I reluctantly switched to the Pixel 9 Professional XL as essentially the most smart possibility for a current journey, nevertheless it completely proved me fallacious.
The most important common cellphone in Google’s Pixel 9 vary, the 9 Professional XL isn’t a delicate handset by any means. It’s an imposing slab of steel and glass, combining the big 6.8-inch show with a really distinctive rear digicam module.
As somebody who sometimes prefers small telephones, this didn’t significantly enchantment to me. However forward of a visit to Hawaii for the Snapdragon Summit, which I knew would push my cellphone to its limits, it was the best choice obtainable to me.
The iPhone 16 Professional, which I’d simply completed reviewing, was nonetheless too unfamiliar after switching to an iPhone for the primary time in 12 years. And the Pixel 9 Professional’s battery life merely wasn’t ok for the lengthy days that I knew had been forward of me.
That made the 9 Professional XL a significantly better alternative for this journey, however I nonetheless had loads of considerations about how it might fare. Luckily, the qualities I used to be frightened about ended up both not being a problem or had been significantly better than anticipated. Let’s run by way of them one after the other.
It’s too large and hulking
This was undoubtedly my largest fear. The Pixel 9 Professional is a heavy cellphone, weighing 221g. With the official case utilized, that turned 265g. In different phrases, uncomfortably heavy after I first put my SIM card in it. Initially, I couldn’t even maintain the cellphone for lengthy with out my hand getting drained.
Nevertheless it’s outstanding simply how rapidly I acquired used to this. Inside a few days, I used to be utilizing it identical to I might some other cellphone, and shortly forgot it was even that heavy.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
The dimensions of the cellphone was additionally a priority, nevertheless it felt no totally different from some other big-screen cellphone I’d tried. Whereas one-handed utilization may not be doable, that’s not one thing I search for in a handset, and it was nonetheless straightforward to make use of.
After all, your mileage might range right here. I’ve pretty giant fingers and will make use of the massive pockets on males’s trousers, which could not be the case for you.
Battery life nonetheless isn’t ok
From studying our full Pixel 9 Professional XL evaluation, I knew that the 5060mAh battery delivered higher battery life than the 4700mAh cell on the Pixel 9 Professional.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
However our reviewer Jon Mundy nonetheless put it down as a con, describing it merely as “nice”. That isn’t a problem for on a regular basis life, however throughout 12+ hour days with cellular knowledge, location companies and excessive brightness? I used to be frightened.
Luckily, the Pixel 9 Professional XL exceeded my expectations. It comfortably lasted these lengthy days with cost to spare – sometimes round 20-30%. All through my journey, I’d describe battery life as a key power of the cellphone, reasonably than a weak point.
Charging is just too gradual
What about while you do run out of battery, although? The 9 Professional XL is the fastest-charging cellphone within the Pixel 9 vary, nevertheless it’s nonetheless restricted to 37W wired speeds. As somebody who avoids charging their cellphone at night time, I assumed I would run out of time to get a full day of battery life.
Nope. Utilizing the 65W charger I took with me, the 9 Professional XL constantly averaged across the 0-55% in half-hour that Google claims. Within the 45 minutes or so I usually gave myself earlier than going for breakfast, it was charged sufficient to final a full day.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
I received’t take pleasure in watching movies on it
Earlier than occurring the journey, I knew that the Pixel 9 Professional XL had an ideal show. The 6.8-inch, 120Hz OLED panel is up there with the perfect, particularly with a powerful max brightness of 1198 nits making it simply seen in direct daylight.
The 9 Professional XL is one of the best cellphone I’ve ever used for watching content material
Jon Mundy / Foundry
However whereas I took my laptop computer with me, I didn’t use it for any non-work duties. So, might the cellphone actually be a passable substitute for TV, whereas catching up with exhibits and watching YouTube?
Sure. After all, the expertise isn’t fairly nearly as good as a bigger show, however I used to be shocked how little I cared. The 9 Professional XL is one of the best cellphone I’ve ever used for watching content material, with the punchy stereo audio system which means I usually didn’t have to attach headphones.
I used to be positively prepared to return to my TV as soon as I acquired house, however I by no means regretted not utilizing my laptop computer or that I hadn’t taken a pill as an alternative.
Images received’t be ok to make use of on the location
Everyone knows how good the Pixel’s cameras often are, and that’s no totally different on the 9 Professional XL. For stills, it’s up there with the perfect digicam telephones you should buy, whereas video can be significantly better than it as soon as was.
However the Snapdragon Summit included some very difficult lighting circumstances, from low-light environments to direct daylight. With out a devoted digicam, I additionally wanted to ensure that pictures had been ok to make use of all through my protection on the location.
The Pixel 9 Professional XL definitely didn’t disappoint. It was a dependable performer all through my time in Hawaii, delivering clear, crisp stills that had been well-exposed and brimming with element.
In order for you proof, you possibly can see photographs from the cellphone in my protection of the Summit:
The 9 Professional XL additionally got here into its personal throughout the additional time I spent on the island, capturing dramatic surroundings and beautiful sunsets. When the time got here for a selfie or video, it was a dependable performer.
It’s vital to notice that the Pixel 9 Professional XL isn’t an ideal cellphone by any means. Its measurement and weight will trigger points for some folks, and I nonetheless want charging speeds had been higher.
Then there’s the worth. The 9 Professional XL begins at £1,099/$1,099 when paying full worth, which is frustratingly costly, even when it goes an extended strategy to justifying that.
Hopefully, the cellphone will get considerably cheaper over Black Friday, as a result of I would like extra folks to have the ability to expertise the advantages of utilizing Google’s newest and biggest, whether or not they have a visit deliberate or not.
