5 features the Google Pixel 9 should steal from its competitors

The Google Pixel 9 series is just a few months away from launch. Thanks to leaks, we know a fair bit about Google’s flagship Pixel phones for 2024. While a more power-efficient Tensor G4 chip would be nice, there are plenty of features in competing phones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra we’d like to see in the Pixel 9. Here are five features available on competing phones we want to see in Google’s next.

1 Emergency SOS satellite connectivity

It could save your life in an emergency

Apple has offered emergency SOS satellite connectivity since the iPhone 14 in 2022. The feature has been a lifesaver for several people, enabling them to contact emergency services outside mobile network coverage.

Given the feature’s usefulness and how it can be a lifesaver in an emergency, Google should bring it to the Pixel 9 series. Thankfully, all signs point to Google bringing satellite connectivity to its upcoming Pixels, including using a new Exynos modem with the required hardware. The company is also purportedly working on integrating satellite connectivity support into Google Messages.

2 Qi2 accessory compatibility

For magnetically attaching accessories

Qi2 brings the best bits of Apple’s MagSafe wireless charging to Android. While the standard went official in August 2023, none of the Android phones launched so far support it. Given the benefits Qi2 brings to the table, Google should add this wireless charging technology to the Pixel 9. And if a leak is anything to go by, the chances of this happening are pretty high.

Qi2 won’t radically improve the upcoming Pixel’s wireless charging speed. In its current implementation, the standard still tops out at 15W speeds. But it supports the magnetic power profile, allowing wireless chargers and other accessories to snap on the back of the phone magnetically. This will make attaching a host of accessories to the Pixel 9 a lot easier.

Once you have used MagSafe/Qi2 accessories and enjoyed their convenience, there’s no going back. It is a feature that I wish Android phones had adopted already. Google has the chance to be among the first companies to bring this feature to the US with the Pixel 9, and it’s an opportunity that it should not miss.

3 Faster wired and wireless charging

To reduce the time your phone spends topping up its battery

Google has done little to boost the Pixel’s charging speeds over the years. The Pixel 8 Pro can top up its 5,000mAh cell faster than the Pixel 7, but the improvement is marginal. This is an area where the Pixel 9 should take inspiration from the OnePlus 12 or the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and give its charging speeds a big boost. And the improvement should not be limited to wired charging; it should also include wireless charging.

The OnePlus 12 supports 80W fast wired charging, which can top up its big 5,400mAh battery to full in around 30 minutes. That’s less than half the time the Pixel 8 Pro takes to fill its 5,050mAh cell to 100%. Even better, the phone supports 50W wireless charging, allowing you to top up its battery wirelessly to full in an hour. For comparison, the Pixel 8 Pro, which supports 23W wireless charging, takes nearly 2.5 hours to hit 100%.

By adding faster wired and wireless charging to the Pixel 9, maybe 80W, Google will surpass most of its competition in a single generation.

4 Gorilla Glass Armor

Corning’s latest cover glass packs some major improvements

Google will likely use newer OLED panels on the Pixel 9 series than it did in the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. But in addition to a better display, the company should use Corning’s Gorilla Glass Armor cover glass, as seen on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra — at least on the Pro models.

Corning’s newest glass can cut down on reflections by a claimed 75%. As Samsung’s latest flagship shows, it makes a big difference in daily use, significantly reducing reflections and glare. It helps ensure the display’s content is easily viewable even in the harshest lighting conditions.

Even better, durability tests show Gorilla Glass Armor is more scratch-resistant than Corning’s previous cover glasses. Typically, a newer cover glass on a smartphone is hardly noticeable. Given the benefits of Gorilla Glass Armor on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, it’s a feature that Google should bring to the Pixel 9.

5 Better manual camera controls

Google provides some manual camera controls on the Pixel 8 series. This enables you to shoot pictures in RAW, control the shutter speed, ISO, and exposure, and have access to all the other basic controls you can ask for. But the company’s implementation is basic and leaves much to desire, especially compared to the manual camera controls of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or Xiaomi 14 Ultra. What’s more, many features — including shooting full-resolution 50-megapixel photos — are arbitrarily restricted to the Pro model.

On Samsung and Xiaomi’s flagships, you can enjoy manual camera controls even when recording video, which is not possible on the Google phone. On the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, you can use manual mode to record videos and save the footage in LOG. Other advanced options include a Histogram, Sonogram, Exposure verification, and more. Even better, you get these manual controls for all four rear camera sensors: primary, two telephoto, and ultrawide.

Similar options are available on the Galaxy S24, which even lets you set the preferred microphone for capturing audio.

Time for Pixel to challenge the big guys

Google has steadily improved its Pixel phones over the years. However, in many key aspects, the phones have always lagged behind their competition and missed out on key features. With the Pixel 9, here’s hoping Google takes inspiration from the competition and ensures it packs all the above features to deliver a great user experience.