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Google is coming after the iPhone 16

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Google is coming after the iPhone 16
  • ✅ 📐 Refined design that feels tremendous premium

  • ✅ ⚙️ Sooner efficiency

  • ✅ 📸 Upgraded cameras

  • ✅ ✨ Google Gemini will get deeper integration

  • ✅ 🤖 Seven years of software program updates

  • ❌ 💰 The worth went up by $100

  • ❌ 📸 No telephoto digital camera

  • ❌ 💽 Solely 128GB of base storage

Google held a giant occasion at its headquarters in Mountain View to unveil not one, not two, however 4 new Pixel 9 telephones. We had an opportunity to examine them out forward of the occasion, and one of many extra fascinating entries is the usual Pixel 9.

It sits on the backside of the lineup as probably the most reasonably priced possibility, however it’s nonetheless a lot highly effective in comparison with its dearer siblings. I had time to play with it and see what it’s like to make use of, and you understand what? It appears actually stable.

Finest Purchase: Pixel 9 + $100 giftcard

  • 📆 Launch date: August twenty second

  • 💰 Worth: $799

  • 📺 Display dimension: 6.3-inch OLED

  • 🖥️ Decision: 2424 x 1080

  • 🏃‍♂️ Refresh price: 60-120Hz

  • 💡 Brightness: 2,700 nits

  • 📸 Foremost digital camera: 50MP

  • 📸 Extremely-wide digital camera: 48MP with 123–diploma discipline of view

  • 🤳 Selfie digital camera: 10.5MP with autofocus

  • ⚙️ Chipset: Google Tensor G4

  • 🐏 RAM: 12GB

  • 🗄️ Storage: 128GB/256GB

  • 🔈 Audio system: stereo (and no headphone jack)

  • 🔋 Battery: 4,700 mAh

  • 🔌 Wired Charging: 45W

  • ⚡ Wi-fi Charging: Sure, 15W

  • 📶 Connectivity: 5G sub6 and mmWave, WiFi 7

  • 👁️ Biometrics: Facet-mounted fingerprint reader

  • ⚖️ Weight: 198 g

  • 🌈 Colours: Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, Peony

  • 🤖 OS: Android 14 (seven years of software program upgrades)

  • 🪨 Sturdiness: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on entrance

  • 💦 Waterproof: IP68

The Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9, captured by Max Buondonno for The Shortcut.
Pixel 9 Professional on the left, Pixel 9 on the fitting.

📱 An iPhone-like design. After I noticed the Pixel 9 for the primary time, it form of threw me off in the identical approach that the leaks did. Its new design is way more harking back to an iPhone than something earlier than it with rounded corners, flat sides, and a totally flat show. Choose it up and also you’ll see that feels actually stable in your hand, but a bit much less conforming than the Pixel 8 given the flat sides.

The cellphone appears to be like equivalent to the Pixel 9 Professional, which shares the same-size show and provides a number of options like an additional digital camera and better brightness. This base mannequin, although, appears to be like a lot premium all by itself. There’s a pleasant matte end alongside the aluminum on the edges, you get Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the entrance, the buttons are giant and clicky, and there’s a set of stereo audio system. The digital camera bar has additionally been redesigned so it floats within the higher portion of the again of the cellphone, full with an aluminum chassis and a pill-shaped glass cutout for the cameras.

Finest Purchase: Pixel 9 + $100 giftcard

The screens on the Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, captured by Max Buondonno for The Shortcut.
Pixel 9 on the left, Pixel 9 Professional on the fitting.

📲 Try this Actua show. The 6.3-inch Actua OLED show has a pointy 2424 x 1080 decision and might attain 2,700 nits of peak brightness (300 nits lower than the 9 Professional). Its refresh price hovers between 60 and 120Hz relying on what you’re doing, and at first look, all the colours and sharp distinction appeared glorious. I used it aspect by aspect with the 9 Professional on the demo space and observed that the 2 screens look basically the identical, at the very least to the bare eye. That’s nice information for these of you already eyeing up the cheaper possibility.

⚙️ Jam-packed with energy. Contained in the Pixel 9, Google consists of its new Tensor G4 processor, which guarantees higher efficiency and effectivity than the Tensor G3. You additionally get 12GB of RAM and both 128 or 256GB of storage. The battery weighs in at 4,700mAh and is appropriate with Google’s new 45W quick charger, which it seals individually. In fact, wi-fi charging and Battery Share are additionally supported.

The back of the Google Pixel 9.
Supply: Google

📸 Stable cameras? One of many greatest areas of focus for any Pixel cellphone is the digital camera, and the Pixel 9 doesn’t appear to be it’ll be disappointing, at the very least on paper.

On the again, there’s a fundamental 50MP f/1.68 lens that helps Tremendous Res Zoom as much as 8x, whereas a brand new 48MP f/1.7 ultra-wide sits beside it with a 123-degree discipline of view. That ultra-wide digital camera can be utilized for Macro Focus, which helps you to take macro photographs of your topics. You’ll additionally discover a 10.5MP selfie digital camera with autofocus built-in. Google is clearly claiming that you simply’ll get unbelievable outcomes whatever the time of day you’re taking photographs and movies, however we’ll have to run some assessments to know whether or not that’s true.

✨ Searching for some AI? In fact, the corporate doesn’t need you to only concentrate on the pure high quality of the cameras – Google additionally has loads of AI stuff to indicate you. You’ll get Magic Editor for touching up your photographs utilizing machine studying and AI, Night time Sight that ramps up the standard of your photographs and movies in darkish environments, Magic Eraser for eradicating undesirable topics and objects from the body, and Finest Take that merges you and your pal’s greatest facial expressions from a burst picture right into a single picture.

Finest Purchase: Pixel 9 + $100 giftcard

With the Pixel 9, Google can be asserting a characteristic known as Add Me, which appears each spectacular and one way or the other creepy. You are taking an image of your topic in entrance of no matter setting you need, then have your topic take an image of you in the identical setting. Google’s AI magic merges the 2 pictures collectively and voilà, you’re each in the identical image. I noticed a number of of my associates strive it out throughout our hands-on expertise, and it appeared to work surprisingly nicely. Google says it’s rolling out Add Me in preview at first so it won’t work appropriately every time, however the couple of occasions I did see it in motion, it appeared to do nicely.

The unreal intelligence insanity doesn’t finish with the Pixel’s digital camera system. On each Pixel 9 is Android 14, which Google has enhanced with Gemini, its AI chatbot. Gemini is getting a number of neat upgrades with these telephones, like the power to see what’s in your display screen and supply context for it (e.g. you can ask for extra data on a YouTube video or film you’re watching) and producing pictures on the fly and dropping them straight into an app like Gmail or Telegram. One of the vital notable updates is Gemini Reside, which lets you have a full-on dialog with the bot. Google says it may well perceive your intent and practice of thought when you converse with it, giving the bot an assistant-like expertise.

There are additionally a few new apps that use Gemini and run regionally in your Pixel 9 due to Tensor G4. Pixel Screenshots offers your screenshots a brand new dwelling and allows you to seek for data and different gadgets by analyzing every one you seize. For instance, if you happen to take a screenshot of a chocolate chip cookie recipe, you may go to the Screenshots app and ask: “How a lot butter does that cookie recipe name for?” You could possibly additionally take a screenshot of an occasion, and Gemini will routinely immediate you so as to add it to your calendar.

Pixel Studio can be right here, which lets you generate any picture you need in a wide range of kinds and customise it to your liking. You may add textual content and stickers, take away generated objects, and extra. I obtained a demo of the app throughout my hands-on time, and it really appeared fairly helpful, particularly for these of us who get pleasure from cooking up memes.

With each Pixel 9, Google is providing a full 12 months of the Google One AI Premium Plan at no cost. That will get you entry to Gemini Superior, Gemini in apps like Docs, and 2TB of cloud storage.

A man holding the Wintergreen Google Pixel 9.
Supply: Google

🤖 Good ol’ Android 14. So far as Android itself goes, it’s the identical ol’ Pixel expertise on high of Android 14, which suggests it’s clear, inviting, and provides loads of customization. On high of that, Google is sticking to its dedication of providing seven years of software program upgrades for all of its new Pixel telephones, which is unbelievable to see.

A few different options I wished to focus on:

  • There’s a brand new characteristic known as Satellite tv for pc SOS, which lets you hook up with emergency companies through satellite tv for pc whenever you’re out of vary of a mobile or Wi-Fi community. It really works the identical approach as an iPhone does and allows you to share your location with an emergency contact so that you might be discovered.

  • As per traditional, there’s an under-display fingerprint reader for safety.

  • Google says it may well use its personal AI to let you know whether or not a picture you come throughout on-line was generated with AI, however that’s one thing we’ll want to check to know whether or not it really works.

    Finest Purchase: Pixel 9 + $100 giftcard

The Google Pixel 9 Professional is accessible to pre-order now for $999 with 128GB of storage and it’ll be obtainable beginning on September 4th.

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