Google Pixel 9 Professional XL Evaluate In 2025: Nonetheless The Greatest? |

I by no means thought I’d say this, however the Google Pixel 9 Professional XL outshines my S24 Extremely the place I’m unsure I may even return from the software program, particularly its AI capabilities and their improved {hardware}. It was simply wow.

However does this make the Google Pixel 9 Professional XL the most effective even in 2025?

 

Design

So the second you choose up this cellphone for the primary time, you’re feeling the heft of selecting up a really solidly constructed cellphone, and that is when the expertise begins to develop into immersive, the place I’ll get into that in a minute.

So I obtained this within the Porcelain coloration, which appears extra like white, which is sweet, shiny, chilly, and has reflective aspect rails. However as a result of it’s reflective, it is usually a fingerprint magnet, and it may be a little bit slippery as in comparison with the bottom Google Pixel 9, which had matte end rails.

However to stability this, right here the Google Pixel 9 Professional has a matte frosted glass again, and this makes it look good, premium, and offers a really strong grip.

And oh yeah, enjoyable truth: this digicam module covers nearly 80% from left to proper, so this makes the cellphone, A, cease from wobbling and, B, helps the cellphone to relaxation on a pleasant angle to learn one thing and even kind one thing when the cellphone is on a desk or any floor.

It’s prefer it’s the Pixel’s model of a yoga block that retains your cellphone in an ideal stability whereas it’s resting. Namaste.

One thing that I are inclined to neglect more often than not is the truth that this digicam module additionally has a temperature sensor, which I simply use as soon as and I simply preserve forgetting it’s there.

This makes me marvel, is that this one thing that you’re actually excited with and even use or wish to get it for? Let me know within the remark part under.

Although this design feels very aesthetic, as a result of the entire digicam array pops out from the physique, it does make it very susceptible to scratches, so that you may be higher off utilizing a cellphone case.

And sure, listed below are corporations making a lot effort in making the cellphone really feel good within the fingers, after which individuals like us simply put a cellphone case.

However yeah, I do agree that circumstances do turn out to be useful, particularly to guard the cellphone. And Google has the official plastic case, which is in the same porcelain coloration.

It’s a well-thought-out case although, as a result of they’ve deliberately lined this complete digicam module, and the becoming is simply good.

However what, once I was utilizing this cellphone day by day, I made a decision to threat utilizing it with out a case, which does profit me in two methods.

One is to really feel the good and chilly aspect rails, and quantity two is for me to check this sturdiness for you guys as properly.

So sure, with or with out a case, it was excellent, and the identical might be mentioned for the show as properly.

 

Show

This has a 6.8-inch AMOLED show, which is simply beautiful. It’s so good that it leaves all the pieces else and makes you simply focus proper right here.

It really works precisely how you’ll count on a top-of-the-line flagship to work. It stays sharp and clear even in brilliant daylight, even when performing heavy duties as properly, which I’ll get into in a minute.

The AMOLED deep blacks have been gorgeous as anticipated. All the things simply shines, simply because the show in daylight too.

However what I don’t perceive? Why Google and Apple don’t do that to their show like what Samsung does.

Samsung has the matte-textured show, which doesn’t mirror even whenever you use it beneath direct daylight.

This can be one thing that you simply really feel such as you won’t want, however when you begin utilizing it, it’s one thing that you simply’ll miss whenever you choose up every other cellphone.

Talking of sunshine, the cellphone helps Face Unlock, which unlocks in a short time, however it does battle in low mild, which may be annoying for some individuals. However I’m okay with it since I can simply use the in-display fingerprint sensor. So yeah, a minimum of there’s an in-display fingerprint sensor in comparison with the iPhones, proper?

Talking of which, this has the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor now as an alternative of the optical fingerprint sensor final 12 months, just like Samsung’s flagship. This ultrasonic one makes use of sound waves as an alternative of sunshine. This helps the cellphone to map out the fingerprint sensor higher, the place it does make it barely quicker in comparison with final gen’s Google Pixel 8 sequence.

 

Efficiency

So once I noticed the spec sheet on the truth that, , it comes with the brand new Tensor G4 chipset, I used to be a bit skeptical. Why? As a result of they don’t do essentially properly in the case of numbers, which doesn’t make all of us bounce once we see them.

This would possibly sound like a paid promotion, however I can assure you that it’s not. However the excellent news is that once I use this cellphone day by day, it performs very properly.

The explanation why I say that that is unbelievable is as a result of the very fact that there have been some evaluations on-line that mentioned that their Google Pixel 9 Professional XL units have been dimming the brightness to regulate the warmth, however that was not the case for me in any respect, the place it labored fully nice even once I was repeatedly taking part in video games.

Talking of taking part in video games, it carried out very properly on the settings proven. So from day-to-day use of even gaming, this cellphone didn’t disappoint in any respect.

However should you may be asking, so, , Adam, Google has by some means mounted the efficiency points, I’m certain there’s a compromise on the battery division. Effectively, let’s speak about that subsequent.

 

Battery

So this has a 5060 mAh battery. Now, on paper, it won’t wow you want, say, the 6000 mAh of battery that you simply get on the Vivo X200 Professional and even the OnePlus 13. However as soon as once more, it’s the software program optimization that issues probably the most, related like how it’s even on a smaller battery dimension on the iPhone 16 Professional Max.

Firstly, battery has been actually wonderful when the cellphone is idle, the place it barely even strikes a proportion even once I go away the cellphone on my desk for two hours with out utilizing it. Truthfully, this cellphone is far more affected person than me as a result of I can’t stand nonetheless for two hours and even my battery drains—, my power battery drains—if I simply keep nonetheless.

However the place I used to be much more amazed was the screen-on time as a result of I used to be averaging near 7 hours plus, typically much more. These numbers are simply staggering in comparison with me needing to cost my iPhone 16 Professional Max on the finish of each night.

Then, this Google Pixel 9 Professional XL has an improved 37W wired charging as in comparison with 30W from final 12 months. However sure, charging requirements have been so “right down to earth”, , like 37W looks like an improve the place different Chinese language manufacturers like OPPO and vivo have nearly made 100 Watts their baseline. So it’s like Google confirmed as much as a Method 1 race on a bicycle and mentioned, hey, a minimum of we’re shifting ahead.

However hey, an enchancment is an enchancment on the finish of the day. Personally, I don’t have any drawback with this since I put it on my wi-fi charger the entire evening, and once I’m awake, it’s all charged. So yeah, that’s nice by me. However is it for you?

 

Cameras

However, , the most important enemy or the most important concern for batteries are the cameras, which we’ll go into subsequent proper now, as a result of whereas this does push the battery proportion quicker, the ultimate output that it gives in the case of the digicam’s efficiency was actually value it.

iPhones have at all times been very dependable in the case of their cameras, proper? The place you may simply level and shoot. However now, the Pixel 9 Professional XL has matched that to each extent and typically is even higher.

The ultra-wide lenses have been firstly wonderful. Dynamic vary was at all times on level. The colours have been vibrant, not overly saturated, the place it was sharp from edge to edge.

Talking of dynamic vary, I purposely took this image straight in direction of the solar and nonetheless it produced wonderful outcomes with out overblowing the entire skies, the place even the clouds have been nonetheless current.

Not solely that, the standard of the ultra-wide lenses to the principle lenses have been constant all through.

And although Google didn’t shout about their zooming capabilities, it was truly good, particularly for the 5x zoom and even the max 30x zoom if there’s ample quantity of sunshine in the course of the day.

However yeah, I’m severely loving the back-to-back consistency of the colours and the standard whenever you’re switching the entire lenses all the way in which.

Then, portrait mode for people nonetheless remained flawless. There’s the 1.5x and the 3x mode over right here that had nice shallow depth of subject and edge detection.

And the way in which it zoomed into the photograph of my good friend’s cat with the circulation of the shallow depth of subject was actually good too.

However in the end, I used to be actually shocked at how wonderful it did for objects, the place some difficult form of this flower picture was detected very properly too.

And whereas some could name this subsequent photograph pretend, I guarantee you it’s not, as a result of the power to get this quantity of subject-to-background blur was actually wonderful.

Whereas the daytime common selfie images have been nice as anticipated, it did carry out exceptionally properly on the selfies as properly, not lacking out any particulars within the blurred background space.

At evening, the ultra-wide lenses did stability out the highlights and shadows properly. The skies have been black because it’s alleged to be, in comparison with some telephones that like to make the sky bluer for some bizarre purpose and provides that annoying HDR look in the case of their evening modes.

The standard was constant and nice for the principle lenses too.

The telephoto lenses additionally do an amazing job over right here, particularly if there’s a first rate quantity of sunshine. Portrait mode at evening was nice for objects and, as soon as once more, flawless in the case of people.

Then, as for the selfie images, so long as there’s some quantity of sunshine shining at you, you’ll get some nice images. And, as soon as once more, the dynamic vary for the blurred areas was actually nice over right here too.

 

Video Recording 

[Sample video footage on my YouTube video]

Then, video-wise, you may report as much as 8K 30FPS for the rear cameras. Should you activate the video increase mode within the digicam app, it’ll produce like a log form of video, the place you’ll solely have the ability to see this log type of footage whenever you take it off out of your digicam and put it in your PC or, for my case, once I was utilizing the Mac, which was fascinating as a result of Google by no means talked about this.

So, it was good that this video increase mode is accessible, however it’s solely obtainable for the principle lenses and never the ultra-wide lenses. So, the zoom? Sure. Essential lens? Sure. However not the ultra-wide lenses. So, preserve that in thoughts.

This video increase mode additionally works in 4K video decision recording, in order that was nice. And, as soon as once more, I did a dynamic vary take a look at recording movies straight on the solar, and even at 5x zoom, the video was by no means overexposed.

So sure, my pals, the video division in the course of the day was an enormous enchancment in comparison with the earlier technology certainly.

However the story was totally different when recording movies at evening although, as a result of whereas the iPhone nonetheless struggles in the case of the lens flare whenever you’re capturing movies at evening, the Pixel 9 Professional XL additionally has the identical concern however not as noticeable because the iPhone’s.

The standard of the 4K video was nice; nevertheless, the picture stabilization for the principle lenses was higher and barely higher than the ultra-wide lenses in the case of stabilizing the video with none jitters.

Personally, I wouldn’t move the 2x or the 5x zoom mode for video recording, particularly for the stabilization as properly.

Then, as for entrance video recording at evening, it was additionally nice, however, as soon as once more, provided that you had a variety of mild shining in direction of your face.

[Check out my vlog test on my YouTube video]

 

Expertise

Subsequent, let’s speak concerning the expertise when utilizing the Google Pixel cellphone day by day.

Now, everyone knows Google owns Android, proper? However all of us additionally know that they’ve nice software program optimization. And this time, particularly this 12 months, they actually didn’t disappoint.

As a result of bear in mind I mentioned that the cellphone feels immersive earlier, prefer it was the start of feeling immersive? Effectively, ranging from simply unlocking the smartphone with the face unlock, you may really feel the haptics.

The comfortable vibration and the unlocking animation make it really feel like one thing’s occurring, ? It’s just like the cellphone is providing you with a mini fist bump whenever you first unlock the cellphone.

Then, when you open the house display screen, you’re welcomed with the At A Look stay widgets that offer you updates and issues which might be happening stay, particularly on what’s your subsequent factor in your calendar, making it aesthetic to take a look at and, quantity two, tremendous helpful for individuals like me who at all times test on my upcoming conferences.

However they don’t cease there, as a result of they actually double down on the expertise by including a number of haptics. All the things from the scrolling to the current apps, to altering the volumes, and even typing, all the pieces looks like a really considerate resolution.

Additionally, a fast aspect be aware, I’ve been additionally utilizing it along with the Buds Professional 2. These have been upgraded in each space whereas lowering the general dimension of the case and buds. They’ve method higher sound high quality and barely higher noise cancellation.

The deep integration with Google Assistant has been the most effective, however proper now, because it comes with the Gemini AI constructed into it along with the Aurcast help, it has been actually nice.

In case you haven’t heard of what Aurcast is, it mainly lets you join a number of audio merchandise like Bluetooth audio system, headphones, and even different earphones at a single time. And on prime of that, you may even play the identical audio on all of them on the similar time too, which, for my part, was actually cool.

ANC-wise, it was nice however not so good as the AirPods Professional or the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional. Sound quality-wise although, it was higher than the AirPods however very on par with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional. So, yeah, that is one thing that I completely suggest so that you can use alongside the Pixel cellphone to expertise the Google Pixel expertise or the ecosystem of issues too.

Based mostly on my day by day utilization, it did give me about seven hours of battery with ANC on at max quantity, and the case may give you about 27 to twenty-eight hours of battery with most quantity and with ANC on as properly.

Okay, going again to the cellphone. Google has discovered various things on this Pixel 9 Professional XL simply to push and maintain customers into the Pixel AI of issues. It options just like the Add Me Into Group Picture, whereas some could say that that could be a novelty function, however for me, it was innovation at its greatest.

After which there’s the Pixel Studio, which was very helpful as a result of, for instance, throughout Christmas, I created a photograph of my cat Luna by prompting the identical options of how she appears and the scene as properly, and it turned out very good.

The place you may create totally different types over right here too, like freestyle, cinematic, and extra, the place it really works seamlessly, and the outcomes have been constant, even very a lot comparable with the Samsung Galaxy AI as properly. However, in fact, it was method higher than Apple’s intelligence, particularly the Picture Playground—not a fan of that.

However like most individuals, I preserve coming again to the Magic Eraser, and that works simply excellent.

Then Gemini’s AI assistant, which is at present the most effective that I’ve used, sure, even in comparison with ChatGPT, the place you may entry it by urgent and holding the facility button as an alternative of sliding from the nook of the display screen like how you’ll do on different Android units.

I do use and pay for a ChatGPT subscription, which is nice on different telephones as properly, however Google has made Gemini AI extra dependable and really straightforward to entry, the place I feel that it’s time for me to place a full cease to ChatGPT subscription proper after this.

That is additionally due to Gemini Reside, which is likely one of the greatest conversational sorts of AI assistants the place it feels such as you’re having a dialog with a good friend or a working colleague to brainstorm concepts or such.

However what’s extra spectacular is how one can interrupt it whereas it’s midway speaking. What’s additionally nice is the truth that you may at all times return to the transcription of this complete whole dialog, so you may at all times return and browse what precisely has been mentioned throughout this complete dialog.

Whereas Gemini additionally has the subscription, which is Gemini Superior, which does assist in sure areas like coding or logical reasoning, now, that’s simply an excessive amount of for a YouTuber like me or a content material creator like me.

However with Gemini Superior, there’s even higher integration with the Google Workspace, like Gmail and document-based applications like Docs, Sheets, and extra.

And what’s even larger is the truth that it additionally has 2TB of storage that add into the entire package deal too.

However what? The free model was nonetheless nice too.

Gemini additionally does a fairly good job in summarizing a YouTube video, the place should you see a YouTube video, simply press and maintain the facility button to name out Gemini, and you then’ll be prompted to ask about this video. After which you may say issues like “Summarize this video,” and it offers you the entire abstract of the entire video.

However please don’t try this for our movies, yeah? We want the views.

You can too make notes for cellphone calls, however sadly, it’s not obtainable in Malaysia or every other nation as it is just obtainable within the US.

However in fact, all of this comes with a improbable software program package deal, identical to Samsung flagships, the place the Google Pixel 9 Sequence comes with 7 years of software program and safety updates, making the cellphone a lot extra interesting in comparison with different Android flagships as properly, particularly should you’re wanting into the China-based smartphones.

 

Conclusion

So what’s the conclusion?

Effectively, this time, the reply could be very easy. Should you’re seeking to improve your cellphone the place your cellphone might be about two years outdated or so, then the Pixel 9 Professional Sequence, particularly this XL, is the most effective proper now. Having the most effective of each worlds of software program and {hardware} at its greatest.