Table of Contents
1. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL price and specs
2. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL design
3. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL display
4. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL cameras
5. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL performance
6. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL AI features
7. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL battery life
8. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: Is it worth it?
9. How We Tested
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is the newest addition to the Pixel family. Before the reveal of the Google Pixel 9 series, the lineup only had two phones: a base model (e.g., last year’s Google Pixel 8) and a Pro variant (e.g., 2023’s Google Pixel 8 Pro). Now, Google has changed things up with a triple-device lineup: the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Interestingly, despite its name, the Pixel 9 Pro XL isn’t that much larger from last year’s biggest model (i.e., Google Pixel 8 Pro). The new Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 6.8-inch display while the Google Pixel 8 Pro has a 6.7-inch panel. What really makes the Pixel 9 Pro XL comparatively larger to the Pixel 9 Pro is that Google actually shrunk the Pro model to 6.3 inches, down from 6.7 inches. So yes, the Pixel 9 Pro is smaller than the Pixel 8 Pro. Weird, I know, given that phones typically become larger than their predecessors, not smaller.
Now that you’ve got a good understanding of the Pixel 9 Pro XL (and its new family), let’s dive into my experience with it.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL price and specs
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has a starting price of $1,099 via the Google Store. It comes with the following specs:
– (List of specs)
If you want, you can get more storage by upgrading to the 256GB model, which will set you back $1,119. If you want a 512GB model or a 1TB variant, you’ll have to shell out $1,319 and $1,549, respectively. (I highly suggest getting the 256GB model. In my personal experience, 128GB of storage lasts about a little over a year before your storage gets full.)
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL design
The Pixel 9 Pro XL, unlike its lesser successors (e.g., Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro), actually looks and feels premium — thanks to the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 matte back. With a shiny polished metal frame that wraps around the Pixel 9 Pro XL, it could really compete with the likes of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is also highly resistant to fingerprints, so feel free to get handsy with it without any guilt.
The particular unit I tested for this review sports the Hazel chassis. There are three other colors you can choose from, including Obsidian (black), Rose Quartz (pink), and Porcelain (off-white).
I’ve seen them all in person. The Obsidian may be the most popular of the four colorways. You can never go wrong with a rich, onyx device that looks like it’d be on Batman’s desk. The Rose Quartz delivers a pink-ish hue to the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Emphasis on the word ish because it’s more of a pastel, barely there, “baby shower pink,” if you will. If you want a pink that’s actually not afraid to be pink, check out the “Peony” color on the Pixel 9.
Although Google made a subtle gen-over-gen change with the camera bar, it elevates the visual appeal of the Pixel 9 series. The funky Geordi La Forge-esque visor no longer goes from edge to edge. It now has an island-style design with a body that color matches the chassis.
On the right side of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, you’ll find the volume and power buttons. On the bottom, you’ll discover the USB-C port and a SIM card slot (the Pixel 9 Pro XL also supports eSIM).
Compared to the Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is just a smidge larger (6.41 inches long versus 6.40). However, it’s slightly thinner (0.33 inches vs. 0.35 inches). The Pixel 9 Pro XL feels quite nice in the hands; the curved edges are forgiving as my fingers wrap around them. As someone who never liked the Pixel series’ design, I’m finally warming up to it.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL display
The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 6.8-inch, 1344 x 2992-pixel resolution display. It has a screen-to-body ratio of about 88%, a slight jump from the Pixel 8 Pro’s 87% screen-to-body ratio. This means that the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers a better immersive viewing experience with thinner bezels, allowing more of the display to be dedicated to your content.
I fired up a few videos on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, including platforms like YouTube and Netflix. One thing I noticed is that the Pixel 9 Pro XL was a highly saturated panel, particularly compared to my iPhone 15 Pro Max. For example, while watching Love is Blind UK, the electric green top on one contestant appeared to be more vibrant — as if it was popping out of the screen — compared to its Apple counterpart.
However, my daily driver, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, is even more vivid than the Pixel 9 Pro XL — perhaps too vivid. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is “just right.”
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL cameras
The megapixel count of the Pixel 9 Pro XL hasn’t changed from the Pixel 8 family. It still has a 50MP wide camera, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 48MP telephoto sensor.
However, this time around, the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s ultrawide camera got a slight update, an improved aperture, that means that you should get better ultrawide photos in low-light conditions. In other words, your vacation photos where you grab ultrawide shots of stunning landscapes should have improved detail on the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
I tested the Pixel 9 Pro XL against my beloved iPhone 15 Pro Max, and to my surprise, the former bested it. And I have proof.
Wide camera
I captured a picture of some antique cars inside a museum and was taken aback by the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s capture. Here is the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s pic. Here is the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s capture of the scene. The first thing that caught my eye is that the Pixel 9 Pro XL deals better with challenging lighting, delivering a shot with little to no lens flare (unlike the iPhone 15 Pro Max). The Apple device offered a more true-to-life interpretation of the two antique cars while its Google rival captured a richer, more saturated shot.
Ultrawide camera
I also took some pictures of Northport Harbor in Long Island, New York. Flanked by verdant trees, here is an ultrawide shot taken by the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. Here is the same scenery taken with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Pixel 9 Pro XL’s interpretation of the scene appears to be more vibrant and colorful. The grass emanates greener hues, and most conspicuously, the sky and harbor look bluer. The ripples and waves in the water appear more detailed, too.
Telephoto
Both the Pixel 9 Pro XL and iPhone 15 Pro Max’s telephoto sensor maxes out at 5X optical zoom before the digital zoom (i.e., software) kicks in. I snapped a photo of a neighbor’s yellow flowers, and here’s how it turned out (at 5X zoom). Look at the shot taken by the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and you’ll notice a more robust and detailed capture of the eye-catching flower compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL may have an edge over the iPhone 15 Pro Max when it comes to cameras, but as you’ll find out, the Google phone is weaker when it comes to performance.
If you’re curious about how far the Pixel 9 Pro XL…