When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
Our Phone of the Year doesnt score high on benchmark tests.
It doesnt have the best camera (though its pretty close).
The Pixel 9 Pro (right) and Pixel 9 Pro XL (left) are nearly identical inside
It doesnt last the longest on a single charge.
It doesnt come with a pen.
The first reason is pure instinct.
The Pixel 9 Pro (right) and Pixel 9 Pro XL (left) are nearly identical inside
I have a stack of all of the best phones on my desk.
The Pixel 9 Pro works very well.
It nails the basics so nicely that it never lets me down.
Every color of the Pixel 9 Pro
The Pixel 9 Pro excels at these things in ways other phones cant match.
It does a great job screening calls for me using AI.
I even like the AI, at least the features I bother to use.
Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 side-by-side, from left to right
I useGoogles Gemini AIevery day, in some way, and I feel like Im just getting started.
I dont generate writing or images, thats not my thing.
I do talk to Gemini frequently.
A recipe book couldnt have done that.
I sometimes ask Gemini for advice, personal and professional.
I might paste an entire story into Gemini and ask what Im missing.
Gemini is terrible at writing prose, but excellent at suggesting new possibilities and missed opportunities.
It was surprisingly insightful.
The iPhone 16 Pro is identical to last years phone.
The 5G antenna spot has been replaced by a camera button, though it looks the same.
FromSamsung, the last big Galaxy refresh seems a long time ago, and far, far away.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra still looks like theGalaxy Note, a phone that Samsung retired.
The Pixel 9 Pro is Googles first big design change since the Pixel 6.
I found that old design appealing, but it was getting stale.
The new Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro devices look very sharp.
Fans and haters alike are comparing them to theiPhone 16in build quality and materials.
However,Apples launch has been uncharacteristically disappointing.
Apple never disappoints fans, but this year it shipped a phone that literally is not ready.
The iPhone 16 doesnt do everything Apple promises it can do.
Besides the lack of Apple Intelligence, even the Camera Control button arrived without all of its features.
That waterproof S Pen isnt cheap.
I also liked thePixel 9 Pro Foldvery much; it’s my favorite foldable phone.
It has the coolest new design, with durability to match.
It takes amazing photos and lets you edit and share them with ease.
It performed well in my real-world review tests, benchmarks be damned.
The Pixel 9 Pro is the best phone of 2024, and Ive seen them all.
Its the phone I keep using, even though I can use any phone.
