Google Pixel 9 Pro XL - Unlocked Android Smartphone with Gemini, Triple Rear Camera System, 24-Hour Battery, and 6.8" Super Actua Display - Hazel - 256 GB

I've had the Pixel 9 Pro XL for a week, and after countless hours of testing, I am quite happy with my purchase. To be clear, I am a regular person (not a professional reviewer) and I paid for the phone with my own money. No handouts or compensation here.I would venture to say that the majority of complaints about this 9th gen Pixel are from people who don't have one (Verified Purchase?). This is a great phone. Everything just works, and works well. It is responsive and fast; while Samsung and Apple flagships may win benchmarks, in real world use, this phone is able to handle everything I've thrown at it.And real world use is where this phone shines. I come from Samsung and did not like their bloated UI and baked-in Samsung apps. This is the purest possible Android experience and it shows. Everything just works, intuitively, and works well.It's been a few years since I used an iPhone as my daily driver, but anyone who is stuck on iPhone as the "just works" phone, check this phone out. If you prefer the Google ecosystem (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, etc), the Pixel is the way to go. They are all deeply integrated without the bloat or workarounds on other phones.I've heard of problems attaining the fastest charging levels without buying the expensive Google charger, but I charge on a wireless charger at night while I sleep. Even using a third-party (and cheap) wireless charger, it charges decently. It seems this phone requires the charger to bump voltage to get the 37 watt charging, so if you care about squeezing in your charges at the fastest charging speeds, perhaps get the official Google wired charger or be very thorough in your charger research.But I dont think you'll need it. For me, charging speeds don't matter with this big battery. It has lasted me all day, every day, and I have intensely used it from sunup to sundown. Never once have I risked needing to charge it between 5am and 10pm. As long as the phone lasts all day and only needs to be charged at night, I don't think it matters if it takes 90 minutes to charge. But that's a personal decision for you to make for yourself.The camera is amazing. It takes some of the best photos I've seen come from a phone. And while there are plenty of choices out there for post-processing your photos, having features like Video Boost or Zoom Enhance baked right into the Photos app makes it a simple joy to take photos and edit them. I challenge anyone to find a simpler and easier workflow for taking the best possible photos. If you want to take amazing photos and be able to edit and enhance them in a few seconds without switching between an array of apps, this phone is for you. Of course third-party editing apps are a Play Store away, but you probably won't them them.I know Google hypes the AI, but generally that's not why I got the phone, so I'll leave the in-depth AI reviews to others. Some of it is fun -- Magic Editor is a fun toy and Zoom Enhance stretches the boundaries of what's possible on a phone camera, but things like Gemini Live feel a little half baked. Don't get me wrong; Gemini Live is a leap forward for Google, but the AI as a whole feels disjointed. Gemini Live doesn't communicate directly with regular Gemini, and while it's great for chatting, it can't do even basic tasks (which requires switching to the other Gemini).It's also quite perplexing that there are still basic Google Assistant functions that Gemini can't call up. It feels like it should be a basic ask to relay all Assistant functions, but it's not that simple. These are minor annoyances that will hopefully improve in the future, but (to Google) if you're going to hype the AI so much, please have it more integrated and seemless than this. It feels like a miss that the feature you're hyping the most is the one with the most blemishes. But AI is quickly evolving. Maybe my comments will be moot in a week. And like I said, since I didn't get the phone for the AI, this isn't a ding for me.I'll update if any issues arise, but so far I'm very satisfied with my purchase. This is my first Pixel, and I can see why there are Pixel fans. This phone might not be everything to everyone, but it's not supposed to be. If you want a premium phone that feels great, looks great, and does what it does very well, give this newest Pixel a shot. If you're using an iPhone but not yet too deeply invested in their closed box, or if you're a Samsung owner who's tired of the bloat, I recommend checking out the Pixel 9 Pro XL. It's great to have so much choice in the smartphone world, and I believe this is a choice worthy of your attention.

I received my Pixel 9 Pro XL and have been using it for a few days. So far I am very happy with the phone. It replaced a Sony Xperia 1III, but as Sony was not releasing the latest version of their flagship in the US, I was happy to give the Pixel a look. I see no negatives thus far, and will update my review with more use. So this review is after a only few days of use, and coming from Sony.Set up was SEAMLESS, copied everything over from my old phone, just up to me to set up as I want it. The screen is amazing. Super bright and contrasty. The software is excellent, very clean version of Android.For me, the camera on a phone is very important and this one has not disappointed, at least in the very limited use I have put it through. Have used the add me feature, and it worked very well. Macro focus is an outstanding feature and one I will use frequently for close-ups. Telephoto images are bit soft, but I would love to use it with some kind of stability (tri or monopod) to see if the softness is due to user movement rather than lens quality. I miss the Sony software as it really feels like you are using an SLR camera in a phone. So I am in a bit of a learning curve here. But getting there quickly. I look forward to exploring and learning more of the camera software/hardware.Charging lasted easily over a day with very heavy use. Charge with the 45w Google charge "brick" was 5% to 75% in 45 minutes. Not bad at all. I have found the speed of the phone to be quick and responsive. Of all the devices in my house (computers, iPads, phones, etc), this has by FAR has the fastest Speedtest results on our home wifi. I mean it is not even close! Face and fingerprint recognition has been flawless.A lot of reviewers out there have talked about build quality and aesthetic. I remember handling an earlier pixel (no idea which model, maybe 4 years ago?) and thought it felt lightweight and "toylike." That is NOT the case here. The phone is gorgeous and substantive in design and feel. Coming from the Sony 1 III the phone does not feel too big, nor heavy.For these reasons, I give 5 stars.