

Good phone but still need some improvements. Fingerprint and face unlock work well.

The phone itself is fine. Issue with customer service. Needed previous phone to transfer info to new phone. CSR said I would have to return, bring back when done and repurchase and he'd make sure I got the same price. WRONG. I didn't get my $100 Black Friday money off because the CSR returned it and couldn't replicate deal. Rip off!!! Extremely angry.

This review is for the trade-in process only. They wouldn't honor the estimated trade-in value in online order even the phone is in flawless condition. Talking with customer service went nowhere. Will not do trade-in with East Brunswick store in the future. It's not worth it.

This phone has been so fun to own! Every part of this device is an elevated experience in every possible way. Let's start with the aesthetics. The colors being offered this time around hit the marks on all fronts in my opinion. I may be biased but obsidian and rose quartz are the best colors, especially with how rich obsidian is and how vibrant rose quartz is. Even the camera redesign looks amazing. Not only that, with the upgrades to the camera system, the pictures look better as well! More of a reason to take scenic pictures of my pup haha. The new G4 Tensor chip with 16GB of RAM is noticeably snappier. Switching between apps, playing music/videos in the background, and doing anything in general is a smooth experience. I've had zero issues with Gemini AI and the new AI image generator. It works seamlessly and it's so fun to use! The peak nit brightness being raised to 3000 is kind of crazy but so appreciated. I live in a very sunny part of the country and being able to see my phone screen mid-day is so convenient. The longer battery life is great, and being able to fast charge using a 45W charger feels like cheating somehow. The upgraded fingerprint sensor is noticeably better as well. There are so many AI features I'm excited to use and test out as well. I've only had the phone for a short while but I can already tell it's the best one I've ever had. I definitely recommend upgrading this year. I don't feel like I'm missing out on any feature or comfort. 10/10!!

I have the Google Pixel 9 Pro Obsidian color 128GB model here. This is the 6.3 inch display Pro model. I have owned various Google Pixel phones in the past like the 1,7 pro and 8 along with various Nexus devices as well. This is my favorite Google phone so far. I love the smaller phones personally for this phone Google has featured AI a lot in this device. With the Pixel 9 series Google replaced Google assistant with Gemini although if you would like to revert back to the assistant you can as well. For this phone they have upgraded the Ultra wide and selfie cameras with a 48 mp ultra wide and a 42 mp selfie camera. The new cameras take some great shots especially when there is plenty of light in the picture. Some of the biggest gripes with the Pixel devices the past few years has been overheating and bad signal from the modem. From my experience I haven't experienced either. The phone uses a Vapor chamber for the Pro models this year and Google has a more aggressive management system for the Tensor G4 where it throttles the performance so it prevents from overheating. I also haven't noticed any issues with wifi or cellular using this phone on my home wifi and Verizon network. Google also promises 7 years of security and feature updates and this is a premium looking device it would do well for the next 7 years.

Just got this Pixel 9 Pro and man am I impressed. I do primarily use my iPhone 13 Pro still, but have carried various Android phones over the years. This latest Pixel 9 Pro is really nice though. Excellent fit and finish to it (definitely "Pro" and not some cheapie Android). The 6.3" screen and size format is perfect for me. Little taller than my iPhone, but noticeably more area on the screen to view while still fitting perfectly in my hand, and easy to still use one-handed. Screen colors and contrast are perfect. Speed (once all the setup and updates are done) is very snappy. Call quality crisp and clear. Photos and videos sharp and easy. The Gemini (their version of Siri) has worked well for me with a few little tests and navigation with Google maps connected to Android Auto in my CR-V works very well. No complaints at all really. Battery life great so far (gets a little hot when charging and all the updates going on). Again, perfect size for me and I can't imagine that XL version which seems like it would be a tablet! Definitely recommend.

The Pixel 9 pro is the perfect sized phone for me. The XL seems a bit too large and heavy, and this is a smaller option with all of the same features of the larger phone. The design and materials are very premium. The flat edges and normalized bezels around the screen make this phone a stunner to look at and to hold. At first, I wasn’t sure that I would like the redesigned camera bar on the back. In person it is well designed and is a refined evolution of the well known Pixel camera bar. The display gets superbly bright, even in sunlight, making it easy to use outdoors. It also can vary between 1 and 120Hz, animations and moving around the phone are buttery smooth. The under-display fingerprint sensor is now ultrasonic and provides an immediate unlock. Between the fingerprint sensor and the excellent face unlock, the phone is always ready to use once picked up. The camera is just incredible. I took the phone to a dark sky community and was marveled at the pictures I could take of the stars. The zoom is another thing to marvel at. Macro photos give you unbelievable detail. Panorama photos are clear and excellent even in low light. Zoom enhance was decent - I think this will depend on the photo and level of detail. Video boot can upscale to 8K, which can then allow you to take still photos from the video with an unparalleled level of detail. This is the best camera on any phone, period. The generative AI features are fun, and add an easy to use and creative way to expand on photos. The ability to add everybody into a photo (the Add Me feature) worked with a level of detail I was not expecting - knowing the depth on where to show/hide different parts of the photo. Auto Frame is very clever and can reframe, crop, and even expand the photo. I used this to expand a photo in a grassy field, and the results were detailed. Reimagine is a feature that can modify parts of a photo with a text prompt. This is unreal and more art than photo. Audio magic eraser also works well - being able to adjust sounds of a video to remove unwanted sounds or noise. Pixel Studio is an app the can generate images and is incredible fun. The phone comes with 1 year of Gemini Advanced. I love that you can press and hold the power button to invoke Gemini and ask or type questions. It is such an easy way to use it, meaning that you will do it often. Gemini Live is a conversation that really feels like the future. The Screenshots app is a nice way to compile and have all screenshots in one place. Searching through them works well and I like that you can organize them into collections for easy browsing. Call notes is also very cool. When started, it will notify the other party that the call is being recorded. This runs completely on device, thanks to the phone’s 16 GB of memory, and provides summary of phone calls. This is great if you need to remember something for later, and need to reference the call. Satellite SOS is an incredible feature if needed. I like that the phone will get 7 years of software support as well. This phone isn’t just a great Android phone, it is just a great phone. Other ecosystem users might find this just the perfect mix of size, premium features, and true innovation in software.

In this review I would like to concentrate on how the hardware design and software features of the Pixel 9 Pro come together to make it a joy to use. I will not repeat a list of all the technical specifications of this device, as these have been well documented in other reviews. I admit that I am quite enamored of this device, and I trust the following will explain why. First there is the hardware. The 9 Pro’s size is perfect for me, since I like to be able to handle my phone with one hand. “XL-sized” phones are lovely, but I find a smaller sized phone much easier to tuck into my pocket and carry with me all day. The rounded corners do not cut into my hand, and the material feels luxurious. Build quality is impeccable, with a solid heft and confidently clickable buttons. The display is beauty to behold, with perfectly crisp text, deep blacks, and a refresh rate fast enough to eliminate any distortion even with the most aggressive scrolling. This display is simply beautiful. The speakers are very good to my ears, and I can attest that there is true stereo sound that accompanies videos and movies. I am not a gamer, so I am not able to comment on how performant the 9 Pro is in this area. I do know that all the typical phone functions run smoothly and zippingly fast. I do not feel that there needs to be a greater amount of RAM or a faster processor. Then of course there is the software. I love using stock Android; it is infinitely customizable, intuitive, and slick. 7 years of upgrade support from Google gives me great confidence. The Pixel Weather app is gorgeous, and I hope it is representative of what we might expect for other essential apps in Android. Pairing the phone with a computer or tablet, or casting to a TV or monitor cannot be easier. The Camera is where the hardware and the software merge the best. I am an avid amateur photographer, and I appreciate being able to have flexibility with my camera. The quality I see is simply astonishing with features such as Action Pan, Long Exposure, Night Sight, and Zoom. Prior to a making the shot I can adjust the exposure, shadows, and white point; this is a huge advantage. Additionally, post-exposure management of the pictures includes features one usually sees with expensive stand-alone photo editors. When taking pictures with this phone I feel I am in photography heaven. AI figures largely in helping to create impressive photographs, and it is working well for me. I also see what Gemini can do for me in helping to keep me organized. My journey with AI is just beginning, yet so far it has been fun and exciting to take the first steps. For me, the Pixel 9 Pro is a beautifully designed phone that is simple and fun to use for the basic functions, that also presents me with practically infinite possibilities for creativity and learning. I can recommend it highly.

I've owned Pixels since the Pixel 6, and I can safely say the Pixel 9 Pro is the best yet. I'll break it down for you. Google changed the design and I believe it has a much more premium feel. The camera bar isn't nearly as obtrusive. Also, Google decreased the bezel size by 15%. Overall, the Pixel 9 looks a lot better than its predecessors. But its beauty is more than just skin deep. I'll start with the display. It's brighter and very usable even in the brightest sunlight. Colors are bright and contrast is excellent. The cameras have always been the best, but the ultrawide lens is even better now, especially in low-light settings. The front facing camera is now 42MP so selfies are really high quality. Also, I've been very impressed with the zoom capabilities of the rear camera. At 30x you will, of course, lose some detail, but I feel the max zoomed photos are still very usable. Zoom is also available for videos, called Super Rez Zoom, and the results are amazing. Google is emphasizing AI with the new Pixel Pro 9. The new Tensor G4 chip and 16GB of RAM combine to make some pretty amazing things possible. I love the Add-Me feature, which allows you to "take a picture and be in it too". And Magic Editor is amazing! It allows you to move objects around in a picture, as well as removing distracting things. And you can circle anything in a picture or web page and let Google AI search for it. There are just so many features I haven't even mentioned that help make the Pixel Pro 9 the best phone available. Do your own research and I think you'll agree.

Great except for the fact that best buy basically scammed me.

This is my first Android phone in years. I’m glad that my switch was with the Pixel 9 Pro. It’s been a smooth experience, the hardware is great, and it’s just a small learning curve getting back into the android ecosystem. *\-_DESIGN_-/* The Pixel 9 Pro has a very clean design. The sides and edges are a glossy polished metal which is comfortable to hold and subtle with the obsidian color. The volume rocker and the power button are on the right and are easy to reach with your thumb. On the back is a camera “visor” which protrudes from the back of the phone. I don’t ever find it getting in my way when I go to use the phone but it does look a bit awkward as the “camera bump” looks weird on other phones. Another well-functioning aspect of the design is the in-screen thumbprint sensor for unlocking the phone. There’s a visual on the screen so you know exactly where to place your thumb and it’s very fast to unlock. You can also unlock using your face but some people prefer the security of a thumbprint and having a sensor that works with the natural position of your hand on the phone is very convenient. *\-_CAMERA_-/* The photos and videos on this phone are some of the best I’ve seen from a phone. The camera has the ability to record 8K at 30fps, 4k at 60fps and HRD, and FHD if you want to save space. I’ve been using the 8k which is nice for zooming in on details of a video and I’ve also used 4k HDR for some videos and those turn out really nice too. The 50mp main back camera takes awesome photos too. I almost exclusively used the 50-megapixel high resolution setting. We went to the local zoo and I was able to use the zoom and still get very detailed photos of the animals. What’s great is you can even do a large amount of zoom, which you have to do sometimes in zoo when the animals are further out and still get very nicely detailed moments. Also I found portrait mode works really well at adding the bokeh effect, making for very artistic looking photos and blurring the background really well. One of the other neat features is the “Add Me” feature. We tried it out but had a lot of people walking behind us at the Zoo for it to work correctly. This works better with a more static background. But if you want to get a photo with your whole party in the picture, this has been one of the more innovative ways to do it. *\-_DISPLAY_-/* The display is a 3K, 3,000 nit peak OLED display. I love a bright display and with OLED, you know you’re getting a great picture. It’s bright enough to use outside and makes HDR photos look great. The front facing camera is a hole-punch style camera in the screen but it’s subtle enough you don’t really notice it. You also have a dynamic refresh rate, up to 120hz, so everything is buttery smooth when scrolling. *\-_OTHER THOUGHTS_-/* The Gemini smart assistant is clever in what it can do and how it responds. I’ve tested out several different inquiries and tasks and I’ve been happy with the responses. I asked it to identify the animal in a picture I took at the zoo and it was able to correctly identify the Wallaby I took a picture of along with the reasons it chose that animal. I also asked if another picture was an alligator or a crocodile and it also provided reasons for it’s choice. Another task was identifying the model of a ceiling fan. Although my fan was too generic for it to decipher, it was able to provide popular brands it “could be” which is useful if you’re looking to buy a similar style. Android operating system can be both amazing and frustrating. The Pixel can switch between gesture-based navigation or the standard 3 button navigation. With the gesture navigation, I found myself accidently swiping too close to the edge and inadvertently navigating to a previous screen when I mean to only to scroll left or right. Less annoying is the seemingly unlimited amount of customization you have with apps and settings. One thing I found useful with transferring from my old device to the Pixel 9 Pro. I followed the steps during initial setup and just connected my phone using a cable. Apps, contacts, and other data transferred or downloaded automatically so I didn’t have to download each item one at a time. Call quality in my experience did a great job at focusing in on the voice and drowning out background noise. I did my best to be loud and disruptive while talking with my wife who didn’t even know I was trying to make background noise. Your milage may vary on call quality depending on your carrier, but every call I made has been flawless. *\-_FINAL THOUGHTS_-/* The hype is real. The design of the phone feels like a flagship device. It takes amazing photos and videos. Gemini is great for finding the answer to a question, not quite sure what something is in a photo, want to know where to buy something you saw out and about. The AI extends to the camera as well with the Add Me and other photo and video enhancements and features. One of the best android phones I’ve ever used.