Google's new Pixel 9 series and Gemini AI launch is being met with scepticism – Is it too good to be true?

Google has announced the latest additions to its Pixel family, including four new smartphones equipped with on-device Gemini AI capabilities that are powerful enough to rival Samsung's Galaxy AI. The Google Pixel 9 is the entry-level handset, and then there's the Pixel 9 Pro, the Pixel 9 XL (for a larger display), and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold which is said to be the best new camera phone in the foldable market. 

If you caught the Made by Google event, then you'll already know that each of these new Google devices is powered by the new Google Tensor G4 chip, and are the first phones designed for the Gemini era. But, many people have had a negative response to the new range, and are questioning whether the specs are really up to scratch. We're going to dive into what makes this new Pixel generation the best one yet (supposedly), with a focus on AI, design, and camera features. 

The Google Pixel 9 series is available to preorder right now, with prices starting at $799 / £799 for the Pixel 9, $999 / £999 for the 9 Pro, and $1,099 / £1,099 for the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the priciest, at $1,799 / £1,749. We have a guide to the best budget camera phones if you're looking for a handset that's a little more affordable than this, and if the thought of AI doesn't really do it for you either, then there's always the best iPhones for photography to consider instead. 

Google Pixel 9 design

Google has said that the latest Pixel 9 family has had the biggest design progression in years, and this is clear to see. With so much going on under the hood with hardware and AI advancements, it makes sense for Google to introduce a slight visual rebrand too. The Pixel 9 series has an elevated and fresh new look, with rounded edges while still retaining the iconic camera bar that puts the lenses front and centre. 

This is also the first time that a Pro Pixel model has been available in two different sizes, as Google explained that it has listened to consumers who want a phone with Pro features yet without a larger form. The Google Pixel 9 and 9 Pro have 6.3-inch displays, whereas the Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 6.8-inch display, and that's the only main difference between them. I think it's great that the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL have the same specs, features, and cameras, meaning that users don't have to compromise on anything for the sake of wanting a more compact smartphone. 

As for the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, this has a much thinner design than the original Google Fold handset, transforming into an 8-inch tablet when unfolded, which Google claims is the largest current display on a phone. (Take that Galaxy Z Fold6). This is a great thing for content creators who like to work on a bigger screen, yet still prefer to travel light and fit their phone into a pocket or purse. 

Google Pixel 9 camera features

Google Pixel phones are known for their track record of incredible camera quality, and as for the camera upgrades with the new Pixel 9 series, there are seemingly plenty. The triple-rear camera array on the 9 Pro and Pro XL models is super impressive, with a 50MP Octa PD wide cam, a 48MP Quad PD ultrawide cam (with autofocus) and a 48MP telephoto with 5X optical zoom. 

The standard Pixel 9 has the exact same wide and ultrawide cameras as its siblings, but no telephoto camera. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold benefits from a similar setup with a 48MP Quad PD wide camera, a 10.5MP Dual PD ultrawide camera with autofocus, and a 10.8MP Dual PD telephoto camera with super res zoom of up to 20X. 

When it comes to selfies, the Pixel 9 Pro models are clear winners equipped with a mighty 42MP Dual PD selfie camera, with autofocus, and an f/2.2 aperture. This is excellent quality and sets new standards for front-camera phones that are usually no higher than around 12MP. Google has also made some new enhancements to its selfie cameras with sharper and brighter selfies in low light.

This all sounds pretty great, but a lot of online speculation is suggesting that the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is no better than the iPhone 12 in terms of performance. We won't know the true power of the Pixel 9 series until we get our hands on it. But our sister site, TechRadar, has given each of the new Pixel 9 devices a pretty solid review, with one stating that "The Google Pixel 9 Pro is the phone I’ve been asking for". That's promising at least, right?  

Google Pixel 9 AI features

Some of the new AI features with the Pixel 9 series include Auto Frame, allowing users to achieve better composition after a shot has been taken, as well as the option to improve images using generative AI by adding in elements and expanding the image to fix missing features. There's Video Boost for improving low-light recordings, and Pixel Screenshots can help you save, organise, and recall anything that you've previously screenshotted with searchable information saved to the file. 

Google has also rebuilt its panorama function with a new UI, has rebranded Magic Erasure into Magic Editor in Google Photos, and there's the new Add Me feature which can seamlessly combine images together to make sure the photographer is never left out of a group photo. The new Pixel Studio is also the first of its kind, and offers on-device image generation using the Imagen 3 model. 

Exclusive to the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the Made You Look feature which, as a photographer, I think is absolutely genius. It helps you to get your little ones or pets to look at the camera by grabbing their attention by displaying an animation on the outer screen of the fold. This also encourages children to smile at the screen if they engage with the animation, and Google plans to incorporate Pixar's Inside Out characters into this in the near future. 

Should you buy the Google Pixel 9?

Everything we've discussed above makes the new Google Pixel 9 series sound pretty epic, and I really want to like the new Pixel 9 products. But there have been some concerns raised by others on social media questioning the integrity of Google's Pixel 9 benchmarks, and its poor Gemini AI performance.

Some of the live demos of Gemini at the Made By Google event yesterday didn't exactly go to plan, with the AI demo failing twice in a row. Talk about awkwardness. It was a success on the third try, but that's not a very good start for showing off a brand-new flagship smartphone. 

Other tweets on X have speculated that the Pixel 9 Pro XL benchmark scores are pretty poor, with the 4-year-old iPhone 12 (2020) outperforming the new handset. The Google Pixel is on version 9 already, so why is the performance no better than an outdated iPhone?

As for whether you should buy the Google Pixel 9 series, the choice is entirely up to you. While these concerns flagged are a little worrying, we doubt Google would hype up a new product if it wasn't up to scratch. If you are interested in the Google Pixel 9, take a look at these prices we've found below.