We hear a lot about Google smartphones as being photo behemoths. Except that a major French lab claims that the brand new Pixel 9 Pro XL does not take the top spot on the podium.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL only takes second place
If you ask a Pixel fan why they chose to bet on a Google smartphone, they’ll probably tell you something that has to do with photography. From entry-level to the most expensive versions, the Californian brand’s phones have been recognized in this field for years.particularly thanks to sophisticated software processing.
Without necessarily offering the best lenses on paper, the results remain pleasing for many, and the Pixels still hang around in our buying guides for the best models for photography.
This year, Google has once again made a big splash on the photo front with its Pixel 9 range. In addition to sporting an excellent design – even if it’s subjective – and AI features galore, the photo part is not here to stagnate.
At the module level, le Pixel 9 pro XL keeps the same configuration as last year with the Pixel 8 Pro. Three well-known sensors with the same characteristics:
- Grand-angle : 50 Mpx
- Ultra grand-angle : 48 Mpx
- Objectif zoom x5 : 48 Mpx
Nothing too crazy in appearance, apart from the front camera, which goes from 10 to 42 Mpx. What really makes the difference is the software. With its new processing, Google manages to climb to second place in the famous ranking produced by the French site DXOMark. A score of 158 points, tied with the Honor Magic6 Pro. For reference, the Pixel 8 Pro is 10th, behind the Pixel 9 and the iPhone 15 Pro.
Chinese smartphones from Huawei or Oppo complete the ranking. The first place goes to the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra. You may not know this model, but it does. It is possible that DXOMark’s rating criteria favor Chinese smartphones in one way or another.
Our test of the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
A new design, AI features galore, and a high price tag, here’s what we think of the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Conclusion of the test:
Conclusion
Points forts
- A revised, even more premium design
- A photo shutter boosted by amazing AI
- A responsive and really bright 6.8-inch display
- A smooth experience and plenty of AI options
- Comfortable autonomy
- 7 years of update
Weak points
- Charging is still too slow
- No Android 15 at launch
- AI features unavailable in France
Without bringing a major revolution, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with several hardware and software improvements; increased brightness for its 6.8-inch screen, better handling, a revised design, an even more advanced photo shutter, new AI options, etc. And although its Google Tensor G4 chip does less well than the competition, the Pixel 9 Pro XL offers smooth use, even in games. Without being perfect, it is clearly one of the best smartphones especially for photography and promises to become even better with the arrival of Android 15!
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I tested the Google Pixel 9: a smartphone designed for AI that slaps the competition in the face
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I tested the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: it’s the new king of photography, but also of AI, enough to get ahead of Samsung and Apple?
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