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| Google Pixel 9 Pro |
The Google Pixel 9 Pro is a study in contradictions. On the outside, it is one of the most refined, premium-feeling Android phones ever. On the inside, it is powered by a chip that would be more at home in a $500 mid-ranger than a $999 flagship, that's further handicapped by an out-of-date memory interface.
The heart of the Pixel 9 Pro is the Tensor G4. On paper, it is an 8-core processor built on Samsung’s 4nm node. In reality, it is a chip that barely outpaces its predecessor and gets crushed by the competition in raw power. It only has roughly half the multi-core power of a modern Snapdragon or Apple A-series chip.
Worse, to extend battery life, Google has resorted to aggressive power management, especially of background tasks. The result is a phone that lacks the responsiveness and smoothness of a high-end phone. It's particularly noticeable on speech-to-text, where phone struggles make it painful to the point of being unusable.
It also falls down on AI tasks. Google is pushing its Gemini AI to manage the phone, but it lacks the quick and predictable response of the old algorithmic Assistant (which is fortunately still available).
Bottom Line: It's a decent phone if you get it on sale, tune it carefully, and don't push it too hard.
Note: There is now a Pixel 10 Pro, but it's not much better than the Pixel 9 Pro.
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