Google Pixel 9 vs. Google Pixel 9 Professional

Google has a fairly expansive lineup of telephones this yr, with a complete of 4 Pixel 9 telephones to date. And this yr you might have a alternative between two compact choices – the 9 and the 9 Professional.

There may be an nearly 300 bucks value of a value distinction between the 128GB/12GB Pixel 9 and the 128GB/16GB Pixel 9 Professional with out contemplating any vacation offers or service rebates.

So if you’re questioning whether or not the Pixel 9 Professional is well worth the value premium over the vanilla Pixel 9, we’re right here to assist as we will probably be placing them head-to-head on this comparability based mostly on our in depth assessment findings.

Desk of Contents:

For starters, you may examine the entire specs sheets or instantly proceed with our editor’s evaluation within the following textual content.

Dimension comparability

The Google Pixel 9 and 9 Professional are virtually equivalent size-wise. That is form of the purpose. Each telephones are literally thought-about fairly compact by fashionable requirements, measuring simply 152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm and tipping the dimensions at 198 grams and 199 grams, respectively.

That latter bit is sort of spectacular, and we aren’t fairly positive how Google managed to incorporate an entire additional telephoto digital camera with out decreasing the battery capability or rising the load. Then once more, the vanilla mannequin is form of on the heavier aspect to start with.

The 2 telephones are constructed precisely the identical, with an aluminum body and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on each the entrance and the again. Each telephones have IP68 ingress safety.

The 2 telephones have the identical connectivity choices as effectively. This consists of Sub-6 5G and even mmWave in sure cellphone variants. Each the vanilla and Professional have a single Nano-SIM slot and eSIM help. There may be dual-band GPS for positioning, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 with LE, aptX HD, and tri-band Wi-Fi 7. Each telephones have a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, which suggests a theoretical max switch charge of 5Gbps. Whereas this isn’t effectively documented, each telephones truly help DP video output over Sort-C.

The one actual connectivity distinction between the 2 is Extremely Wideband (UWB) help, which is barely obtainable on the Pixel 9 Professional.

Show comparability

The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Professional have identically sized 6.3-inch shows. Each even have a 120Hz refresh charge and HDR10+ help. There isn’t any Dolby Imaginative and prescient video help on both one.

The Pixel 9 Professional panel is superior for a number of causes. It has the next decision at 1280 x 2856 pixels, in comparison with 1080 x 2424 pixels on Pixel 9.

The Professional can also be utilizing LTPO tech for extra dynamic refresh charge switching and higher energy effectivity within the course of.

And eventually, the Pixel 9 Professional show is just a little bit brighter than that of the Pixel 9. Each attain over 2,200 nits in our testing, which is loads to be snug outdoor, however the Pixel 9 Professional goes an additional 100nits increased for what that is value.

Battery life

Each telephones have a 4,700 mAh battery and use the identical chipset. Therefore, it’s only cheap that their battery life could be equivalent. Properly, there’s a small distinction in shows and the LTPO tech, balanced out with the additional show decision of the Professional mannequin. It ends in a barely higher Energetic Use Rating for the Professional. In sensible phrases, the 2 telephones provide the identical endurance.

Charging pace

Each telephones help 27W wired charging over Energy Supply 3.0 with PPS. Since their battery capability is similar, it solely is sensible that they’d cost on the similar charge, and certainly they do.

The one distinction in charging is that the Professional mannequin can attain 21W of wi-fi charging with an official Pixel stand, whereas the vanilla can solely go as much as 15W. Apart from that, each telephones help as much as 12W of wi-fi charging with third-party Qi chargers.

Additionally each telephones help reverse wi-fi charging.

Speaker check

Each telephones have equivalent hybrid stereo speaker setups. Which means a full-fledged speaker on the underside and an amplified front-firing earpiece because the second channel. The cellphone will assign the channels dynamically relying on its orientation in house. As Google usually goes about this, every speaker will even output the opposite channel’s observe at a decrease quantity.

Each telephones have a Very Good loudness rating, as per our testing. The distinction in peak quantity may be very small and in favor of the Pixel 9 Professional.

Moreover, each telephones are tuned virtually identically, with very clear and crisp mids however not a lot bass.

Efficiency

Each telephones are based mostly on the identical Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) chipset. The efficiency between the 2 telephones is usually equivalent.

We solely say “largely” for the reason that Pixel 9 comes with 12GB of RAM, whereas the Pixel 9 Professional has 16GB in all of its configurations. Whereas we aren’t positive this may make a lot of a distinction for many standard duties, we do know that working bigger native AI fashions takes extra RAM, so we are able to solely presume that with Google’s present give attention to AI, there may very well be a slight edge in AI efficiency for the Pixel 9 Professional.

As for storage, you may get the Pixel 9 with 128GB or 256GB. The Pixel 9 Professional has 512GB and 1TB choices as effectively. Google makes use of UFS 3.1 chips throughout the board, which aren’t the quickest round as of late, however they’re nonetheless fairly good.

In additional sensible phrases, each telephones carry out nice and are very snappy and responsive, chewing via each process we throw at them, together with heavy gaming. You won’t be getting the identical efficiency degree as a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, however the Pixels are positively not strapped for energy both.

Digicam comparability

One of many key variations between the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Professional is the digital camera setup. And even then, the 2 telephones nonetheless have rather a lot in widespread. So far as we are able to inform from the official data, the pair has the very same 50MP, PDAF, and OIS-enabled foremost digital camera. The ultrawide can also be the identical 48MP unit with PDAF for macro pictures.

The foremost distinction is that the Pixel 9 Professional has a devoted telephoto digital camera. It’s a 48MP unit with PDAF and OIS that gives a 5x optical zoom.

The selfie cameras on the 2 telephones are completely different as effectively. Whereas each have autofocus, the Pixel 9 Professional will get a a lot higher-resolution 42MP Quad-Bayer sensor in comparison with the 10MP one on the vanilla Pixel 9.

Different comparatively smaller digital camera variations embody multi-zone laser autofocus on the Pixel 9 Professional and single-zone on the Pixel 9. Moreover, solely the Pixel 9 Professional can seize 8K@30fps video.

Picture high quality

Let’s begin with the principle digital camera. It hardly comes as a shock that the 2 telephones seize virtually equivalent pictures. These are glorious total, with loads of element and nice sharpness.

In typical Pixel style, there appears to be a choice for prime distinction, which may often go away a number of the shadows wanting a bit darkish. Even so, the dynamic vary is great. Colour rendition is extra on the restrained aspect of issues.

Google Pixel 9: ultrawide • foremost • 2x digital zoom

Google Pixel 9 Professional: ultrawide • foremost • 5x optical zoom

The ultrawide digital camera can also be shared between the 2 telephones; therefore, we get equivalent pictures from them. The digital camera does not disappoint and captures superb pictures. It resolves a ton of element and processes it organically. International parameters are additionally in tune with the established Pixel look.

Lastly, we get to maneuver on to some variations and the devoted telephoto digital camera that solely the Pixel 9 Professional has. Whereas we would not name the 5x telephoto a category chief, it positively captures stable all-around pictures.

The principle digital camera on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Professional captures very spectacular low-light pictures. These are very clear and sharp, and a variety of masterful processing was carried out to carry out particulars within the shadows and normalize mild sources. There may be virtually no noise. Saturation is on level. There may be some shot-to-shot variance in publicity at occasions, however nothing too extreme.

Google Pixel 9: ultrawide • foremost • zoom

Google Pixel 9 Professional: ultrawide • foremost • telephoto

General, the ultrawide doesn’t disappoint in low mild. It delivers vivid exposures with pleasing tonal improvement. Dynamic vary is sweet with properly boosted shadows and well-contained highlights and lightweight sources.

On the subject of low-light zooms, the digital crops from the Pixel 9’s foremost digital camera are admirable, however they can not maintain a candle to the devoted telephoto on the Pixel 9 Professional. That mentioned, the telephoto is sweet however not good in low-light situations.

Shifting on to the selfies, we frankly do not see a significant benefit of both cellphone. The upper-resolution sensor on the Pixel 9 Professional’s selfie digital camera has a greater rendition of finer element. Nonetheless, each telephones seize nice element with superb pores and skin tones.

Pixel 9 selfies

Pixel 9 Professional selfies

Video high quality

As anticipated, we’re having bother differentiating between the movies from the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Professional. 8K on a cell phone is kind of a gimmick presently, so we’re solely evaluating 4K footage. That mentioned, each the principle digital camera and ultrawide footage look nice, with loads of element and good dynamic vary.

Digital 2x zoomed movies from the principle digital camera of the Pixel 9 maintain up surprisingly effectively, however once more, the clips from the devoted 5x telephoto on the Pixel 9 Professional are on a unique degree.

Under we’ve a number of framegrabs from the movies taken by the 2 telephones at every focal size so it is simpler to check to at least one one other.

Google Pixel 9: ultrawide • foremost • zoom • low-light

Google Pixel 9 Professional: ultrawide • foremost • telephoto • low-light

Verdict

There isn’t any level beating concerning the bush right here. The Google Pixel 9 Professional is certainly the higher machine of the 2. It preserves completely each facet of the common Pixel 9 and builds upon it. Granted, a few of its upgrades are minor, just like the area of interest UWB help, or the marginally quicker wi-fi charging with the official Pixel stand. Even the show LTPO tech for extra adaptive refresh charge adjustment, whereas cool, does not precisely provide earth-shattering advantages to battery life. Nor does the upper show brightness push the cellphone into new usability heights.

The way in which we see it, the one actual cause anybody would possibly take into account the Professional over the vanilla Pixel 9 is the devoted digital camera .

We’re actually glad that Google did not compromise on the vanilla Pixel 9 expertise an excessive amount of. Positive, the Professional is a greater cellphone, however the core expertise is similar throughout each fashions. You get virtually the identical efficiency and battery life, the identical glorious foremost and ultrawide cameras, the identical charging and the identical glorious Google help for as much as seven main OS upgrades.

Backside line right here is that you’re getting a wonderful cellphone both approach. When you worth the telephoto and/or need extra storage, go for the Professional. In any other case, save a couple of dollars and seize the vanilla Pixel 9. You will not remorse it.