Our smartphone tests are rich in lessons. You just need to dig a little deeper into the results, compare the devices according to one criterion or another, to draw up some surprising findings. This time, we isolated Google Pixel smartphones from the hundreds of models tested, and one weakness stood out to us: their battery life is very average!
This is true for the most recent ones, the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, the foldable Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the large Pixel 9 Pro XL as well as for models released a few years ago, like the Pixel 6a and 6 Pro , the Pixel 7a or the Pixel 8, 8a and 8 Pro. All these smartphones cap at an average score ( ) independently in our tests. And yet, most of these are very high-end models: from the Pixel 7a at €509 to the Pixel 8 at €699, from the Pixel 9 Pro XL at €1,199 to the 9 Pro Fold at €1,899, we could hope for a battery that can withstand the shock.
However, our observations are final. At comparable battery capacities, the Pixels last around 25% less than the average of all the smartphones in our test. At Apple and Samsung, Google’s main rivals, several models obtained a good result ( ) independently. This is for example the case of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, 16 Plus, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or the Galaxy S24+.
The processor in question?
Difficult to explain this weakness. We based our observations on models with comparable screen diagonals and battery capacities. Would the Pixel’s in-house processor (Google Tensor) be more demanding than those used by the competition (Qualcomm Snapdragon, Exynos or Apple’s A chips)? We asked Google, which gave us no explanation.
Kings of photography
Despite everything, the Google Pixels remain interesting smartphones. Firstly because their screens are of good quality and their overall performance is there. Then because they are solid, waterproof and offer good call quality. Finally, above all, because they have nothing to learn from anyone regarding photo and video: the Pixels, especially generations 8 and 9, get good ( ), even very good ( ), results on this criterion. Overall, the photos are detailed, the color rendering is balanced, the photos taken with the zoom are successful, and the level of detail is excellent. The videos are also well made, fluid even in high definition, and the sound is clear and audible.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL versus its competitors
| Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (1 199 €) | Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (1 479 €) | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (1 369 €) | Xiaomi 14 Ultra (1 500 €) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 6,8″ | 6,9″ | 6,7″ | 6,7″ |
| Charging time | 1 h 30 | 2 h | 1 h 15 | 0 h 45 |
| Battery capacity | 5 060 mAh | 4 685 mAh - | 4 900 mAh | 5 000 mAh |
| Battery life at maximum brightness | 22 h 30 | 33 h 30 | 30 h 30 | 34 h |
| Battery life at medium brightness | 32 h 30 | 49 h | 42 h 30 | 38 h 30 |
| Battery |
Neither the screen diagonal nor the battery capacity explains the difference in autonomy measured between Google’s latest smartphone and those of its main competitors.
Google Pixel 4a: an update and unhappy people
In early January, Google rolled out a software update to some Pixel 4a “in order to improve the stability of their battery performance”as he explains on his website. The affected users had no choice, the update was done automatically. And yet, Google knew full well that it would make people unhappy: “The software update will reduce available battery capacity and affect charging performance. » No wonder, then, that What to Choose was questioned about this on social networks. Thus, @Crane2Piaf protests: “My battery lasts perfectly (well lasted) for several days, no problem… And now I am told that I need to change the battery! »
As compensation, Google offers to replace the battery for free, but not all users are eligible. Alternatively, they can request a payment of $50 (or local currency equivalent) or a $100 discount code (or local currency equivalent) toward the purchase of another Pixel phone on the Google Store. Contacted, Google did not wish to provide further explanations on the reasons for this update.
