Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review: Great phone, not sure about the AI

Google moved the launch of the Pixel 9 phones earlier in 2024 than in previous years. That might be to better compete with Apple – with the iPhone 16 launch expected in early September – while it might have also been to align the Pixel Fold’s launch with its other devices.

Competing with Apple might seem like a misnomer, as – according to Statista data – the Pixel only shipped around 2.6 million phones in North America in the first half of 2023, compared to the 35 million phones that Apple shipped. But there’s competition for sales and there’s competing for something else.

Underlining the launch of the Pixel 9 series is Gemini, or Google AI. While the Pixel sells itself as a pure Android phone with a great camera experience, Gemini is along for the ride. In Google’s words “we’re infusing AI into everything we do” – whether you like it or not.

So perhaps the earlier launch of the Pixel 9 Pro XL is to highlight Google AI before the launch of Apple Intelligence?

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The Disconnekt Downlow

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL steps in to replace the Pixel 8 Pro, boosting the display to look better, refreshing the design for a more serious and stronger look, while the camera tweaks the hardware a little to boost performance in a couple of areas. This is a slick and fast phone, with clean software and class-leading support.

But Google AI is something of Jekyll and Hyde experience. On one hand the camera AI features are outstanding and there are clever touches that really help, like the screenshot feature. Then you have the whale that is Gemini Live that seems to be searching for a purpose. Gemini might not yet be the selling point that Google thinks it is – but leave that to one side and the Pixel 9 Pro XL is an excellent phone.

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The reasons you should choose the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Google has shuffled around its phones, introducing a new smaller Pro phone that goes by the name of the Pixel 9 Pro. The larger model is the direct replacement for the Pixel 8 Pro launched in 2023, so don’t panic when you see that XL phone – it’s no larger than it was before.

The design has been refreshed for the Pixel 9 devices, with a flat edges. On the Pro models the edges are polished while the back of the phone is matte glass. It’s finished with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and Google says that this is the most durable phone it has made. It sticks to aluminium, not venturing into the titanium of the iPhone 15 Pro or Galaxy S24 Ultra.

At the same time the camera bar on the back is now an island – it’s big, but in real terms no bigger than it was before. The Pixel 9 Pro XL feels more premium and more solid than it previously did – and that’s a positive change – but it’s a little harder to grip and use one-handed.

The 6.8-inch display has been boosted to a peak of 3,000 nits and this continues the great work started by the Pixel 8 Pro. It looks excellent, the brightness great for sunny days outdoors, but even better for showing off content with an HDR pop. Even without pumping up the brightness, the Pixel will showcase highlights in photos and video with real power thanks to that peak brightness – and the results are outstanding.

Say “Pixel” and people immediately think “camera”. Nothing has changed in that regard, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL is now more capable than it previously was. Most of the hardware is the same as the Pixel 8 Pro, but there has been a tweak to the ultrawide and selfie cameras, for better results. At the same time there’s more power behind the camera, with more AI features, delivering great results in all conditions. Sunny days, dark nights and long zoom pose no challenge to the Pixel 9 Pro XL, with great pictures in all conditions.

Magic Editor – Google’s Photoshop-like suite of editing tools – has expanded, so you can now “reimagine” a photo by selecting part of it and typing in what you want to see instead, or reframe an image to improve the compostion. Even if you take a bad picture, Google can likely clean it up and make it look better.

This all sits in a device that’s slick and fast, free from the sort of bloat that you’ll find with some other Android brands, along with the promise of 7 years of updates. It remains smooth, fast, and great to use – similar to the Pixel 8 Pro experience.

What the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL could do better

At the same time, the day-to-day experience of using the Pixel 9 Pro XL doesn’t feel much different to the Pixel 8 Pro. There’s new hardware at the heart of this phone – the Tensor G4 – which is more efficient, but from the signals that Google is sending out, the boost seem to be aimed at AI applications rather than raw speed.

It is faster than the Pixel 8 Pro: the phone restarts much faster and big apps are quicker to open, but in most daily functions, the experience is much the same. Google also has a habit of rolling new features back to older devices, so there’s a chance that the Pixel 8 Pro will soon have the good features – like the new Screenshot app – that the Pixel 9 benefits from.

That also applies to the battery life. The battery is pretty much the same in the Pixel 9 Pro XL as it was in the Pixel 8 Pro. That gives average battery life rather than being anything exceptional. What I mean is that I wasn’t blown away by the battery performance. There’s no extra gear here, it’s the same as it always was. The charging rates are a little faster – at 37W wired – but that’s still a lot slower than rivals like OnePlus or Motorola.

Then we have the AI experience, which deserves its own section.

The Jekyll and Hyde experience of Google AI

I wanted to handle AI separately as it’s such a big part of the experience of the Pixel 9 phones. Not just from how Google pitches the phones, but the new features you encounter when you start using them. It’s clear that Google is going all-in on AI, but there seems to be two dimensions to what you’ll find in the phone.

On one side you have things like Magic Editor, or the new Add Me tool in the camera. These use AI to make tricky things easy and I love using them. That’s pretty much true of all the camera applications – I still think that Google is offering the best experience and results through its camera.

When I reviewed the Galaxy S24+ I found that Samsung’s photo editor would sometimes come up with things that Google didn’t – but that’s now been addressed in Magic Editor’s new reimagine feature. The reframing option is also great – if you want that photo to be wider or taller, Google will fill in the gaps.

Screenshots are cleverly handled. If you take a lot of screenshots, that’s probably because either there’s something funny in them, or something you want to remember. There’s now a Screenshots app that scans screenshots so you can search for that information later. In understanding the information, it will also suggest things like calendar reminders for dates – it’s really clever. But it also seems a little siloed: you have to go back to the Screenshots app to search that information, Gemini doesn’t seem to get access to it.

Then we come to Gemini itself. I’ve been using Gemini for a number of months. On the Pixel 9 Pro XL it replaces Google Assistant, so when you say “Hey Google” you get Gemini. (You can actually switch back to the old Google Assistant experience in the settings if you want to.) Gemini isn’t quite a Google Assistant replacement: sometimes it wants to give you summarised information rather than just a direct answer, but it’s clear that Gemini has access to a lot of knowledge.

Then there’s Gemini Live. This is enabled by having a subscription to Gemini Advanced, which you get free for a year with the Pixel 9 Pro. Gemini Live means you can enter into a discussion with Gemini. Google thinks you’ll use it to plan things and spark creativity, with Gemini then reeling off information – and loads of it.

But Gemini Live seems to be full of generic information and it rarely leads to an end point. I asked about a problem with my car, but never got to a specific answer, I just got generalisations. I asked about some decorating that I want to do and was given basic information. I tried to get suggestions for lunch and was given details of places spread across the country. This is all wrapped in waffle: Gemini Live will just keep producing information, sometimes going off on a tangent. You’ll have to interrupt regularly to stay focused and get the information you want, which feels awkward.

On one occasion Gemini asked if I wanted it to find a website, at which point it said “invalid URL removed”; while planning a vacation, Gemini Live reported that it “can’t provide medical advice or diagnoses” which was completely unrelated to the conversation. If you chastise Gemini for these things, you’ll get a grovelling apology, with the excuse that it’s still learning.

The experience shines a negative light on the Google AI experience. On one hand you’ve got task-focused features that work really well, and on the other you just seem to get dropped into a vat of AI soup, splashing around looking for a way out before you drown in generic information.

You can, of course, ignore Gemini Live and once that trial period has passed you’ll be saved the £18.99 a month subscription for Gemini Advanced.

Should you buy the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL?

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL gives us a fresh new design that looks and feels more solid. The boost to the display makes everything look great and the camera continues to be one of the best cameras on a phone. The camera still makes the Pixel and it’s here that Google is putting its AI to good use, with some genuinely useful features.

But Gemini Live feels like a work in progress, an idea about providing access to information, but without considering why people search for information the way that they do. For all the access that Gemini Live offers, I found myself Googling the same questions so I could see what I wanted, rather than accepting a repackaged AI interpretation of that information.

That shouldn’t detract from the great experience that this phone offers. Google might be saying that this phone is all about AI, but you don’t have to accept that. It’s still about a clutter-free Android experience, a great camera and a phone that’s a pleasure to use.

As for Gemini Live, I’m just going to put that on hold for a while.

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