After six years, it is lastly time for me to modify again to a Pixel

In my 5 years working as an Android journalist, I’ve been generally known as the Samsung man. That’s been an correct description, however it might shock you to study that I was a Nexus/Pixel fanatic, utilizing each Google flagship from the Nexus 6 to the Pixel 3XL. That modified towards the beginning of 2019, once I grew to become uninterested in how unreliable Pixels have been for me in a number of areas and began to make use of Samsung telephones completely.

Not too long ago, I obtained to spend a month with the Pixel 9 Professional, and after six years, it might be time for me to rejoin crew Google. So much has modified, and these are the explanations my subsequent smartphone buy might be a Pixel.

Since my swap to Samsung telephones, there have been options I’ve missed from the Pixel expertise. Now Enjoying is one thing that’s straightforward to take as a right when you’ve got it, however I’ve missed whereas utilizing non-Pixel telephones. That sums up plenty of the Pixel expertise — refined options that may appear minor in a vacuum however come collectively to make a extra full product.

Name Screening and all of its related features are one other instance of this. Though Name Screening debuted with the Pixel 3 and 3XL, which I owned, the UK didn’t get entry to it till 2021 with the Pixel 6. Samsung could have its model now, but it surely doesn’t fairly evaluate to what a Pixel can do. Maintain For Me, Direct My Name, and Wait Instances set Google’s cellphone name expertise other than what Samsung has executed with One UI up to now. Calling my physician or the hospital is a chronic expertise of ready in line for an operator, and as a substitute of smashing my head towards the wall whereas the horrible maintain music performed, I may go about my day and let the Pixel deal with that for me.

At A Look is one other a type of small however mighty options I miss once I use a non-Google cellphone. Positive, I can use it as a widget on my Samsung telephones, but it surely’s not the identical as having it built-in, particularly on the lock display screen. At A Look exhibits you what you must know when you must comprehend it, and its absence makes the lockscreen on my Galaxy telephones really feel lifeless by comparability.

For the primary time because the introduction of One UI, I’m beginning to want how Google’s taste of Android seems because of the Materials 3 Expressive overhaul in Android 16 QPR1. The redesigned notifications and fast settings panel look incredible, and the deal with bouncy animation and haptics makes a Pixel cellphone really feel alive in methods Samsung telephones don’t, even on One UI 7 or 8. There are nonetheless issues I want about One UI — extra on that later — but it surely isn’t as reduce and dry because it was, and the Pixel feels extra enjoyable.

Right here lies the rationale I finished utilizing Pixel telephones within the first place. My Nexus 6, 6P, Pixel XL, 2XL, and 3XL all had points that led to a number of repairs or guarantee replacements for every. To Google’s credit score, their assist was nice, at all times getting me a alternative cellphone inside a single working day of reporting a difficulty. However after almost 5 years of fixed issues, I’d had sufficient. I may solely inform myself issues can be higher subsequent yr for therefore lengthy, and when my Pixel 3XL couldn’t even hold my music participant in reminiscence and take pictures on the similar time, because of the pitiful 4GB of RAM, it was time for me to maneuver on.

I’ve stored updated with Pixels since — my spouse had a Pixel 4, my Grandad had a 3a, 6a, and now an 8a, and I used a Pixel 6 Professional and later an 8 Professional for work a number of occasions. Every of these gadgets, whereas nice, didn’t encourage the identical confidence that my Samsung telephones have, all of which have been flawless, besides my S20 Extremely, which wanted a motherboard alternative after overheating.

The Pixel 9 Professional feels unbelievable. The supplies and construct high quality are top-notch and rival that of my S24 Extremely, and at no level in my month with it did I expertise any of the problems I did with Pixels of outdated. Tensor G4 has been quick, stayed cool even throughout an terrible heatwave, even when all my buddies’ iPhones have been displaying the “iPhone wants to chill down” warning. It hasn’t given me any issues with sign energy, both, which was a very weak level for earlier generations of Tensor. At no level did the 9 Professional really feel sluggish — it powered by all the things I wanted a Pixel for with out grievance.

I didn’t count on battery life to be this good with the 9 Professional, but it surely has been nothing wanting excellent. Regardless of the dimensions and weight distinction, the battery within the Pixel isn’t a lot smaller than the one in my S24 Extremely — 4,700mAh vs 5,000mAh. The Pixel 9 Professional obtained me by some robust days, despite the fact that I ran it within the Android 16 QPR1 beta for the length.

In my last two weeks with the cellphone, I made two journeys to London. The primary was a visit with buddies, together with a ship journey alongside the Thames and several other hours at Hampton Courtroom. Later, I returned to London for a press briefing. Each of those journeys spanned a whole day, leaving dwelling at round 7 AM and returning dwelling at 6 PM. Today have been onerous on the cellphone with almost-constant GPS utilization for public transport round London, loads of photograph and video seize, and music streaming. All of this throughout a heatwave that left my S24 Extremely working scorching, it doesn’t matter what I used to be doing, whereas the 9 Professional stayed cool for the length. On each of these days, I obtained dwelling with a minimum of 20% battery left, greater than my S24 Extremely ever managed on related journeys.

On extra mundane days, working from dwelling and staying nearly completely on Wi-Fi, I used to be going to mattress with a minimum of 35-40% left.

I’ve at all times liked taking pictures and at all times loved that have on older Pixels. The Samsung telephones I’ve owned have all been stable, apart from the S20 Extremely, and so through the years, I forgot what the magic of a Pixel digicam felt like. The 9 Professional jogged my memory of what I’ve been lacking, particularly now that the zoom {hardware} actually rivals Samsung.

Each photograph I took on the Pixel 9 Professional was sharp, in focus, and pleasing to have a look at. Don’t get me fallacious, my S24 Extremely takes stable pictures, however I at all times really feel the necessity to take a number of at a time to make sure shutter lag or missed focus doesn’t damage the end result. The Pixel has a point-and-shoot functionality that few telephones possess, extra so than even the iPhone 16 Professional I attempted final yr. I may not take as many pictures as Rita, however I took sufficient to know I really like this digicam.

The Pixel additionally impressed me to file extra video. That’s one thing I’ve by no means tended to do on cell. I hate inconsistent framerates, and my Pixels of outdated and the Samsung telephones I take advantage of now have at all times had points with dropping frames, particularly when switching between lenses. On prime of that, Samsung’s tendency to over-sharpen all the things seems terrible in video, relying on the topic.

The video I captured on the Pixel 9 Professional had no such points, particularly after Video Increase labored its magic. It’s naturally sharp, the colours aren’t oversaturated, and the framerate is in line with little juddering between lenses. These lenses hold the standard constant between them, too. All of this, mixed with helpful options like Add Me, makes the Pixel expertise extra of an unmatched champion than ever, and I’d forgotten how a lot enjoyable Google’s strategy to images is.

One of the best a part of the battery and digicam expertise is that I obtained it in a cellphone that isn’t unwieldy. I really like my S24 Extremely, but it surely’s huge, heavy, and pointy. If I had a nickel for each time that led me to drop the cellphone on my spouse when displaying her memes in mattress, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t rather a lot, but it surely’s bizarre that it’s occurred twice. The Pixel 9 Professional isn’t small, however it’s straightforward to make use of one-handed, and at no level did I really feel like I used to be going to drop it. If Samsung doesn’t carry the S25 Extremely’s cameras to a smaller cellphone, particularly the 5X telephoto, I’ll be disillusioned.

There are nonetheless issues I want about Samsung telephones. I praised the battery life on the 9 Professional earlier, however I’m not as proud of the charging scenario, particularly wi-fi charging. Samsung telephones can cost as much as 15W wirelessly, whereas the Pixel 9 Professional can cost as much as 21W wirelessly. That feels like a win for the Pixel, but it surely isn’t. A Pixel can solely obtain that most wi-fi velocity with a Pixel Stand, a product Google now not sells. On a daily Qi charger, which manages 15W on my S24 Extremely, the Pixel 9 Professional will solely cost at 12W. A distinction of 3W doesn’t sound like a lot, however 15W is sufficient for fast top-ups on my S24, whereas wirelessly charging the Pixel doesn’t really feel price it.

Likewise, the wired charging is just too sluggish for my liking. 27W expenses the 4,700mAh battery resonably quick, however my S24 Extremely is quicker at 45W.  It’s not a deal-breaker when the cellphone lasts so long as it does on a cost, but it surely was irritating once I wished to present it a fast increase earlier than going out for the night.

Storage is one other ache level for me. The Pixel 9 Professional is £1,000 and solely comes with 128GB in its base configuration. The S25 collection, apart from the bottom mannequin, begins at 256GB, and Samsung recurrently runs promotions that get you double the storage for no further value. Giving your “professional” cellphone 128GB of storage, particularly when pictures and movies take up a lot house, is unforgivable in 2025.

Whereas I really like Materials 3 Expressive in Android 16 QPR1 and the Pixel-specific options talked about earlier, One UI nonetheless has plenty of issues I’d discover onerous to surrender. Widget Stacks is one thing I take advantage of on a regular basis. Like iOS, One UI allows you to stack a number of widgets in the identical place so you possibly can scroll by them. Which means you possibly can have each widget you’d want in your main homescreen and eliminates the necessity to scroll by a number of dwelling pages. In my setup, I’ve the Google Search bar stacked with the controls for my Galaxy Buds 3 Professional, my Calendar stacked with a Tick Tick to-do listing, and my Google House mild controls with pinned notes in Google Hold.

Good Lock is one other factor that makes me hesitant to modify away from Samsung telephones. Good Lock provides unequalled customisation, from overhauling Android’s gesture navigation to fine-tuning animations and icon shapes.

I do know it’s a cliché, however the Samsung ecosystem can be troublesome to depart. I’ve a number of Samsung telephones, a Galaxy Watch 6, Galaxy Buds 3 Professional, and a Tab S10 Plus. Likewise, my spouse makes use of all-Samsung gadgets as effectively. There are perks to conserving to that ecosystem. Samsung’s implementation of shared calendars is best than Google’s, Galaxy Buds seamlessly swap audio sources between Samsung gadgets, and my S24 Extremely can act as a coloration palette and gear picker for my Tab S10 Plus once I’m drawing in Samsung Notes.

Most likely. January is improve time, and based mostly on the present rumours surrounding the Galaxy S26 collection and the Pixel 10, the Pixel is what I’m leaning in the direction of. Above all else, my expertise with the Pixel 9 Professional made me realise I desire a cellphone that’s smaller, lighter, and nonetheless packs the digicam prowess I need from a cellphone.

That’s the icing on prime of a cellphone that nails all the fundamentals of what I need, and it’s so good I feel I’m prepared to surrender the options I’ve grown accustomed to in One UI. MKBHD as soon as referred to as the Pixels “the neatest smartphone,” and it’s true. Google’s considerate strategy to software program and {hardware} is one thing I didn’t realise I missed, and now that I’ve skilled it once more, I keep in mind why I used to like Google telephones within the first place.