I like the Pixel 9 Professional, however I’ve 5 explanation why I will be ready for subsequent 12 months’s mannequin

To this point, I have been pleasantly stunned by Google’s Pixel 9 series of smartphones. The Pixel 9 Pro models are significantly compelling this 12 months, with a splendidly premium construct high quality, a beneficiant serving to of RAM, and tons of AI-enhanced digicam options.

I am additionally a giant fan of Google’s determination to supply the total Professional expertise in a extra compact package deal this time round, and I hope to see this stay the case within the years to come back.

Not the whole lot is sunshine and rainbows, nonetheless. There are a number of lacking components which have me wanting to carry off till subsequent 12 months’s Pixel 10 Professional, in hopes that they will make it into Google’s next-generation {hardware}. Listed here are 5 issues in particular which are stopping me from taking the Pixel 9 Professional plunge.

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1 There isn’t any Qi2 wi-fi charging on deck

Why hasn’t this proven up on Android smartphones but?

Qi2 is the most recent inductive wi-fi charging commonplace, and it was finalized in late 2023 by the Wi-fi Energy Consortium. Sure, that very same consortium that Google occurs to be an active member of.

Inexplicably, the Pixel 9 sequence is absent the useful ring of magnets that work to align compliant telephones onto charging pads, stands, and equipment. I can solely hope that by subsequent 12 months, Google will lastly get round to implementing Qi2 into its Pixel 10 lineup. Personally, I discover it tough to revert again to non-magnetic wi-fi chargers after getting a style of Qi2 on the iPhone.

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2 Gorilla Glass Armor is absent

The glass on the Pixel 9 Professional is Gorilla Glass Armorless

When Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 Ultra again in January, it introduced with it an sudden new {hardware} addition — Corning’s new Gorilla Glass Armor. This new era of tempered glass improves resistance to scratches, however its headlining characteristic is the discount of on-screen reflections.

The Google Pixel 9 Professional is outfitted with the more-than-capable Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cowl glass on each the entrance and the again, however after experiencing the anti-reflective properties of Corning’s next-gen product, I by no means wish to return.

There is a good likelihood that Samsung scored an exclusivity cope with Corning to be used of its Gorilla Glass Armor. I simply hope the settlement is not multi-year, and that the Pixel 10 Professional is outfitted with the identical show glass that the S24 Extremely advantages from immediately.

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3 UFS 4.0 flash storage is lacking from the equation

Contemplating the value of the telephone, I might anticipate the perfect in storage expertise

Samsung

In terms of flash storage, the quicker the efficiency, the higher. Sadly, the most recent high-end commonplace — UFS 4.0 — is absent from the Pixel 9 Professional. UFS 4.0 “delivers double the velocity of the earlier era and 45% higher effectivity — eradicating bottlenecks for quicker smartphones,” according to Samsung.

The Pixel 9 Professional ships with UFS 3.1 storage, which remains to be fairly snappy, all issues thought of. That being stated, I really feel that the high-end price ticket of Google’s Professional handset warrants one of the best storage answer at the moment obtainable in the marketplace.

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4 Quick charging is not all that quick

The telephone expenses quickly — simply not quickly sufficient

The Pixel 9 Professional is able to 27W charging, and Google quotes that this may web you “as much as 55% in about half-hour.” In a vacuum, it is a first rate sufficient charging fee, however the fact is that rivals are far forward with regard to quick charging.

I am hoping that for subsequent 12 months’s Pixel 10 Professional, we get a bump up in functionality to someplace between 45W and 65W. For the sake of battery well being, I am not advocating for one thing like Redmi’s 300W feat of engineering. I might argue that 65W strikes a very good steadiness between charging quickly and preserving the integrity of the facility pack.

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5 The selfie digicam punch gap is sort of ugly

The cutout is bigger than what you may discover on top-end Samsung telephones

The Pixel 9 Professional follows the development set by Samsung in that it opts for a front-facing gap punch for housing the selfie digicam. Not like prime Samsung fashions, nonetheless, the Pixel’s cutout is bodily bigger and decrease on the display screen.

Actually, the Pixel 9 Professional’s selfie cutout is decrease on the display screen than even final 12 months’s Pixel 8 Professional. When it comes to person expertise, this creates unbalanced visuals inside the interface, as there is a noticeable lack of symmetry between the digicam gap and the standing bar icons.

Admittedly, I like the truth that the Pixel 9 Professional has an improved selfie shooter in comparison with final 12 months’s mannequin — the broader discipline of view and far larger decision are welcome enhancements. I hope that with one other 12 months of analysis and growth, Google engineers will have the ability to squeeze a extra compact and symmetrical selfie shooter into the Pixel 10 Professional.

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