As a full-time Samsung phone user since the Galaxy S7 Edge, I've flirted with the idea of ditching the company's Galaxy phones a few times over the years, but it's never quite stuck. I'm always drawn back by the high-end feel of Samsung's flagships and their refined design.
However, having spent the last week exclusively using Google's new Pixel 9 Pro XL as my daily driver, I can honestly say that making the switch has been less difficult than I expected. In fact, chances are high that I actually will stick it out this time.
So why the change of heart? It really comes down to the quality of Google's devices this year — with the Pixel 9 series, Google has finally caught up to the standard I've come to expect from a modern flagship smartphone. Here's why the Pixel 9 Pro XL has finally convinced me to ditch my Samsung phone.
It has a gorgeous design
There's no denying that Google's Pixel smartphones have looked nice for years — in fact, I've gone on record as saying the Pixel 7 Pro was a very attractive device. That said, I think the Pixel 9 Pro XL completely blows it out of the water.
When held side-by-side, it's easy to see why Google's phones have jumped in price over the last couple of generations.
While the Pixel 7 Pro launched at $899 / £849 / AU$1,299, the new Pixel 9 Pro XL starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849, putting it in direct competition with the likes of Apple and Samsung.
That may be a bitter pill to swallow for those who appreciated the lower price point of Pixels past, however, there's no denying that the latest Pixel flagship feels as high-end as its higher cost would suggest — with its flat edges, rounded corners and the brightest display on any Pixel device to date, the 9 Pro XL now looks as premium as the iPhone 15 Pro.
I also appreciate the redesigned camera bar, which now has a rounded corners and leaves some space on either side of the phone, meaning cases can now surround and protect the camera bump more effectively.
Is the 9 Pro XL's design perfect? Not exactly — at Apple and Samsung prices, I would expect a titanium frame rather than an aluminum one, but it's still a great leap forward for the Pixel brand.
Gemini AI is very impressive
We've seen some impressive generative AI features on phones in the past, including previous Pixel devices and Samsung's more recent flagships, but it feels like the Pixel 9 series has taken these features to a whole new level.
Over the years, I've used countless voice assistants on smartphones, but Google's Gemini voice assistant feels the most natural thanks to its ability to follow an ongoing conversation.
For instance, I asked Gemini to suggest some of the best burger joints in the Canberra (Australia's capital city). Within seconds, Gemini had put together a bullet point list featuring a number of highly-rated restaurants.
I followed up these results by asking "what about Newcastle?" (note that I did not ask the full question again — Gemini already knew the context), and it instantly created a revised list of burger joints in Newcastle, England. Okay, easy mistake. "No, the one in Australia," I replied. Sure enough, Gemini updated its list to show the top burger establishments the correct Newcastle.
Part of what makes Gemini so impressive is that you can link it to your Gmail and Google Drive, giving it the ability to track down specific emails and documents from a simple voice or text prompt. I asked Gemini to "show me my most recent Amazon order confirmations in Gmail", and within moments it delivered a list of my five latest purchase, complete with links taking me directly the emails in question.
Of course, I've only had the device for a week, so I haven't had the opportunity to use live-translation features or call screening, but I'm already very excited about the prospect of doing so.
Better photos with minimal effort
Having used Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra since launch, I've often found that taking good pictures required a significant amount of tweaking after the fact — especially for indoor photos. I always find myself having to manually adjust the brightness, contrast and other settings after taking a photo, and the result usually doesn't hold up to much scrutiny when looked at closely, often revealing noise and blurriness when zoomed in, along with a saturated look that leans on the warmer side of things.
However, every photo I've taken with the Pixel 9 Pro XL has been stellar so far. There's definitely a bunch of AI processing going on, but the photos I end up with are always bright and sharp, with natural looking colors and a high level of detail when zoomed in. Additionally, I love the 9 Pro XL's 48MP ultra-wide lens, which makes a mockery of the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 12MP version when it comes to detail and clarity.
And what about the new (and controversial) 'Reimagine' feature within Google Photos' Magic Editor? A took an ordinary picture of my street, told the phone to reimagine it as "raging floodwaters", and within moments I had a fairly convincing photo to prank my workmates with. While this tech may have you wondering what a photo even is in 2024, it's undeniably impressive (and endlessly fun to tinker with).
Improved battery life
In the past, most of the Pixel devices I tested left me a little disappointed with regards to battery life. That's not to say it was ever terrible — it just couldn't compete with the juice I was getting out of my Samsung handsets.
Thankfully, battery life has improved significantly with the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. While I previously struggled to make it to the end of the day with older Pixel models, I've had no such issue with the Pixel 9 Pro XL so far, often finding myself with upwards of 40% left by the evening.
In our in-depth review of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, we found that the device's Tensor G4 chip brought a mighty boost in power efficiency. While the Pixel 8 Pro's 5,050 mAh battery only lasted around 10 hours and 3 minutes in Tom’s Guide’s battery benchmark test, the Pixel 9 Pro XL battery life extended to an impressive 14 hours and 37 minutes. That's still short of the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 16 hours and 45 minute lifespan, but it's a big enough leap for me.
...one final reason
Truth be told, the biggest reason I want to make the switch to Pixel is due to the upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which looks fantastic. I've long been a fan of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series of devices, but it really seems like the South Korean electronics giant is resting on its laurels with its last few foldables.
Users have been wanting a shorter, wider front display that's easier to type on since the Galaxy Z Fold line's first iteration, and I'm honestly tired of waiting for Samsung to make those changes.
While Google's first Pixel Fold was far from perfect in its implementation, its direct follow up has already seen massive design improvements, which proves that Google is paying attention to the wants of its customers. So while I wait for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold to arrive, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is doing a darn fine job of showing me what Pixel phones have to offer.
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