The Google Pixel 9 Pro and 9 PRO XL are the new masters of mobile AI. But are they really worth the money? Let’s take a closer look at them. The Pixel 9 Pro and 9 PRO XL are Google’s latest flagship phones, packed with the best technology the company has to offer, including the shiny new design, the Tenet G4 processor, and a whole host of new AI tricks. I’ve been testing the PRO XL, which is the larger of the two Pixel 9 PRO models, but otherwise its specs are identical to the smaller version, so this video will be relevant to you no matter which phone you’re considering. The new 9 Pro range brings a whole host of improvements over the previous Pixel 8 Pro. But this phone is really all about AI, well, all about AI. So let’s start with that, while the Pixel 8 Pro had some AI capabilities, that was really just the beginning, with the 8 Pro only seeing Google dip a toe in the AI ​​waters. The Pixel 9 Pro is Google doing a full triple somersault with a pike dive from the high jump into the pool. A lot of these AI capabilities are based on images. First of all, we have the reimagined feature where you can select a part of an image you’ve taken, type in a prompt and then it magically fills that area with what you want to see. So let’s take this selfie where I’m sitting outside a pub as an example. I just go to edit and then I can go to the magic editor feature and I don’t really like that. We’ve got the whole exterior of the pub in the store right now. So I can just tap on that, go to reimagine and then type in something like “brick wall,” wait a couple of seconds for it to generate and it cut me out and replaced me with something a little more interesting. I don’t really like this one. This one, I don’t know what’s going on. This one is very industrial so it gives you some options. But if you don’t like these, you can just try again. So, I actually quite like this one. So I’m going to select this one. But then I can draw a nice big hole here and then say reimagine and insert blue sky window. That’s quite nice. This one is fun though. We even have some nice green hills in the background that have been inserted. So, yeah, let’s go with this one and then I can keep playing around. I could maybe insert wall plants here, wall plants or something like that. So now we have some green up there on the wall and I just tap on that remaining piece of sky. It actually selected both parts of the sky and reimagined it as a sunset. And now we have this beautiful sunset out the window and a sunset in the sky above. And now with just a few prompts, I’ve taken this otherwise boring and forgettable pub selfie and turned it into something a little more interesting. The tool lets you do all sorts of things, from replacing the background and adding objects to completely changing the sky to a beautiful sunset or adding a wolf behind you for some reason or just completely redesigning the image of a weird apocalyptic pirate scene. The possibilities are really endless. Then there’s a new Ad Me tool that lets you take a photo of a group of your friends. Then you go into the scene, someone there takes a photo of you and then the phone stitches those shots together so you end up in the photo together. Or if you’re a total narcissist like me, you can use it to put yourself in the same picture twice. Nice stuff. All of these tools have actually worked pretty well so far in my testing time. And while not all of the results are perfect. You can generally just try again and the AI ​​might get it better next time. If you don’t want to take actual photos, you can use Pixel Studio, which generates an image based solely on the prompts you enter. And again, it can be a bit hit and miss, this chunk of nonsense is actually supposed to be a flock of birds. And when I asked it to write “Wish you were here”, like a postcard, this is what came out. I mean, what is this anyway? But I really enjoyed playing around with the tool, particularly creating these vintage-inspired posters. I guess the bigger question is, do you really need that given the results? Often they’re pretty bizarre, and the actual image quality and detail itself is really pretty bad. The actual usefulness of these images seems a bit limited at the moment, and you’ll find AI integration in the rest of the phone too, with Google’s New Gemini Advanced easily accessible by holding down the power button while asking it a question. And it’s pretty good too, giving me really useful answers to questions like “why I shouldn’t put glue in a cake” or “what I should do if I find a giraffe in my hallway” or “why I shouldn’t build a car out of cheese”. Apparently it has something to do with structural integrity. I know Gemini Advanced isn’t the end all be all, but you can also use Gemini Live, which lets you chat with the AI ​​as if you were having a conversation. The answers you get are basically the same no matter which one you use. But Gemini Live lets you interrupt the flow to ask important follow-up questions, or rephrase something if it’s wrong, or just throw in a few random opinions and see how it responds. I spent a lot of time testing it while testing the phone, and while it’s definitely great fun, the actual information it provides isn’t always accurate. It recommended I listen to a song that just doesn’t exist. And on another occasion, it suggested I grab a beer at a nearby place that had actually closed years ago. I found various other quirks and bugs that are pretty common for something this new. So I’m definitely excited to see how it fares in the coming months and more importantly, if I can actually use it in my daily life. However, keep in mind that using Gemini Advanced and Gemini Live requires a subscription to Google One. And while you get an annual subscription, the Pixel 9 Pro will ultimately cost you $20 per month when you buy it. However, it also comes with two terabytes of cloud storage. So yes, there’s a lot of AI on this phone. And what else does it have to offer? Well, it has a refreshed design with a new camera bar and the edges are now flat and polished rather than smoothly rounded. Personally, I think it looks great. I found the Pixel 8 Pro to look a little cartoonish and even childish. Whereas the Pixel 9 Pro is classy through and through. While the base variant has a 6.3-inch display, the Pixel 9 PRO XL that I tested has a 6.8-inch display. So you get a bit more screen real estate to make the most of your games or movies, and you want something that’s easier to fit into your jeans. You opt for the smaller Pro, the XL display looks great with vibrant colors and more than enough resolution to make tiny text and high-resolution videos look beautiful. The phone and all its AI stuff is powered by Google’s latest Tensor G4 processor for everyday use. I’ve found this to be fast and responsive, with games like Genshin Impact running at smooth frame rates and even the AI ​​image generation taking just a couple of seconds each. It’s actually launching with last year’s Android 14 on board, with an updated version 15 promised for later this year. It’s a shame Google didn’t take the opportunity to launch Android 15 with its new phones, but at least we’re getting a generous seven years of software and security support. That means this phone will still be good to use in 2031. The cameras are one area where I’m hoping to see major improvements. Well, there are loads of new software tricks, starting with AI capabilities and Add Me mode, and a new panorama feature. The actual hardware is pretty much unchanged since last year’s Pixel 8 PRO. Don’t get me wrong, the Pixel 9 Pro can take beautiful photos with all of its cameras, with great colors, spot-on exposure, and tons of detail. I’ve been really impressed with many of the shots I’ve taken so far. But the Pixel 8 Pro took great photos too, and aside from some of the new AI tricks, the cameras haven’t really evolved. The selfie camera is one area that has made a significant jump: from 10.5 megapixels on the Pixel 8 Pro to a much more generous 42 megapixels on the Pixel 9 Pro, and surprisingly, selfies look great. Even if your hair doesn’t. The Pixel 9 Pro and 9 PRO XL certainly have a lot going for them. I love the new design. The cameras take great photos. There are now two Pro sizes to choose from and the new AI capabilities are definitely a lot of fun, but the camera hardware could have really been improved. The AI ​​results can definitely be a gamble and using some of the advanced AI features like Gemini Live requires an additional monthly subscription. So are the Pixel Nine Pro and Nine Pro XL really worth the money? Well, that really depends on how much you want AI to be part of your life now. The Pixel’s image generation and its conversational Gemini Live are the key features that set this phone apart from the competition, so if those features leave you cold, you can safely look elsewhere. But even that will change as Gemini Live rolls out to other Android phones. AI will only become more of a part of all phones as Samsung expands its Galaxy AI and Apple introduces its Apple Intelligence to the iPhone later this year. So whether or not you want AI on your phone will be a moot point. You’ll have it, you’ll just have it, and the Pixel Nine Pro’s combination of attractive design, slick software, and solid cameras makes it a great phone to get your first real taste of AI on your phone. What do you think of the Pixel Nine Pro and Nine Pro XL? Do the new AI capabilities tempt you to spend your money, or are you simply looking for better hardware? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below, and check out the video description for lots more information.