Google's latest flagship, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, is officially available for purchase in India, marking a significant step in Google's hardware ambitions. While two other models, the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, are still on the horizon, the early availability of the Pro XL gives a tantalising glimpse into what
Google
has in store for its users this year.
Initial impressions suggest that Google is committed to pushing boundaries with its hardware as the refinements over the previous generation seem substantial, indicating a dedication to delivering a premium smartphone experience.
We've got our hands on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and our in-depth review will follow shortly. But hereâs what we think about the phoneâs design, features, performance and overall value proposition in the Indian market.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
price in India starts at Rs 1,24,999 for the base 16GB RAM and 256GB storage. This seems to be an answer to last yearâs criticism when the company brought 128GB as the base storage variant. Google says that the RAM is to handle various AI tasks on the device itself and, in a way, future proof the phone for feature and OS updates that are promised to drop for next 7 years.
Since Google drops extra features every quarter, Pixel phones should be ânewâ for the next couple of years, if not 7.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has moved away from the curved design to flat sides â something that its flagship competitors have already done. The phone gets a refreshed look with a shiny chassis and a matte back panel. The camera visor no longer runs edge-to-edge but still provides the distinct âPixel lookâ.
Along with flat sides, there are also changes internally. The phone runs Tensor G4 which comes with a powerful NPU as compared to the Tensor G3. While Google Pixel 8 Pro had limited AI features , Pixel 9 Pro XL seems to have gone all out on AI. The more powerful NPU on the Tensor G4 is specifically designed to handle these AI tasks.
The cameras on the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL are pretty similar to last yearâs Pixel 8 Pro but they seem to be more refined. During our short time with the phone, we noticed that the switching between the lenses is a bit better but thereâs still a considerable lag that we think should be fixed as we go along.
The photos clicked from the phone have a lot of HDR, punchy and close to what is seen to the naked eye. Weâll be testing it and have a camera comparison in our full review. One thing thatâs different from previous years is that the new phones run the old Android 14 OS.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is not a smartphone that will be known for its RAW performance but for the AI features that come loaded out-of-the-box. There is a sprinkle of AI in almost all the apps that came preloaded. Be it camera features, Photos app, the new Weather app and even calls and messages.
Google is gradually shifting away from Google Assistant to Gemini and thatâs pretty evident from the moment we boot up the phone to finally setting it up as our daily driver. The long press on the power button brings up Gemini Nano that can help people with their day-to-day tasks in a conversational way.
Then thereâs features like Add Me, a more powerful Magic Editor, Video Boost that can scale up 4K videos to up to 8K and more.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL offers a glimpse into the future of AI-integrated smartphones. While AI capabilities require some refining, Google seems to have achieved an impressive blend of design and features that set it apart in a saturated market. This could position the Pixel 9 Pro XL as a strong competitor against flagship models from other leading brands.
Initial impressions suggest that Google is committed to pushing boundaries with its hardware as the refinements over the previous generation seem substantial, indicating a dedication to delivering a premium smartphone experience.
We've got our hands on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and our in-depth review will follow shortly. But hereâs what we think about the phoneâs design, features, performance and overall value proposition in the Indian market.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL price in India
Since Google drops extra features every quarter, Pixel phones should be ânewâ for the next couple of years, if not 7.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL design and specs
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has moved away from the curved design to flat sides â something that its flagship competitors have already done. The phone gets a refreshed look with a shiny chassis and a matte back panel. The camera visor no longer runs edge-to-edge but still provides the distinct âPixel lookâ.
Along with flat sides, there are also changes internally. The phone runs Tensor G4 which comes with a powerful NPU as compared to the Tensor G3. While Google Pixel 8 Pro had limited AI features , Pixel 9 Pro XL seems to have gone all out on AI. The more powerful NPU on the Tensor G4 is specifically designed to handle these AI tasks.
The cameras on the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL are pretty similar to last yearâs Pixel 8 Pro but they seem to be more refined. During our short time with the phone, we noticed that the switching between the lenses is a bit better but thereâs still a considerable lag that we think should be fixed as we go along.
The photos clicked from the phone have a lot of HDR, punchy and close to what is seen to the naked eye. Weâll be testing it and have a camera comparison in our full review. One thing thatâs different from previous years is that the new phones run the old Android 14 OS.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL AI features
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is not a smartphone that will be known for its RAW performance but for the AI features that come loaded out-of-the-box. There is a sprinkle of AI in almost all the apps that came preloaded. Be it camera features, Photos app, the new Weather app and even calls and messages.
Google is gradually shifting away from Google Assistant to Gemini and thatâs pretty evident from the moment we boot up the phone to finally setting it up as our daily driver. The long press on the power button brings up Gemini Nano that can help people with their day-to-day tasks in a conversational way.
Then thereâs features like Add Me, a more powerful Magic Editor, Video Boost that can scale up 4K videos to up to 8K and more.
What we think
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL offers a glimpse into the future of AI-integrated smartphones. While AI capabilities require some refining, Google seems to have achieved an impressive blend of design and features that set it apart in a saturated market. This could position the Pixel 9 Pro XL as a strong competitor against flagship models from other leading brands.
