Design & Hardware
A compact Pixel is not a new concept in itself, of course, but this is the first time Google is bringing the entirety of its A-game to this form factor. The Pixel 9 Pro packs a 48MP, 5x optical periscope telephoto camera - the same as the Pixel 9 Pro XL. There is also UWB onboard the Pixel 9 Pro. Frankly, it's kind of amazing that Google managed to fit so much extra hardware inside what is essentially the same footprint as the non-Pro Pixel 9.
Display Quality
Google also paid some extra attention to the display of the Pro. It is a bit bigger than the Pixel 8's and better than that inside the regular Pixel 9. The resolution has been upgraded to 1280 x 2856 pixels, the maximum brightness has been improved, and there is LTPO tech for dynamic refresh rate adjustment.
Camera Upgrades
The Google Pixel 9 Pro gets a 42MP selfie camera - the same as the Pixel 9 Pro XL and an upgrade over the 10.5MP selfie on the vanilla Pixel 9.
Unboxing
This year's Pixels ship in recycled cardboard packages. There is no plastic anywhere to be found, not even on the inside, which is nice and eco-friendly. There is still a cradle for the phone on the inside, keeping it nice and secure for transit. The box is also quite sturdy.
There is hardly anything in the way of accessories in the retail package. You just get a Type-C to Type-C cable in the box and nothing else. The Pixel 9 Pro charges at a maximum rate of 27W and does so via standard Power Delivery (PD), which is great news since you can easily source a charger. Still, we would have really liked to get one in the box.
Pricing
- 128GB 16GB RAM: $445.48 / €552.98
- 256GB 16GB RAM: $539.99 / €663.70
- 512GB 16GB RAM: £891.99 / €867.61
