Google Pixel 9 Pro

At Rs. 269,999, the Google Pixel 9 Pro is good value only for buyers who specifically want a compact flagship with excellent cameras and Pixel software. Its strengths are clear: a bright 6.3-inch LTPO OLED screen, the most solidly built Pixel so far, an ultrasonic fingerprint reader, 16GB of RAM, a 5x telephoto camera and seven years of Android updates.

The compromises matter at this price:

• The Tensor G4 is slower than the chips in rival flagships, and storage speeds are lower too.
• Charging is slow, and only a cable and SIM tool come in the box.
• The base model has just 128GB of storage, with no memory card slot.

Verdict: worth it if camera quality, a smaller size and long software support are your priorities. If raw speed matters more, rival flagships are faster, and the Google Pixel 10 costs less with a newer chip, though its cameras are weaker.

The Pixel 9 Pro has a 6.3-inch LTPO OLED display with 1280 x 2856 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+. It is rated at 2000 nits in high brightness mode and 3000 nits at peak, brighter than earlier Pixels, and it stays bright on hot days instead of dimming after a few minutes outdoors. Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects the front, and the bezels are thin and even all the way around.

The LTPO panel lowers its refresh rate for static content to save power and runs at 120Hz while scrolling. GSMArena found that games only hold 120Hz when the Smooth display setting is switched on, and it is off by default.

The ultrasonic fingerprint reader under the screen is much faster and more reliable than older Pixel optical readers. One limitation: to unlock from a completely dark screen, the always-on display has to be switched on.

The phone runs on the Google Tensor G4 with 16GB of RAM. For everyday use it feels smooth and stable, but it is not as quick as the best phones from Samsung, Apple or OnePlus: zooming into a full-resolution photo or loading some apps takes a split second longer, and storage read and write speeds are slower than on Samsung's flagships.

Gaming is better than expected. Demanding games such as Zenless Zone Zero run at maximum settings for an hour with only slightly warm sides, thanks to a new vapour chamber. In a 3DMark stress test, the phone kept 71.7% of its starting performance, more stable than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, although Samsung's phone stays faster throughout.

The new chip and extra RAM make AI tasks around 50% faster, so photo edits and Gemini replies no longer drag. Signal is also more dependable, holding 4G and 5G on routes with patchy coverage.

The rear setup combines a 50MP f/1.7 main camera, a 48MP ultrawide and a 48MP 5x periscope telephoto, with a 42MP ultrawide selfie camera on the front. Rear video goes up to 4K at 60fps.

Official specs and real-world use:

• Photos have strong dynamic range, good colours and detail close to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but they look heavily processed, with lots of contrast and sharpening.
• Night mode is good but slightly softer than Samsung's.
• Portrait mode falls behind, with weaker edge detection, and the 5x lens cannot be used for portraits or slow motion.
• Zoom: long-range Super Res Zoom shots are close to the S24 Ultra. Opinions differ on Zoom Enhance, which can add convincing detail but may invent texture that was not there.
• Selfies are detailed, very wide for group shots and record solid 4K video.

The camera app has rough edges: zooming is laggy, the preview can look grainy and switching lenses feels jumpy. Video Boost sends rear-camera clips to Google's cloud to improve colour, stabilisation and low-light footage, and it can upscale to 8K, but it needs Wi-Fi and lots of cloud storage. The panorama mode is excellent, and Add Me merges two shots so the photographer appears in group photos, sometimes with fuzzy edges.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro has a 4700mAh battery. Real-world use gives around 6 and a half hours of screen-on time, which is enough for a full day for most people, though not class-leading. GSMArena's endurance test placed it ahead of the Galaxy S24 and iPhone 15 Pro.

Charging is the weak point. The phone supports 27W wired charging, reaching about 55% in 30 minutes, and GSMArena measured a full charge in roughly an hour and a half. That is slower than many rivals, and no charger comes in the box.

It also supports wireless charging (fastest on Google's Pixel Stand), reverse wireless charging for earbuds and bypass charging, which powers the phone directly from the cable during long sessions.

The Pixel 9 Pro launched with Android 14 and is listed as upgradable to Android 16, with up to seven major Android upgrades promised. That long support is one of its biggest advantages, and the software has been very stable, with smooth animations and detailed haptic feedback.

Key features include:

• Gemini as the default assistant, with Gemini Live for free-flowing voice conversations. Google Assistant still exists alongside it, which can feel confusing.
• Call Notes, which records and summarises phone calls, and Now Playing, which identifies songs around you.
• Pixel Screenshots for searching saved screenshots, the new Pixel Weather app and Magic Editor tools such as Reimagine and auto-frame, although Reimagine does not edit people.
• Pixel Studio for image generation, which is limited and needs Wi-Fi, and a skin-temperature thermometer.

Some AI features depend on an internet connection, so check which ones work in Pakistan before buying for a specific feature.