At $300 off, the Google Pixel 9 Pro is a steal – but I’d recommend it anyway. Here’s why

The Google Pixel 9 Professional is at the moment marked all the way down to $919 at Amazon in the course of the Massive Spring Sale. That is a complete 25% ($300) off the common value of $1,219. The Spring Sale lasts till March thirty first, however provides aren’t prone to final.

A number of months in the past, I used to be emphatic that my time with Pixel telephones was over as a result of Google had introduced it was planning to inject much more AI “goodness” into Android. I noticed that as a chance to leap ship.

My purpose was to purchase the Nothing Telephone 3. Then, as destiny would have it, Nothing CEO Carl Pei introduced that his firm was going all-in on AI, and the following Nothing Telephone would leverage the know-how in methods no different machine had.

Additionally: Amazon’s Massive Spring Sale 2025 is reside: This is every part it’s good to know to buy savvy by means of March 31

Foiled once more.

A number of weeks after that proclamation, the leaks for the Pixel 9 lineup made it clear that Google was severe about returning the “flagship” moniker to the lineup. As a substitute of questionable design selections for the {hardware} (just like the ugly digital camera hump, too-slick glass, and oddly-beveled edges), Google was choosing a classier look.

The corporate succeeded.

I positioned my order, traded in my Pixel 8 Professional, and bought a whopping $700 in credit score. I sat again and waited. A few weeks later, my pink Pixel 9 Professional arrived. As quickly as I unboxed it, my first thought was, “Now this is a flagship machine.” 

The construct high quality is stellar. The look is gorgeous. The texture is nice. And that was all earlier than switching the cellphone on.

The very first thing you may discover with the Pixel 9 is the flat edges, which give the cellphone a really polished look. Virtually talking, these flat edges make the Pixel 9 Professional exponentially simpler to choose up.

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This was one in every of my large complaints with the Pixel 8 Professional. When the Pixel 8 cellphone is on a flat floor, it may be exhausting to choose up with any confidence. Due to the slick floor, the cellphone is inclined to slide from between my fingers. Not that dropping a cellphone just a few inches to a desk floor would injury the machine, however it’s definitely irritating.

That problem isn’t any extra. The Pixel 9 Professional is much simpler to choose up.

Past the texture of all of it, the Pixel 9 look is simply spot on. Sure, it’s totally iPhone-like, however I do not see that as a foul factor. There is a purpose why Apple has caught to an analogous chassis design… as a result of it really works, and it screams “I am a flagship machine!”

Additionally: The $799 Pixel 9 could also be Google’s sleeper hit this 12 months. This is why

Additionally, the digital camera hump is a lot nicer. On the Pixel 7 Professional and Pixel 8 Professional, the digital camera hump made the cellphone look low cost. It virtually appeared “unintended.” Now? The digital camera hump seems to be intentional in design, and it suits the feel and appear of the machine significantly better than in earlier iterations.

Lastly, the dimensions of the Pixel 9 Professional is ideal. It is a bit shorter than the Pixel 7 Professional and Pixel 8 Professional, which suggests it is simpler to make use of with one hand. 

Organising my Pixel (from an older mannequin)

Usually, when transferring information from one Pixel to a different, you are prompted to attach the telephones through a USB-C cable and permit the info to switch (a course of that may take a while). With the Pixel 9 lineup, it is all performed through Bluetooth, and it is surprisingly quick and simple. I’d go as far as to say that is the best and quickest switch from one Pixel to a different that I’ve skilled (and I have been doing this because the early Pixel days).

Additionally: I am a diehard Pixel consumer, however I am contemplating a change for 2 causes (and I am not alone)

In fact, not every part transferred. By way of credentials, solely my Gmail account was routinely added. I needed to enter different app logins manually. That is to be anticipated, and I did not thoughts having to log again into sure apps and add my non-Gmail accounts.

My expertise

Ever because the Pixel 6 Professional, I’ve discovered Google’s prime cellphone’s efficiency excellent. The Pixel 9 Professional takes this up a notch, and eventually, Android can actually showcase animations on par with iOS. Every little thing is buttery clean, and apps launch immediately. Scroll by means of the App Drawer, and also you now not expertise stutters and jumps. 

The show of the Pixel 9 Professional is nothing in need of unbelievable. Usually, I swap off the Ambient Show characteristic as a result of the show tends to get a bit too darkish. On the Pixel 9 Professional, I’ve but to really feel the necessity to shut off that characteristic. Certain, the show adjusts to the smallest change in ambient gentle, however it by no means will get too dim to see clearly. 

If I manually alter the brightness all the best way up, it is very brilliant. Actually, that is the primary cellphone I’ve used the place I believed the show at full brightness was virtually too brilliant. Pictures have extra depth and readability when displayed on the Pixel 9 Professional.

The evening earlier than final, I forgot to place my cellphone on the charger in a single day. After I awoke the following morning and noticed it on my desk, the proportion of the remaining battery was 76%. As a substitute of inserting it on its cradle so it might cost, I made a decision to make use of it and wait till my typical time (round 6 PM — I wish to fully disconnect on the finish of the day) to set it on the Pixel stand.

Additionally: That huge Pixel safety flaw reported final month has been patched

By the tip of the day, the cellphone was at 50%. Granted, I am not on my cellphone continually all through the day however, even so, that is spectacular. It isn’t any type of battery benchmark that I might truthfully go by, however figuring out the cellphone can go with out an in a single day cost and the battery barely budges an inch downward is a fairly good indication that this cellphone will greater than go the gap.

Backside line (for now)

It is early in my relationship with the Pixel 9 Professional, however I am able to proclaim that Google has lastly created a Pixel cellphone worthy of the flagship title. I am unable to wait to see how Android 15 will run on this child as a result of it runs like a champ on my Pixel 7 Professional. I am guessing when Android 15 hits the Pixel 9 Professional, it’s going to take it to one more stage of flagship-ness.

When will this deal expire?

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