Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Redesigned chassis looks way more modern ; Holistic, genuinely helpful approach to AI ; Amazing photo and video capabilities ; All-day battery life

Second price hike in two years ; Can get hot when gaming ; Tensor G4 isn’t much more powerful than the G3

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is one of the most exciting Pixels in a long time; it not only sports a desperately-needed design refresh, but a boost to the auxiliary camera lenses, all-day battery life and a huge focus on GenAI allows it to stand out from the...

Gorgeous display delivers colourful and contrasty picture ; Tensor G4 improves over its predecessor, plus 16GB RAM ; Cameras continue to offer sensational performance ; Truly epic battery life beats key competitors

Auto-brightness can be overzealous ; AI tools still have some distance to go ; Notable corner curves and camera protrusion may split opinion ; Tensor G4 won't rival Qualcomm for gaming, throttles somewhat too

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is a beautifully balanced experience, offering heaps of power yet superb longevity per charge in a package that's been redesigned with great consideration. Sure, the camera bump on the back is now pretty massive – but the...

Great new design is durable and sleek ; Huge amount of RAM should future-proof this Pixel ; Bigger display and battery, faster charging

New AI features will require deep trust in Google ; Expensive compared to more powerful phones ; Fast charging but no charger included

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is just a bigger Pixel 9 Pro, but that's good enough. It doesn't have exclusive camera features or extra RAM for a boost, it's just got a bigger display and a bigger battery. That means the Pixel 9 Pro is an even better pick this...

Great new design is durable and sleek ; Huge amount of RAM should future-proof this Pixel ; Bigger display and battery, faster charging

New AI features will require deep trust in Google ; Expensive compared to more powerful phones ; Fast charging but no charger included

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is just a bigger Pixel 9 Pro, but that's good enough. It doesn't have exclusive camera features or extra RAM for a boost, it's just got a bigger display and a bigger battery. That means the Pixel 9 Pro is an even better pick this...

Distinctive new look and premium build ; Consistently great photos and expansive gen AI editing tools ; Smooth real-world performance and promising battery life

128GB starting storage is measly ; Best Gemini features are paywalled ; Less appealing now there’s a smaller version

The best big-screen Pixel yet is a real looker, levels up Google’s AI efforts and takes a fine photo. Just think hard on whether you need the XL, when the smaller Pixel 9 Pro does the same for less cash.

Camera still great ; Some of the best software around ; Superbly bright and accurate screen

Yet another price bump ; Design sharper but more generic ; Battery life fine rather than great

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is an excellent flagship phone, but it doesn’t quite make enough meaningful progress to justify its elevated price tag, nor the same level of praise we heaped upon its predecessor. Meanwhile, its new design is sharp but...

Google's best Pixel hardware yet ; Excellent display ; 16GB of RAM! ; Really fantastic cameras ; Helpful AI tools ; Much better battery life ; Seven years of updates

Pixel Studio is a mess ; Slow charging speeds ; 128GB of base storage

“The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL offers stunning hardware, lovely cameras, and much-improved specs — making it one of 2024's best flagship smartphones.”

Brightest display we've tested.

Battery life is behind the competition.

Of course, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a well rounded and fully capable high-end smartphone - that's beyond debate. This generation prioritizes the phone's development as a vehicle for Google's AI pursuits - if you're into that and want to ride the AI wave,...

Ultra-bright screen ; Powerful AI tools ; Terrific build quality

Expensive ; Large ; Limited base storage

Google's Pixel 9 Pro XL pairs elegant hardware with powerful Android software and delightful but limited AI tools to give us a glimpse at the future of phones.