As hard as it is to believe, the Google Pixel 9 Pro is already six months old. It’s a phone I used quite a bit last summer and early fall, and as a longtime Pixel fan, it’s one I really enjoyed. However, as this job often goes, I eventually had to put the Pixel 9 Pro away to test other devices. Fast forward to March 2025; I figured now was as good a time as any to revisit it. So, for the last week, I’ve been back on the Pixel 9 Pro as my primary smartphone. How's it been? It's been... interesting.
There’s a lot I still really like about the Pixel 9 Pro (love, even), but other parts haven’t held up nearly as well as I remembered. It’s resulted in a frustrating week with lots of ups and downs, and despite how much the phone continues to get right, I’ll be putting it back in my office closet once this article is published. Let me explain why.
While I have issues with the Pixel 9 Pro (which I’ll get into later), there’s so much the phone gets right. Almost everything I love most about the Pixel 9 Pro revolves around its software experience. Google's Pixel software has been top-tier for a few years now. After using OnePlus and Samsung phones, I was quickly reminded of the small details that make using a modern Pixel so irresistible.
For instance, the face unlock is an excellent feature. While many Android phones today have this option for getting past your lock screen, the Pixel 9 Pro lets you use its face unlock for various tasks — accessing apps like 1Password or authenticating Google Wallet purchases. It works seamlessly so that you almost forget anything is happening.
Another favorite aspect is the Pixel 9 Pro’s screenshot shortcuts. I once took a screenshot of a movie ticket receipt in my email to add it to Google Wallet. After capturing that screenshot, the phone offered me an “Add to Wallet” shortcut which made the process incredibly smooth.
Moreover, the Pixel Weather app has been a joy to use. Its design, customizability, and availability of various data points make it my favorite weather app on Android. Pixel Recorder remains the best app for audio recording and transcription. Not to mention, now providing useful features like the 'Now Playing' that has been around for nearly eight years.
But here’s where things get a bit more complicated. On a technical level, the Pixel 9 Pro has fantastic cameras — a 50MP primary, 48MP 5x telephoto, and a 48MP ultrawide sensor that should deliver greatness. However, I’ve found myself increasingly annoyed with Google’s image processing. The photos look good technically: they are clean and consistent, but they lack vibrancy. For instance, a photo of my dog on the couch came out perfectly in focus and sharp, yet felt drab and uninspired. I recall that the OnePlus 13 captured the same scene with more life and color.
This feeling of emotional detachment from the images continued with other scenes. Although the shots from Pixel 9 Pro are technically sound, I desire contrast, depth, and character—all of which seem to be absent in photos taken with this device.
Moving on to performance, the Pixel 9 Pro is equipped with the Tensor G4 chip. While it handles tasks well, I have to note that it heats up during light usage. On multiple occasions, the phone became noticeably warm while watching YouTube for ten minutes or while responding to a messaging app. This is concerning given the light task nature.
In terms of battery life, I saw some variance. One day, after three hours of screen-on time, I finished with 45% battery remaining. However, on another day, I dropped to 15% after five and a half hours of usage — fine, but I consistently saw better battery endurance from the Samsung Galaxy S25, which has a smaller capacity.
Discussing the display, it’s typically vibrant, sharp, and performs well. However, I’ve found that I often have to raise the brightness level more than other modern flagships. Despite having a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, my Pixel usually sits around 75% indoors, unlike my OnePlus 13, which is fine at around 50%. A frustrating quirk in bright sunlight is the emergence of a distracting shadow effect at the edges of the display.
Finally, the hardware has exceptional quality with a matte glass back and stainless steel frame. Yet, since picking it back up in March 2025, I've realized the weight at 199g feels bulky in a way that disrupts the experience. The Samsung Galaxy S25 feels significantly lighter thanks to better distribution despite having a similarly sized screen.
It's clear I have conflicting thoughts about my experience with the Pixel 9 Pro. While parts of it still dazzle me, my complaints about the performance, battery, and camera processing are hard to ignore, reflecting both the evolving state of the smartphone landscape and my own changing needs. With such a phenomenal smartphone hidden within, I wish I could overlook these issues and fully embrace the Pixel 9 Pro.
