Pixel 9 Pro XL hands-on: Zooming in on a stranger from 5,280 feet away revealed the color of their clothing

I had the opportunity to try out the Pixel 9 Pro XL, manIt looks like we need to completely rethink how we view the new Pixel family. First, Google is no longer playing a dual-phone strategy; it’s now a triple-phone deal. 4 Including the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

At the top end there’s the Pixel 9 Pro XL, the Pixel 9 as the entry-level option, and the Pixel 9 Pro in the middle.

It’s like Google is saying, ‘Hey, we want to get into the big leagues now. Incidentally, Samsung and Apple are also introducing at least three new smartphones in their flagship product lines, and the Pixel 9 series has also seen a price increase, from a starting price of $699 to $799, another indication of Google’s desire to compete with the big players.

With the previous generation Pixel 8 series, optically, the average consumer knows there are only small and large phones and chooses accordingly.

Now, looking at the new Pixel 9 series, the average person is probably thinking, “Hmm, two small phones and a giant third option.”

It’s certainly a clever strategy from Google, and the visual lineup will likely encourage many consumers to choose the most striking and eye-catching phone: the Pixel 9 Pro XL. (And recent market trends, such as Apple dropping the mini version from its iPhone line, suggest buyers are gravitating toward larger phones.)

Now that we know the new landscape of Google Pixel phones, let’s get to our first impressions of the Pixel 9 Pro XL and, more importantly, the Pixel 9 Pro. The feature sets are very similar (apart from the display and battery capacity).

Pixel 9 Pro XL Hands-on Review

Talk about the amazing new Super Resolution Zoom. Now available on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, this feature lets you focus on your subject up to 30x, up from 20x on the Pixel 8 Pro. I tested it inside a building in Lower Manhattan, about a mile (5,280 feet) from The Edge (the highest observation deck in the Western Hemisphere).

From the window of a building near Pier 57, I could see The Edge in the distance. I zoomed in on The Edge with my Pixel 9 Pro XL, and suddenly, a tiny figure appeared in the viewfinder.

Here’s The Edge with 5x zoom (this is the maximum you can reach with the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s telephoto optical zoom before digital zoom kicks in).

The Edge with 10x zoom:

Finally, there’s The Edge with 30x zoom.

If you zoomed in, you could even make out the brightly colored shirts of the visitors, and if you had the patience, you could even count how many people were standing on the deck.

This is the phone you should buy if you’re a frequent concert goer or someone who wants to have a front row seat to their favorite artists. I was impressed.

But wait until you hear this: Super Res Zoom isn’t just coming to the camera, it’s also coming to video. Plus, a new feature called Video Boost will let you enhance video up to 8K. Google says the Night Sight Video feature is better than ever, so you can capture clearer images in low light.

Mashable Lightspeed

Both the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro feature the same camera system.

Compared to the Pixel 8 Pro, the selfie cameras on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL have been bumped up from 10.5MP to 42MP. I took selfies with both the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL, but I wasn’t able to save them to show to readers.

But I Intention Compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, for example, post-processing tweaks make me look less like a demon (I’m looking at you, Apple), plus the selfie camera now has autofocus capabilities.

New design with tweaked camera bar

The Google Pixel series is known for its distinctive edge-to-edge camera bar (I always joke that the Google Pixel series looks like Geordi La Forge from Star Trek, or Roger Federer with a sweatband).

Now, Google has changed this feature from a bar to an island.

Also, unlike the Pixel 8 series, the new Google Pixel 9 series camera bar is color-matched to the case. Though the Pixel 9 Pro XL is designed to be the largest of the three, it doesn’t feel too big in the hand. However, if you have small, tight pockets, it definitely won’t fit. Additionally, we were impressed with the phone’s silky matte glass finish, which didn’t attract any oil or fingerprints.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro come in four colors: Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose Quartz, and I loved them all. but The porcelain is my fault, because I got a little bit of my own makeup on it after touching my face, so I wanted a color that wouldn’t show the dirt. But the Pixel 9 Pro XL very No matter what color you choose, it’s easy to care for.

Stunning display

The difference between the Pixel 9 Pro XL and the Pixel 9 Pro is 6.8 incheswith a 1344 x 2992 display, the Pixel 9 Pro 6.3 inches, 1280 x 2856 panel. Interestingly, the Pixel 9 Pro is smaller than the Pixel 8 Pro. 6.7 inches.

The attractive punch-hole design remains the same, and the screen was crisp, clear, and bright, even in a bright, sunlight-filled room. That’s because the Pixel 9 Pro XL (and Pixel 9 Pro) have a maximum peak brightness of 3,000 nits, compared to 2,400 nits for the Pixel 8 Pro.

Battery life

The rule of thumb is that the larger the battery capacity, the longer the battery life should be, and if the Pixel 9 Pro XL follows this rule, then the Pixel 9 Pro’s 5,060 mAh battery capacity should be better than the smaller Pro’s 4,700 mAh battery.

Both the phones are guaranteed to provide more than 24 hours of battery life, with the Extreme Battery Saver guaranteeing up to 100 hours of battery life.

Incredible AI

Thanks to the new Google Tensor G4 chip, the Pixel 9 Pro XL and other Pixel 9 phones have arguably the best set of AI features I’ve ever seen in a smartphone.

For example, the new “Add Me” feature lets you take a photo of a group of friends and have someone take a photo of you, and the AI ​​will merge the photos together to make it appear as if you were in the original photo.

There’s also a new AI feature called “Reimagine,” which lets you select an object in a photo and follow the prompts to transform it into anything you like.

For more details on the AI ​​features coming to the Google Pixel 9 series, check out our list of cool new features coming to the lineup.

lastly

As we alluded to at the start, consumers tend to gravitate towards either the top-end options or the entry-level models, so the new Pixel 9 Pro XL is designed to get people to choose the most expensive option. Currently, the Pixel 9 Pro is a middle-of-the-road product, making it less appealing to consumers.

Last year, the best Pixel phone available, the Pixel 8 Pro, was $1,000. Now, the best Pixel phone available, the Pixel 9 Pro XL, is $1,100.

Again, this is a great strategy from Google. Personally, I always want the best, so I am drawn to the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Also, long battery life is important to me, so I will choose the device with the most capacity.

Overall, this year’s Pixel 9 series proves that Google is serious about competing with the big players in the mobile industry. — And this bold move will challenge Samsung and Apple’s dominance like never before.