Google’s new Pixel lineup is one of the most exciting in years. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is coming to Canada, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is bigger and better than previous Pro devices, and the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2 look snazzy and offer solid improvements over previous models.

Between these devices, the AI ​​capabilities, and the features only available in the Pro version, the Pixel 9 could easily get lost, but it has made a big impression on me over the last week.

The Pixel 9 stands out in many ways, with its updated design, core features, and the consistently high-quality photography of Pixel phones. The phone is faster, feels better – thanks to the new camera bump and beautiful, new flat aluminum frame – and some of the new AI tools are very useful.

So how does it compare to the Pixel 8 and the competition? For me, it’s a winner, but with a few limitations.

Design and display

The design of the Pixel 9 is very similar to that of the Pixel 8, but there are key differences.

The new camera bump is sleek and stylish, and I love the range of colors Google gave me, including Winter Green. I also love the flat, new aluminum frame, which looks so much cleaner and sharper. Even in my hand, I prefer the shape of the Pixel 9 because it’s easier to hold and grip.

The Pixel 9 also features a slightly larger display (0.1 inches) with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back for better durability.

There are a lot more updates in terms of specs and features, but these basics make a difference. I haven’t been such a big fan of recent Pixel designs, but I love the Pixel 9. It stands out, especially next to other Android phones.

The 422 PPI OLED display with Smooth Display and 60-120 Hz refresh rate looks great and weighs a perfect 7 oz/198 grams. The display is also 35% brighter than previous models, with up to 1800 nits for HDR and up to 2700 nits peak brightness.

Google used recycled aluminum in the frame, which I really appreciate, as well as the new, more environmentally friendly packaging that contains no plastic.

Performance and battery

Perhaps one of the biggest and most helpful updates to the Pixel 9 is the memory: the phone now has 12GB of RAM, up from the previous 8GB on the Pixel 8. Combined with the Google Tensor G4 and Titan M2 security coprocessor, the Pixel 9 feels very fast.

For comparison, the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL both have 16 GB of RAM.

The Pixel 9 is available with 128GB or 256GB of storage, and I’ll say it again: I still think 128GB of storage is a bit tight for some users. If you’re looking to save some money, that can make the phone cheaper, but that equates to about 100GB of space to store all your apps and files.

If you shoot 4K video and download movies to stream offline, that storage will likely fill up quickly. However, users who shoot a lot of video may want to consider the Pixel 9 Pro or Pro XL anyway.

The battery is one of the Pixel’s other big updates. It has a typical capacity of 4700mAh and a minimum of 4558mAh. That makes a big difference in how long you can use the phone, and charging is faster too: up to 55% can be charged in 30 minutes using a 45W charger from Google.

Unfortunately, this charger has to be purchased separately, but the quick-charge function is decent at 27 W.

Photography and videos

Mobile photography has come a long way and there is now fierce competition for the best camera phones, but the Pixel series and Pixel 9 still stand out in some important ways.

The Pixel 9 has an excellent 50MP wide-angle camera, a 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera with macro focus and up to 2x optical zoom, and up to 8x digital zoom with Super Res Zoom. The front camera is the same as the Pixel 8, but has a slightly wider field of view.

In comparison, the Pixel 9 Pro phones now have a 42MP front camera.

Photos and videos are good overall, although I would like to see a little better quality from the selfie camera and wish the phone’s rear cameras offered at least 3x optical zoom. However, I did capture some great images during the day and at night, including in long exposure mode, portrait, night sight, and slow motion mode for videos.

The real stars of the phone’s features, though, are the new Add Me mode, Real Tone, Astrophotography and Top Shot. Add Me is the feature that finally lets the photographers be part of the shots. To use it, you take a photo of the other person or people, and then they move out of the frame and take a photo of you in the same spot. The double exposure makes it look like you were all in the photo together the whole time.

Google’s editing tools are still excellent and I still really appreciate tools like Magic Eraser, general image enhancement features, and other built-in photo enhancement tools.

Voice enhancement, stabilization, and up to 4k/60 fps continue to be the standout features for video on the Pixel 9, and sometimes macro focus too.

Other Android phones offer some impressive photography results these days, so not everything Google does is as impressive as it used to be. But no Android phone has a better night mode, and astrophotography is still one of my favorite features that’s exclusive to the Pixel.

A few photos of the Pixel 9 cameras:

Features and Gemini AI

Google promises 7 years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates, and that’s a pretty big deal. The phone offers dual SIM with a single nano-SIM plus eSIM and Wi-Fi 7.

The new Screenshots app is a very interesting feature for the Pixel phones that lets you manage and capture content from screenshots. Gemini Nano takes details from the screenshot and the metadata and can then remind you of information from the screenshot, add details to your calendar and let you organize screenshots too.

In addition, the Pixel 9 comes with numerous Gemini AI features built in, from helping you write notes, messages, and emails in Google apps to searching for information in Google apps.

I’ll be the first to say that a lot of what’s being touted as helpful AI around the world right now doesn’t seem to actually help most people, and that anything productive is based on the work of real artists. Yet some of these AI tools in the Pixel 9 are actually helpful.

The Gemini app is included with the phone and offers the option of a conversational method of interacting with the AI. It feels like the next generation of assistant that can do a lot more and help in a range of scenarios.

Final thoughts

The Pixel 9 is the cheapest new Pixel phone and impresses with some important upgrades such as more RAM, rear cameras and new core AI features.

The RAM in particular makes a big difference, but the price is a bit high for the most basic Pixel phone.

If you’re a long-time Pixel fan and are upgrading from the Pixel 7, the new phone is an obvious choice. It’s a good step forward at a more affordable price. The 7 years of updates is a great incentive too.

If you have a little more money at your disposal, you can score points with the Pixel 9 Pro, which has better cameras and more RAM.

Prices and availability

The Pixel 9 is available now and starts at $1,099.00 CAD for the 128GB model, while the 256GB model costs $1,229 USD. The phone is available in Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, and Peony colors.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL starts at $1,499.00 CAD, while the Pixel 9 Pro starts at $1,349.00 CAD and will be available in Canada this fall.

Google also announced the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, available September 4, the Pixel Watch 3, available September 10, and the Pixel Buds Pro 2, available September 26.

Visit the Google Store to order.