Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Long Term Review: A Photographer’s Dream

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL price is 89,999 rupees in India. This price is for 256GB storage and 16GB RAM. While it’s 512GB of storage with 16GB of RAM, which I’m using, priced at 94,999 rupees in India. There are other storage and RAM models available, which check on Flipkart and Amazon before buying. This phone is available in Porcelain, Rose Quartz, Hazel, and Obsidian colours.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL packs the following items inside the box:

• Phone
• Type C cable
• SIM ejector tool
• Documentation

Before we talk in detail about the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, let’s see what the on-paper specs look like:

• Display: 6.8-inch LTPO OLED screen
• Chipset: Google Tensor G4 (4 nm)
• RAM & ROM: 128GB 16GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM
• Software: Android 14, upgradable to Android 16, up to 7 major Android upgrades
• Rear camera: 50MP, 48MP, 48MP
• Selfie camera: 42MP
• Battery: 5060mAh
• Weight: 221 grams
• Dimensions: 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL comes in several colour options, including Porcelain, Rose Quartz, Hazel, and Obsidian. But I’m using its Obsidian colour, which is more eye-catching. I liked its design, matte finish back and glossy aluminium frame. But many of us may find the fingerprint smudge on the back annoying, as it’s not visible from a distance but can be seen up close.

Google made abslute stunning frame with a similar flat design on both sides and a rounded corner. While using I felt like an Apple iPhone 15 Pro. This phone weighs 221 grams and measures 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 mm, which I felt little bit heavier. So, I would suggest you use it with a case to prevent accidental falls because its glossy frame is slippery.

Google added an IP68 rating to protect it from dust and water. So, it is immersible up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. Moving on to the ports, the top has a microphone and a slightly recessed or different material on the phone’s metal frame.

It might be a mmWave 5G Antenna Window (you can read about it in detail on the web, or comment down, I will come with a detailed article) that helps receive the fastest 5G network.

There is nothing on the left side, while the right side has a power button and a volume button. At the bottom, you can find a SIM tray, a speaker strip, and a Type-C jack.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with the best camera capabilities, featuring a triple rear camera setup of 50MP wide, 48MP periscope, and 48MP ultrawide sensors.

I can definitely say that it rocks in every segment, but has some issues in edge detection in very bright light, and sometimes uneven colour and pixelated image in ultrawide mode. But note this is very slight.

To review this phone camera, I even visited the Taj Mahal and Delhi night food market, and I’m writing a detailed camera review. Here, I will share my experience briefly, anyway. In bright light, the Pixel 9 Pro XL produces exceptional detail, excellent dynamic range, and balanced contrast.

Colours lean toward natural tones rather than oversaturated hues, making it ideal for landscapes such as the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. You can see whites stay clean and accurate, shadows preserve good detail, and HDR performance is reliable, even in harsh sun.

I’m totally with Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), who has often praised the Pixel camera’s capabilities, particularly its use of computational photography and AI features.

I observed minor inconsistencies in edge detection in portrait mode. But it only happens when your clothing colour closely matches the background. I don’t think this is a big deal, because separation becomes harder with the same subject and background colour. But overall, edge separation is still among the best in the industry.

The 48MP ultrawide captures a wider field of view with good dynamic range and sharpness. For architectural subjects such as the Taj Mahal, the ultrawide maintains symmetry and effectively limits distortion. It captures a near-real image with accurate colour.

I even noticed that I clicked some ultrawide pictures in bright light, where I got slightly uneven colours. Sometimes, you may notice minor pixelation in very high-contrast corners. These issues are subtle and appear only when zooming in. But overall, the ultrawide holds up exceptionally well and is a substantial upgrade over earlier generations.

Quickly, regarding telephoto and zoom quality, it offers excellent images at 5x, but at the upper end, you will not get social media-friendly photos, though they are acceptable. I mostly clicked images in 2x because I liked the framing.

One of the essential things is night photography with Pixel. During the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL long-term review, I even visited Sheen Bagh night food market to click tasty food and even them as well. This phone had excellent exposure control and accurate colour tones, even under mixed neon and warm lights.

You can see well-balanced colour in Ras Malai and Gulab Jamun. Delicious Kunafa, chicken tikka, and mutton kadhai also come with accurate colour tones, just like the fantastic taste. One also needs to know that moving hands, a light, and subjects are handled better than most competitors.

Its front camera also delivers the best images in every condition, from bright to low light. At the same time, you can record the best videos in 4K at 30fps with the front and rear cameras. I record a few reels as well with this camera.