The Google phone I’ve waited for

I’ve at all times had what may in all probability be described as a silly perception within the Google Pixel sequence. Ever since my school roommate returned from Christmas break with a Pixel XL in its Actually Blue end, I believed Google would finally have the most effective Android cellphone round. A daring hope, I do know — Google appears to kill off its greatest merchandise simply as they attain their peak — however I believed it however. Certain, there have been hindrances and one-off options, however I feel my religion has lastly paid off. The Pixel 9 Professional XL is perhaps the most effective Android cellphone I’ve ever used, and it’s Google proper all the way down to the core.

For no matter cause, my love for the Pixel sequence didn’t begin with its near-stock taste of Android — it began with Google’s design. I do know, you must in all probability like how utilizing your cellphone feels over the way it seems, however that simply wasn’t me. I used to be drawn in by the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, two-toned finishes (nonetheless ready on one other Panda, Google), and the candy simplicity of the G brand on the again.

Then, I watched the Pixel evolve. I watched Google undertake a bigger, sq. digital camera bump, tack on a show notch that’s inconceivable to overlook, and ditch the beloved rear fingerprint sensor — some modifications I appreciated and a few that I didn’t. As soon as Google launched a brand-new design with its now iconic digital camera bar with the Pixel 6 sequence, although, I lastly felt prefer it was constructing in direction of one thing. It had created an Android flagship that was utterly totally different from what the likes of Samsung, Motorola, and OnePlus have been doing, and folks lastly began to ask what cellphone I used to be utilizing purely primarily based on its seems.

Now, that distinctive, formidable design has matured with the Pixel 9 sequence. Gone are the curves — each on the edges of the show and across the aluminum body — and the digital camera bar has morphed into extra of a digital camera island, buying and selling the potential for a two-toned Pixel for the safety of a digital camera bump that wouldn’t shatter if dropped on an edge. It’s a design evolution that I cheekily mentioned makes it my favourite iPhone ever, and I’m keen to face by that truth. No, it’s not actually an iPhone, however the Pixel 9 Professional XL lastly matches Apple’s lofty {hardware} requirements in a means that feels sturdier and extra dependable than Google’s earlier flagships.

Each fringe of the Pixel 9 Professional XL feels rigorously thought of, with simply sufficient curve on the edges to make the huge 6.8-inch AMOLED panel decently snug to carry and simply sufficient texture to the frosted Gorilla Glass Victus 2 again panel so the cellphone shouldn’t slip proper out of your hand. If it does, not less than the IP68 score ought to guard it from the weather. Each panes of sturdy glass are joined by a color-matched high-gloss aluminum body that appears beautiful however may work in opposition to Google’s largest flagship — not less than when you have smaller palms. The shift from barely rounded rails to completely flat ones makes the Pixel 9 Professional XL really feel thicker than the previous Pixel 8 Professional, despite the fact that it’s a couple of third of a millimeter thinner at its widest level and is almost the identical peak and width. In case you’re fearful about that measurement, although, Google has an extended overdue smaller Pixel 9 Professional to promote you, although both means you should purchase a case for some added peace of thoughts.

Outdoors of the brand new, flattened sides, the Pixel 9 Professional XL is a story of small modifications that add as much as a major enchancment. As talked about, it has practically equivalent dimensions to its predecessor, but it provides an additional tenth of an inch of show actual property. What which means is that the Pixel 9 Professional XL has slimmer (however nonetheless even) bezels throughout. They’re slim to the purpose the place you received’t discover them — not less than, I didn’t — but the flattened body means you received’t by chance faucet the sides of the show, both. Google’s upgraded panel is brighter, too, peaking at 3,000 nits somewhat than 2,400 and holding 2,000 nits in high-brightness mode as a substitute of 1,600. Even the colour choices on the Pixel 9 Professional XL really feel a bit extra grown up, with muted tones like Rose Quartz and Hazel changing Mint and Bay. They nonetheless look good, however they’re not fairly as vibrant as I’m used to.

Across the again, even the island-like digital camera bar matches completely on the Pixel 9 Professional XL. As a lot as I appreciated the visor-style bar on the earlier Pixels, I’ve discovered it simpler to place my fingers across the island, resting one comfortably beneath to help such a giant cellphone. The slight texture of the aluminum helps, too, as I can really feel it and know that I’m not smudging my digital camera lenses. I’d smudge the temperature sensor, however I’ve ignored that function as a lot as Google ignored it whereas launching the Pixel 9 sequence.

Jokes apart, it’s exceptional how far Google has are available simply three years. I used to be impressed with the brand new design when it launched on the Pixel 6 sequence, but holding the Pixel 6 Professional subsequent to the Pixel 9 Professional XL makes the previous really feel like little greater than a proof of idea.

In fact, we are able to’t proceed a Pixel-based dialogue with out speaking about what’s in all probability the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s most essential function. No, it’s not the triple-camera setup — it’s the Tensor G4 chipset. This yr, it comes backed by a whopping 16GB of RAM (13GB that you need to use and 3GB that’s only for Gemini) and packs larger clock speeds throughout most of its eight cores. Regardless of these all-important upgrades, although, the Pixel 9 Professional XL nonetheless solely comes with 128GB of storage in its base configuration, as a result of causes. Come on, Google, even Samsung doubled the bottom storage on its Galaxy Z Flip 6, and it doesn’t have as many cameras to seize from or ready-to-go AI options to energy via.

Anyway, I digress as a result of everyone knows that the Tensor’s uncooked efficiency isn’t why it issues, it’s all in regards to the software program capabilities it unlocks. Earlier than we get to these, we nonetheless need to benchmark Google’s newest in-house chipset. I ran it via our regular gauntlet of CPU, GPU, and battery exams in opposition to equally geared up Android flagships and Apple’s high canine, and the outcomes are something however stunning. The Tensor G4 got here up wanting the whole lot besides the Tensor G3 in each Geekbench 6 and throughout 20 runs of 3D Mark’s Wild Life take a look at. To Google’s credit score, it’s closing the hole on the OnePlus 12 and its normal Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, but it surely nonetheless has quite a lot of work to do to catch Apple and Samsung. That actual efficiency improve sounds prefer it’ll have to attend for the Pixel 10.

As regular, although, the Tensor G4’s uncooked numbers don’t make or break the expertise. Most individuals merely received’t push their CPU or GPU arduous sufficient on a given day to really feel the distinction in opposition to one thing just like the Galaxy S24 Extremely. My dad, for instance, was fearful in regards to the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s decrease efficiency scores as a cause to not purchase the cellphone, so I popped my SIM out and let him take a look at drive it for a sunny day at Hersheypark. He put it via a regular day, checking baseball scores whereas ready in line for rollercoasters and snapping pictures whereas we tried to seek out shade with the animals in ZooAmerica, and left glad with the truth that Google can sustain together with your common Joe.

I spent for much longer with the Pixel 9 Professional XL, taking it to a Pittsburgh wedding ceremony and a soccer double-header in Washington, DC, however I reached the identical conclusion. It pushed via a full 90 minutes (plus stoppage) of snapping pictures from a budget seats, then dealt with one other hour or so of sunshine gaming in Railbound and Final Golf whereas ready for the second sport to begin. My lengthy days within the solar have been sufficient to show me one factor — the Tensor G4 nonetheless finds a approach to run heat. I’ll chalk a few of it as much as the climate because it was round 85 levels Fahrenheit, however the Pixel 9 Professional XL obtained toasty by the top of our Wild Life stress take a look at, too, which is mirrored within the sustained GPU efficiency drop between run 15-16, and suggests longer, intensive gaming classes will finally result in throttling.

Sometimes, thermal efficiency like that will have me very nervous in regards to the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s battery life, however Google appears to have turned that nook, too. The 5,060mAh cell is barely a hair bigger than its predecessor, but it surely tops the Pixel 8 Professional throughout most metrics in our battery drain take a look at by half-hour or extra. It confirmed enchancment throughout a simulated Zoom name, internet shopping, snapping pictures, and recording 4K video — stuff you’ll in all probability do most days. The Pixel 8 Professional handed in higher 4K video playback and gaming battery life scores, although, which could come all the way down to its barely decrease clock speeds having the ability to stretch its juice only a bit additional.

As soon as once more, in actual life, the Pixel 9 Professional XL can go all day. I commonly went two days between prices, leaving my charger behind for back-to-back days of soccer and theme parks, and nonetheless reached my house in Baltimore with somewhat juice remaining.

Whenever you finally want a cost, the Pixel 9 Professional XL affords somewhat little bit of a headache. Though Google upgraded the charging speeds throughout its whole non-folding Pixel 9 lineup, you possibly can solely attain them when you have a specific set of chargers. On paper, the Pixel 9 Professional XL helps as much as 37W wired charging with as much as 23W wi-fi charging from Google’s in-house second-generation Pixel Stand ($79 at Greatest Purchase) or 12W wi-fi charging from another pad.

I (incorrectly) assumed that this meant it might work with any outdated USB PD PPS-enabled charger, so I grabbed my trusty 68W Motorola TurboPower charger — a charger that I beforehand used to fill the Galaxy S24 Extremely at full energy — and located that it wouldn’t go previous 27W on the Pixel 9 Professional XL. So, I consulted the powers that be (our resident charging professional, Robert Triggs), snagged a more-than-capable improve off Amazon, and charged my Pixel 9 Professional XL a whopping two minutes sooner than the Pixel 8 Professional.

That’s an oversimplification of the method, but it surely’s principally true. The Pixel 9 Professional XL stuffed its battery in 77 minutes to the Pixel 8 Professional’s 79 minutes, but it surely was sooner to each landmark alongside the best way. Google’s newer flagship reached a 25% cost and a 50% cost seven minutes sooner than its predecessor however then needed to throttle a bit more durable because it neared a full 100% to protect the battery’s well being and produce its thermals again in examine. We’re nonetheless investigating this internally to see what the basis trigger is, however lengthy story brief, you’ll in all probability want a brand new charger to your Pixel 9 Professional XL, and even then, you’ll need to watch out about which one you purchase. Watch this house for more information.

However now, for the true cause that the Tensor G4 chipset issues as a result of…

As Rick Osterloh mentioned extra occasions throughout Made By Google than Brian Johnson sang the phrase Thunderstruck whereas singing “Thunderstruck,” we’re within the Gemini age. And, as a longtime Pixel fan and Android person, I at all times knew at the present time was coming. I’ll readily admit that treating my cellphone like a gateway to AI has at all times made me nervous, and to an extent, it nonetheless does. I don’t know if I like having the whole lot I do getting used to coach Gemini to take it off my palms, however that’s the world we reside in.

For what it’s value, although, Google’s Gemini-powered options are actually good. The place lots of them felt incomplete on the Pixel 8 Professional, just like the artifact-laden Magic Editor, lacking Zoom Improve (which loved a long-overdue launch on the identical day because the Pixel 9 sequence), and the considerably restricted Gemini Assistant, they really feel rather more refined on the Pixel 9 Professional XL.

Gemini Assistant, for instance, took an enormous step additional into the uncanny valley with the launch of Gemini Reside, which supplies the AI assistant a way more human-sounding voice and a way more conversational, easy-to-interrupt circulation. I attempted it each at Made By Google and as soon as I returned house to Baltimore, and I used to be shocked at how human Gemini Reside felt. It may take heed to me pester it for afternoon plans in San Francisco and wasn’t bothered after I reduce in to tell Gemini that I didn’t actually wish to spend a lot cash or head to a museum. I even cross-referenced Gemini’s recommendations with C. Scott Brown, our resident Californian, and he was inclined to agree with the concepts. Presently, Gemini Reside has about eight voices to select from, starting from very human to somewhat extra generic, and I’ve been sticking to the generic finish of the spectrum.

Outdoors of Gemini Reside, I’ve spent essentially the most time exploring Google’s new Pixel Studio — which may be very totally different from Samsung’s Portrait Studio. At its coronary heart, it’s a text-based picture generator that lets your thoughts run wild for higher or worse. I’ve loved placing a few of my favourite Star Wars characters into on a regular basis conditions, like taking part in in a non-cantina band or creating one-off graphics for my weekly run membership. There’s a little bit of a catch to that second concept, although — Pixel Studio received’t generate folks for the time being. It’s probably for the security of not placing political figures into compromising conditions, but it surely additionally dampens the enjoyable for these of us with good intentions.

The Gemini hits preserve coming in Google’s up to date Pixel Climate app. I’ve at all times appreciated Google’s strategy to the climate, utilizing a clear interface with a pleasant frog on the high, however the revamped Pixel Climate app is on a distinct stage. Certain, it nonetheless has your hourly and 10-day forecasts, but it surely now has an AI-generated climate report on the high, providing you with a number of fast reminders for the situations. Typically, it’s useful, like a reminder to seize sunscreen in case the clouds burn off later, whereas different occasions, it’s simply letting you understand that the climate outdoors is nice. The place it shines, although, is with the organizable widgets that reside on the backside of the interface. You’ll be able to drag and drop the whole lot from the wind course to the UV index into no matter order you favor, hiding the much less helpful metrics like visibility and stress a bit additional down.

These are simply the Gemini-powered options I’ve discovered time to make use of — there are loads extra. Google has additionally given screenshots a style of its AI magic, permitting you to prepare and search via them like a large Pinterest board. The Pixel 9 Professional XL helps you to save info from cellphone calls with its new Name Notes function, too, however I are likely to lose digital notes sooner than bodily ones, so I’ve skipped out on that function.

And, as a result of it’s a Pixel system with an replace promise of seven years (protecting Android variations, safety patches, and Pixel Drops), there’s in all probability an extended record of AI-powered options we’ve but to listen to about that may make their approach to the Pixel 9 Professional XL. I nonetheless can’t wrap my head round why Google launched its Pixel 9 sequence with Android 14 somewhat than wait till Android 15 was prepared — even when the brand new Pixel apps make it really feel extra like Android 14.5.

Now, for the second that longtime Pixel followers have been ready for — the cameras. I nonetheless have fond recollections of the 12.2MP and 16MP pairing from the again of my Pixel 5, but it surely’s clear that these days are lengthy, lengthy gone. That small, sq. digital camera bar has since stretched into an edge-to-edge digital camera bar to suit a 3rd sensor, and now it’s shrunk right into a pill-shaped island however saved the identical place among the many greatest digital camera telephones round.

Concerning sensors, the Pixel 9 Professional XL isn’t a lot totally different from its predecessor. It packs the identical 50MP major digital camera with a shallow most aperture of ƒ/1.7 and the equal of a large 25mm focal size, and it’s nonetheless backed by a 48MP periscope telephoto that provides 5x optical zoom. This yr, although, Google swapped out its 48MP ultrawide sensor, choosing up the identical ƒ/1.7 most aperture as its major sensor however shrinking barely to a 123-degree discipline of view. It’s a small change that you simply’re not terribly more likely to discover — however the additional gentle seize ought to assist those that love Google’s software-based macro mode.

When you get the Pixel 9 Professional XL out into the true world, you notice that this isn’t the identical digital camera setup you noticed on the Pixel 8 Professional. The place I usually use the first sensor for the majority of my capturing, I discovered myself rather more keen to depend on Google’s tighter telephoto sensor on the Pixel 9 Professional XL, punching into 5x zoom and past whereas watching Chelsea FC Girls beat Arsenal FC Girls in a pre-season pleasant. Even Google’s maxed-out 30x Tremendous Res Zoom is spectacular, capturing considerably higher element than its predecessor due to up to date picture processing. Let’s get to the photographs, and also you’ll see what I imply.

In earlier years, I by no means would have put a 10x zoom picture within the first row of a assessment gallery. I’m used to them shortly giving up on particulars, even on a flagship-grade setup. This time, although, the Pixel 9 Professional XL blew me away. I stood below the steps to the higher deck at Audi Discipline and punched in on the flag waving by the Chelsea purpose. It is perhaps lacking a number of textures throughout the folds of the flag, however the colours are spot-on, the small print are sharp, and you’ll simply make out the Arsenal followers within the far background with their crimson shirts and white sleeves. The Pixel 9 Professional XL dealt with a a lot wider scene with out problem, too, completely recreating the afternoon sky above the west aspect of Audi Discipline with its whispy clouds and not-quite-blue coloring.

As soon as once more, the Pixel 9 Professional XL nails the colours throughout all 4 photographs above — in sunny situations and just some minutes earlier than rain. The macro shot of the white flowers is barely a real macro picture since I couldn’t maintain them nonetheless sufficient for a great shot, but it surely not less than exhibits off the shallow depth of discipline that the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s digital camera can obtain, holding the primary few flowers in focus however falling off properly as you attain the water within the background. If I’ve one grievance from this set, it’s that Google didn’t obtain even lighting throughout the neon signal, with the C in YMCA lacking the glow that the opposite letters have.

The Pixel 9 Professional XL can deal with low-light capturing with wonderful element, too, due to the scale of its major sensor. I captured the primary two pictures, with my colleague Paul Jones including the third, and all three present totally different strengths of the cellphone. I notably like that the Pixel captured the gradual change within the coloration of the sky to the left whereas nonetheless holding onto a number of of the clouds proper close to the lightbulbs. You’ll be able to nonetheless select particulars within the brick constructing, too.

The center picture barely counts as night time mode, due to the lights of Baltimore’s Interior Harbor, but it surely does present how far the Tensor G4 can stretch the sunshine it captures. You’ll be able to simply determine every rope within the rigging, and the black-painted boards on the ship’s aspect are nonetheless distinct regardless of the darkish coloring and even darker water.

Punching out, the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s ultrawide digital camera places me in an attention-grabbing spot. Sure, the photographs all look crisp and free from distortion, however there’s not a lot extremely on this ultrawide. Google’s sensor solely punches out to 0.7x, which isn’t fairly as vast as Samsung’s 0.6x or Apple’s 0.5x. I nonetheless assume the Tensor G4 nailed the colours throughout all 4, and the small print across the edges are spot-on, however I might have appreciated a bit extra of an angle.

Zooming in, although, the Pixel 9 Professional XL is solely wonderful. I’d usually dismiss photographs taken past 5x zoom, however this time, I fortunately shared photographs from the 10x to 15x vary on my Instagram story — each at an Orioles sport and whereas watching soccer. Google’s 5x optical zoom performs an enormous position on this high quality, after all, basically beginning it on third base if you punch into 10x zoom or extra and letting the Tensor G4 deliver it house. I don’t assume I’d zoom in a lot nearer on the 30x picture as the small print get fairly mushy, but it surely’s spectacular how sharp the rows of membership seats and the announcers within the field are when taken at face worth.

In fact, what Pixel flagship could be full with out software program options, proper? Up first, Google reimagined its panorama mode. I do know it won’t sound terribly thrilling — most individuals shoot a panorama as soon as and by no means come again to it — however the Pixel 9 Professional XL makes it a lot simpler. Relatively than information your cellphone between two tight strains, you merely shift alongside the horizon, briefly pausing inside glowing yellow circles whereas the cellphone grabs a picture. When you’re executed, it stitches them collectively for easy photographs just like the one above. It does appear to wrestle with objects within the foreground, although, so there’s nonetheless somewhat little bit of ironing out to be executed.

Google additionally lastly launched Zoom Improve nearly a yr after it was first introduced. Frankly, I see why it took so lengthy. There are some areas in each of the photographs above the place Zoom Improve appears to work properly, like Aubrey Kingsbury’s proper leg and ponytail, however there are simply as many the place it struggles, like together with her title on the again of her shirt and with nearly all of Trinity Rodman’s hair. However hey, it made that grass seem like actually sharp grass, proper?

There’s nonetheless quite a lot of potential for Zoom Improve to get higher over time, and I’m positive it’ll do exactly that with frequent updates — it’s simply not fairly there but.

After which, there’s Add Me, which does simply that — provides you (or a good friend) to a photograph in order that no one has to overlook out on an opportunity encounter with a celeb or a household picture. It additionally works for any model of the pointing Spider-Man meme which you can provide you with, as seen above. Add Me appears to want a comparatively diversified background to work correctly, although, as easy backgrounds are likely to confuse its sense of scale, making one particular person a lot greater than one other in a shot.

Google additionally affords a variety of different AI-powered instruments you possibly can discover on the Pixel 9 Professional XL, like the flexibility to utterly change your pictures with the Reimagine function in Magic Editor. I’ve tried to show the Ikea chair that my cats sleep on into a ship on uneven waters a number of occasions now with combined outcomes, however I’ll say that longer-standing instruments like Magic Eraser present clear indicators of maturity, with fewer artifacts and smoother replacements.

One different digital camera that I haven’t talked about to this point is Google’s up to date selfie shooter. The Pixel 9 Professional XL now has a whopping 42MP punch gap in its 6.8-inch show, and it makes essentially the most of its {hardware}. I didn’t assume it might be considerably higher than the Pixel 9’s normal 10.5MP selfie digital camera, however Google’s top-end Pixel handed in higher particulars and extra correct colours throughout a number of totally different capturing situations. It additionally defaults to 1x zoom, however I want the digital 0.7x ultrawide angle to suit extra of my background within the shot.

Lastly, I feel Google is after Apple’s crown because the king of smartphone movies. It now helps Video Enhance for clips at as much as a most of 20x Tremendous Res Zoom, both day or night time, and may also upscale your clips to 8K decision, from which you’ll be able to pull 33MP nonetheless pictures. Combine in Google’s already wonderful stabilization, and the one factor that’s lacking is to shoot in Log format to color-grade later. I’m not an beginner cinematographer, although, so I’m happy with Google’s default coloration profile when sharing clips. In addition to, you continue to get cinema-like options like Pan and Blur for regular sweeping photographs and a mushy, movie-like focus in your topics.

It’s also possible to take a look at full-resolution variations of those photographs (and plenty of extra from myself and different testers at Android Authority) at this Google Drive hyperlink.

As you’ve in all probability guessed, I actually, actually just like the Pixel 9 Professional XL. Regardless of the assessment rating I’ve given it, it’s not perfection; nothing ever is. The Tensor efficiency upgrades look to be reserved for the Pixel 10, and the charging state of affairs is… complicated. However neither of those are dealbreakers for me, and I don’t assume they need to be for you, both.

The Pixel 9 Professional XL feels just like the elite flagship cellphone Google has been constructing as much as ever because it introduced its chipset manufacturing in-house, combining best-in-class software program updates with refined {hardware} and a novel design which are each higher than ever. And sure, I do know I mentioned nearly the identical actual factor in regards to the Pixel 8 Professional after I reviewed it, however I promise you that the Pixel 9 Professional XL is all that however higher — even when it prices $100 extra.

Suppose you had informed me, again after I was testing my roommate’s Pixel XL, that sooner or later, Google would have a flagship with higher {hardware} than the iPhone, three extremely succesful, AI-powered cameras, genuinely good battery life, and that it might obtain software program updates into the beginning of the 2030s. In that case, I might need laughed at you. It might need appeared like my dream, however my actuality was a Pixel with one 12.3MP digital camera, chunky high and backside bezels, and just some years of updates on the horizon. I believed Google would quit on its Pixel sequence earlier than it reached this level, however now I’m wondering the way it will enhance for the subsequent technology. Someplace on the market, this can be a child’s first Pixel, they usually don’t know what they missed.

Oh, and in case you occur to assume that the huge Pixel 9 Professional XL is an excessive amount of cellphone for you, Google has an answer: the smaller Pixel 9 Professional ($999 at Amazon). It packs a lot of the identical Google-y goodness with Gemini options, digital camera smarts, and high-end {hardware} because the Pixel 9 Professional XL, simply compressed right into a 6.3-inch physique. There are some trade-offs, like a smaller battery and slower charging, however I’d say they’re value it for what is perhaps essentially the most succesful small Android cellphone in a very long time, and I’ve solely simply begun utilizing it on the time of scripting this assessment.

And but, I don’t assume everybody will just like the Pixel 9 Professional XL. It’s a superb cellphone in a crowded market of implausible telephones, and it’s more durable than ever to drag somebody out of their most well-liked ecosystem. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Extremely ($1419.99 at Amazon) is the Pixel’s most pure rival, providing an identical 6.8-inch show with a a lot boxier kind issue. It’s an influence person’s dream, pairing the S Pen with the highly effective Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset and operating its quad-camera setup again for one more yr (although shifting objects are nonetheless a problem for Samsung’s cameras).

Samsung has its share of Galaxy AI options, too, with issues like Observe Help to prepare your handwriting into an simply readable doc and Picture Help to scrub up your pictures, sort of just like the Magic Editor. Though in case you assume the Pixel 9 Professional XL is just too massive, the Galaxy S24 Extremely feels even greater, its sharper corners make it much less snug to slide right into a pocket, and its AI push isn’t fairly as mature as Google’s. It’s additionally dearer even with Google’s value hike.

After which, for individuals who aren’t dead-set on Android, there’s the iPhone 15 Professional Max ($999 at Amazon). Bodily, it’s in all probability the cellphone that feels essentially the most just like the Pixel 9 Professional XL, proper all the way down to its flat sides and the location of its antennas. In fact, you’ll have to simply accept iOS and discover your means into Apple’s walled backyard, which could be an costly change to make. On the brilliant aspect, Apple nonetheless has wonderful optimization throughout its whole ecosystem, getting extra out of smaller batteries and rolling out updates for so long as it desires to. However actually, with Google’s seven years of updates and much-improved battery life, is that a lot of a promoting level over the Pixel 9 Professional XL lately?

There’s additionally the upcoming iPhone 16 Professional Max, which is simply over per week away on the time of writing, after which the Galaxy S25 Extremely ready within the wings in early 2025. We received’t know till then if Google’s contender has executed sufficient to actually high the cell mountain, however proper now, the Pixel 9 Professional XL is the one I’ve been ready for.