When Google unveiled the Pixel 9 lineup earlier this yr, the Google Pixel 9 Professional caught my eye. The usual Pixel 9 felt too primary, whereas the Pixel 9 Professional Fold was priced out of attain. Though it wasn’t my first alternative, I spent a month with the Pixel 9 Professional XL and was genuinely impressed by its efficiency and really feel.
Lately, I attempted out Google’s new compact flagship, the Google Pixel 9 Professional. It options the identical physique dimension as the usual Pixel 9, with all of the perks of a Professional mannequin. After per week with the Pixel 9 Professional, I am not going again to the XL.
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Huge telephones simply do not feel proper anymore
A 6.3-inch display screen that strikes the right steadiness
I favor bigger telephones. Alongside my Pixel 8a, I’ve used an iPhone 14 Professional Max and the OnePlus 10 Professional. These telephones function 6.7-inch shows, and I have been pleased with the trade-off of one-handed usability for a much bigger display screen. I watch quite a lot of content material on my cellphone (and worth lengthy battery life), so it is a compromise I willingly accepted.
Nonetheless, after I picked up the Pixel 9 Professional, its display screen dimension felt proper. The 6.3-inch show strikes an ideal steadiness. It is large enough for gratifying content material consumption but compact sufficient to be simply manageable with one hand and cozy sufficient to hold in my pocket.
Regardless of being smaller than the XL, the Pixel 9 Professional’s show retains the premium options of the bigger mannequin. It retains the LTPO OLED panel with a clean 120Hz refresh price, a peak brightness of three,000 nits, HDR10+ assist, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 safety. Plus, with the smaller display screen, the pixel density is barely larger at 495 PPI in comparison with the Pixel 9 Professional XL’s 486 PPI, although the distinction is hardly noticeable.
The Pixel 9 Professional’s show hits such a candy spot that I not want to hold a bigger cellphone. I hope Google retains this balanced design for subsequent yr’s Pixel 10 lineup.
A telephoto lens in a compact cellphone? Sure, please
No compromises on the digital camera, even in a smaller system
Till now, in the event you wished a Pixel cellphone with a telephoto zoom lens, you needed to go for the bigger Professional mannequin. Not just for the larger display screen but in addition as a result of it was the one one providing that function. With the Pixel 9 Professional, Google’s compact flagship contains the identical highly effective digital camera setup because the Google Pixel 9 Professional XL: a 50MP major digital camera, a 48MP ultra-wide lens, and a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom.
The digital camera high quality on each Professional fashions is equivalent. I lately took the Pixel 9 Professional to a live performance, and the telephoto lens was a game-changer. Under is a choice of picture samples showcasing the Pixel 9 Professional’s digital camera capabilities. The photographs are from the live performance and use a telephoto lens. There are additionally footage showcasing its efficiency.
The Pixel 9 Professional’s battery simply lasts the day
All-day battery with out the majority of the XL
Certainly one of my most important considerations when switching from the Pixel 9 Professional XL to the smaller Pixel 9 Professional was battery life. The Pixel 9 Professional has a smaller battery than the XL. Whereas Google’s new Tensor G4 appears to have resolved the heating points we skilled with the earlier Tensor chipsets, I used to be frightened I might miss the battery efficiency of the XL.
Nonetheless, the Pixel 9 Professional exceeded my expectations. All through my week of use, it persistently lasted all day. The live performance day concerned heavy use of Google Maps, pictures and video recording, cellphone calls, texts, and social media, all on 5G. Nonetheless, the Pixel 9 Professional had 32% battery left by the tip of the day.
The one function I missed was the sooner charging on the XL. Whereas the Pixel 9 Professional XL helps as much as 37W quick charging, the Pixel 9 Professional maxes out at 27W. Pixels aren’t identified for the quickest charging speeds, and the stable battery efficiency on the smaller mannequin greater than makes up for it.
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The Pixel 9 Professional appears like a wiser alternative over the XL. Until you need a bigger cellphone with a much bigger display screen, there is no motive to choose the Pixel 9 Professional XL. The compact Professional is $100 much less and gives all the identical options, together with the most recent AI options like Add Me within the digital camera app, Reimagine in Magic Editor, Pixel Studio, Pixel Screenshots, Clear Calling, and extra.
With the cash saved, you possibly can spend money on important equipment for the Pixel 9 Professional, like a top-quality case, a charging adapter (because it is not included), or a display screen protector.
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Google Pixel 9 Professional
The Pixel 9 Professional is a compact addition to Google’s lineup, providing a smaller kind issue whereas retaining all of the AI and digital camera capabilities of the Professional sequence. It shares dimensions with the usual Pixel 9 however brings premium options just like the Pixel 9 Professional XL, making it a standout in Google’s high-end vary.
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Google Pixel 9 Professional XL
The Pixel 9 Professional XL carries the identical function as final yr’s Pixel 8 Professional, with comparable specs and a well-known footprint. The brand new Pixel 9 Professional, nevertheless, is a smaller flagship possibility. The 9 Professional XL gives a bigger display screen, sooner charging, and a much bigger battery, together with all of the digital camera and AI options of the 9 Professional.
