Google Pixel 9 Unboxing and First Impressions


Google launched the Pixel 9 smartphone globally and in India last week. The Pixel 9 has a slightly smaller screen compared to the Pixel 8, comes with a new Tensor G4 SoC, has a bigger screen and upgraded cameras. Here we have the first impressions of the phone.

Box Contents

  • Pixel 9 in Obsidian colour
  • USB-C to USB-C Cable
  • Quick Start Guide
  • SIM Ejector Tool

This time, Google has switched to plastic free packing, and the new packaging is now made with a new paper that is three times stronger and approximately 70 percent more stretchable than our previous paper, said the company.  Inside the box, it uses new molded fiber pulp formula. However, this doesn’t come with a Quick Switch Adaptor any more.

The phone has a 6.3-inch FHD+ OLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, and this has up to 2700 nits brightness, making it 35%  brighter than the predecessor. The screen is bright, and the viewing angles are good. It has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, compared to Gorilla Glass Victus in the Pixel 8.

There is a centre punch-hole display that houses an 10.8MP camera with 4K 60 fps video recording, same as the Pixel 8. Since this is small, it doesn’t disturb when watching videos. The earpiece on the top doubles up as the secondary speaker. The front camera also works for face unlock.

You can also see the tiny bottom bezel, which is symmetrical. It runs Android 14 instead of Android 15. The company has promised 7 years of OS updates, feature drop and security updates for the phone which was introduced with the Pixel 8 series.

The phone has an in-display fingerprint scanner, which now uses an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner for the first time. It has the Google Tensor G4 SoC along with Titan M2 security chip. As usual, it heats up quickly on intensive use such as gaming.

The phone has a satin metal finish on the side, so it doesn’t attract fingerprints. You can see the antenna bands around the phone. The power button and volume rockers are present on the right side. The SIM slot has been moved from the left side to the bottom, and there is eSIM support. The USB Type-C port, microphone and speaker grill are present on the bottom. The secondary microphone is present on the top.

The phone has a smaller metal camera bar with a matte finish, but it doesn’t extend to the sides. This has a new 50MP main camera with f/1.68 aperture and OIS. There is also an upgraded secondary 48MP 125° Ultra-wide camera with f/1.7 aperture with macro option. It has up to 4K 60 fps video recording for the front and rear cameras. There are several new camera features, including Add Me.

Check out some camera samples.

The phone has a polished glass back that also has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. It also comes in Peony, Porcelain and Wintergreen, in addition to Obsidian. The phone also has IP68 ratings for water resistance.  The phone packs a bigger, 4700mAh battery, compared to 4,575mAh battery in the Pixel 8. It has up to 27W wired fast charging and also has 15W wireless charging.

It is already available for pre-order from Flipkart, and over 150 Croma and Reliance Retail outlets in 15 cities across the country for Rs. 79,999 for the single 256GB model. The phone will go on sale from tomorrow, August 22nd.


Author: Srivatsan Sridhar

Srivatsan Sridhar is a Mobile Technology Enthusiast who is passionate about Mobile phones and Mobile apps. He uses the phones he reviews as his main phone. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram