Google Pixel 9 Review – 128GB Isn’t Gonna Cut It for a 2024 Flagship

Unboxing the Google Pixel 9

Kicking off our Google Pixel 9 review with the unboxing, our review unit came in a minimalist black box with the Google logo towards the top and an illustration of the device on the center. I thought this looked oddly muted but as it turns out, the color of the box is dependent on the color of the device, which makes more sense as I figured they intentionally made it more bland. The packaging also appears to be free from plastics in an effort to be more eco-friendly. Inside the box, we found the following items:

• USB-C to USB-C cable
• Documentations
• SIM ejector tool
• The Google Pixel 9 itself

Note: Our review unit came with a protective case, which is also black in color. Unless specific retailers include it to sweeten the deal, it’s a separate purchase.

Specifications

CPU:	Google Tensor G4, 4nm
GPU:	Mali-G715 @ 940MHz
RAM:	12GB
Display:	6.3″ FHD+ (2424 x 1080), OLED Actua Display, 60 to 120Hz, 2,700 nits, HDR10+, Always-On, Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Storage:	128GB UFS 3.1 (not expandable)
Camera:	50MP f/1.68 Octa PD wide angle, 48MP f/1.7 123° Quad PD ultrawide, 10.5MP f/2.2 Dual PD selfie camera
OS:	Android 14
Audio:	Stereo speakers
Connectivity:	Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, Tri-Band 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz, Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth 5.3 with A2DP, LE, aptX HD GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5) NFC USB-C 3.2
SIM:	NanoSIM and eSIM
Battery:	Li-ion 4700 mAh (non-removable), 27W Fast Charging (PD3.0, PPS), 15W Wireless Charging, Reverse wireless
Dimensions:	152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm
Weight:	198g
Ingress protection:	IP68
Colors:	Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, Peony

Performance

Starting off our benchmark suite with Antutu v10, the Google Pixel 9 didn’t come off with stellar scores but it is decent nonetheless. The performance of the Tensor G4 chip seems to be on par with typical upper midrange devices and flagships from last year. I just find it interesting that the score is practically the same with a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, which is a weakened and more affordable variant of the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Moving on to Geekbench 6, it seems that the Tensor G4 chip powering the Google Pixel managed to outpace the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. It is still on par with last year’s flagship chip, albeit with the multi core performance still lagging behind, as it doesn’t even come close to the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Then in 3DMark, it seems to be struggling with 3D applications as it’s noticeably behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and 8s Gen 3 chips for both Wild Life and Wild Life Extreme. This would be the first sign that it might not be ideal for high performance mobile gaming, at least when comparing it to other similar priced devices. With that being said however, the Tensor G4 does have one area that it wins, and that’s thermal stability as it has a rating of 96.7%, which is noticeably higher than most Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 devices, which averages at around 50%.

Adding on to the 3D application scores, we have GPUScore Sacred Path for the first time in our smartphone reviews. This time around, it managed to exceed the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and isn’t too far off from the Snapdragon 8 Gen across VRS, Native, and Official tests. This at least brings back hope that it can still perform decently well for 3D graphics, but still slower than the usual Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chips.

Lastly on PCMark’s Work 3.0 benchmark, the Tensor G4 is way below what we expected it to be. It even lost out to a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 device, a flagship from two years ago, albeit by a small margin. Sure, it’s still a capable daily driver but given that it’s a 2024 flagship device that commands a premium price, one would expect it to be higher. Keep in mind that the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL uses the same chip, and the added RAM can only help so much.

On top of thermal stability, battery life is an area that the Google Pixel 9 excels in as it manages to last 13 hours and 9 minutes (789 minutes) in PCMark’s Work 3.0 endurance test. Not many devices this year managed to last that long, let alone within the flagship category, and from my own use case, I can easily go two full days without needing to charge, which is great. This is of course with just heavy social media use, light messaging and calls, and no mobile gaming whatsoever.

As for charging, this is what I managed to get using a 100W GaN charger from 2% battery life:

• 15 minutes = 32%
• 30 minutes = 53%
• 45 minutes = 69%
• 60 minutes = 79%
• 75 minutes = 86%
• 90 minutes = 99%
• 91 minutes = 100%

Note: The Google Pixel 9 only supports up to 27W of fast charging via wired.

Camera

The Google Pixel 9 inherits the Pixel 8’s dual-camera setup with a wide primary camera and an ultrawide camera, but lacks a telephoto lens, which is reserved for the Pro models. The Pixel 9 introduces a few upgrades, including a new 48MP ultrawide camera and autofocus for the selfie camera. The main camera remains the same as in the Pixel 9 Pro and previous models, offering excellent image quality with good detail, natural rendering, and vibrant colors in daylight.

The Pixel 9 does not include a telephoto lens, limiting its zoom capabilities, and zooming all the way to 8x results in muddy photos. The ultrawide camera captures sharp images with good dynamic range and can focus as close as 15mm, making it suitable for macro photography. In low-light conditions, the main camera produces respectable photos with good exposure and color, though detail in shadows may be slightly soft. The ultrawide camera performs well in low light, delivering bright exposures and decent sharpness in well-lit areas. Overall, the Pixel 9 is competitive with other flagship models in both daylight and low-light shots.

The Camera app includes features like “Add Me”, for situations where you want everyone to be in the picture without taking it like a selfie, and “Best Take” for enhanced photos. What I didn’t like was the lack of Pro controls so you don’t get to adjust shutter speeds, ISOs and more. At most, there’s only a slider for brightness, shadows, white balance, and Night Sight. If you want more controls, you’ll need to opt for a 3rd party camera app like Camera FV-5 or ProShot.

The Good

There are a number of good reasons to consider getting the Google Pixel 9. For starters, the display is certainly top-tier. It’s a 6.3-inch Full HD+ Actua display with 120Hz refresh rate, 120Hz refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for added protection from scratches. The brightness peaks out at 2,700 nits, making it almost 40% brighter than its predecessor and it looks amazing. Color reproduction is on the punchier side with good contrast, so expect quite a bit of vibrancy here.

Furthermore, the speakers are quite pleasant. They’re not absurdly loud but it’s more than adequate in terms of volume while the mids and high are rather pronounced for smartphone speakers, though the lows are quite flat. If you often find yourself playing mobile games, watching videos, or listening to music on this, you’d definitely find it to be an enjoyable experience. It’s not the best in its class, but its still high up there.

An upgrade that I know I was surprised by is the move to an ultrasonic fingerprint reader under the display. The older Pixel devices had issues in terms of both speed and accuracy but with this upgrade, unlocking the Google Pixel 9 is practically effortless. It’s basically instantaneous and almost never fails, so much so that even if you accidentally touch the reader area with a registered finger, it will almost certainly unlock. No complaints from me though, I love how well and fast it works.

For me personally, the Google Pixel 9 looks good. Sure, it does remind me of a certain other competitor in terms of feel but the look is certainly unique in the Android world, especially when you look at the camera bump. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s perfectly fine, but nothing about it speaks cheaply made or overly plain.

One major thing that’s worth noting is that boosted RAM capacity as this comes with 12GBs instead of 8. It’s much needed as the biggest highlight of the entire series is the new AI capabilities. This way you can have a decent multitasking experience while still having access to Gemini AI with no issues. If you’re a particularly heavy multitasker or big on maximizing productivity, the Pro models are the way to go. As it stands, this is a good upgrade for your typical everyday user.

The Google Pixel 9 phones come with Android 14 and include the new Gemini AI, offering a clean and customizable interface. Google promises seven years of software support for the Pixel 9 series, including major OS updates and security patches. Gemini AI enhances the Pixel 9 with advanced features and it’s fully functional, just that it’s still pretty much a work in progress. I’m going to dive more into it but this part is going to be lengthy so bear with me here:

The Bad

Of course, the Google Pixel 9 has its share of drawbacks. For starters, while I like how it looks, it is a rather hefty device, especially considering that it’s the smallest in the series. It is certainly on the wider side so smaller hands / shorter fingers might need to give it a try first to see if it can still be comfortably wielded with one hand. The weight also feels quite concentrated, as 198g isn’t particularly heavy, but it feels heavy with this. I would personally want it to be 5 to 10g lighter but it’s not a dealbreaker.

Next up, while I do like how the Google Pixel 9 looks, I’m not a fan of the glossy rear as it picks up fingerprint smudges way too easily. As usual, a protective case would solve that problem but more importantly, I would suggest avoiding the black (Obsidian) color at all costs as it’s not as prominent with the colorways (Porcelain, Wintergreen, Peony).

One thing that’s worth noting, and it practically makes the use a protective case necessary, is how pronounced the camera bump is. On one hand, there is a worry about damaging that area, or even the cameras themselves, as that side would be more likely to collect scratches, dents, and cracks in the event of a fall but on the other hand, you’ll often find dust collecting around the bump, which is a major eyesore.

The Google Pixel series is typically seen as the pinnacle of Android and normally, we’d see a new version of Android launch alongside it. This time around, you get the same Android 14 that you’d see in every other smartphone the past year, albeit a stock version. Do not fret however, as Android 15 is expected to launch sometime next month, assuming it doesn’t get delayed, and it will be among the first to get it for obvious reasons.

Lastly, the Google Pixel 9, and the entire series, is rather pricey in Malaysia. For this one in particular, it starts out for RM3,999 but you only get a measly 128GB while the 256GB retails for RM4,499. In comparison to two popular competitors in the Android space, the Samsung Galaxy S24 launched for RM4,099 but that gets you 256GB while the 512GB goes for RM4,599, and both have already seen a price drop online. The Xiaomi 14 for its 256GB and 512GB variants launched with even more affordable prices; RM3,499 and RM3,799. I don’t think it will not sell well, but it will be tough given its competition.

Google Pixel 9 Verdict

The Google Pixel 9 is a great everyday smartphone, and while the benchmark scores may seem disappointing, the power is more than adequate for most consumers and it wins out in terms of thermal stability and efficiency, which is evident by its long battery life. It’s definitely far from a bad device, especially given the good camera performance and being chock full of AI features, but its asking price, especially given that it starts out at 128GB for storage, makes it a tough sell given the competition.

At the end of our Google Pixel 9 review, I award this smartphone with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to Google Malaysia for sending us this smartphone for the purpose of this review.