Is the Pixel smartphone losing its identity? Verdict on the Google Pixel 9

The Google Pixel 9 is compact, high-quality and has strong stamina for a relatively small smartphone. In our battery test, the Google smartphone lasted over 16 hours at medium brightness. The software update timeframe is also exemplary, as the Pixel 9 is expected to receive operating system upgrades for seven years. The same applies to the monthly security updates.

Traditionally, Google's Pixel series has always focused on high photo quality, having gradually established itself as a kind of standard among "affordable" Android smartphones in terms of photo quality over the last few years. The Pixel 9 delivers very good photos with neutral colours in our review with its 50 MP main camera and f/1.7 aperture. However, the 1/1.31-inch sensor installed in combination with Google's post-processing does not really stand out.

The camera quality of the first few Pixel generations was always above-average for the price range in which the normal Pixel model was positioned. However, since the Pixel 7, Google has made the leap from the upper mid-range to the upper class in just two generations. At an RRP of just under $800, the Pixel 9 now has to compete with flagships from other manufacturers, and it is simply not up to scratch when it comes to zoom shots as our disappointing test shots reveal. The main camera is also no better than that of other smartphones in this price range, as the Pixel 9 simply has too many shortcomings, such as the pronounced blurring at the edges.

A price comparison shows that one of the Pixel 9's biggest competitors is now the Galaxy S series. However, the Galaxy S24 has been on the market for over eight months now, which means that the street price, currently just under $620 at Amazon, has already fallen significantly. This makes the Samsung smartphone significantly cheaper than the Pixel 9, but the recently launched Xiaomi 14T Pro is also a lot cheaper than the Google S24.

Read our detailed review in order to find out who should buy the Pixel 9 and who should steer clear.