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Reviewing Google's Pixel 9 Pro XL smartphone, three months after launching in the UK, including my full verdict on the camera performance, gaming experience, battery life and beyond. How does the Pixel 9 Pro XL compare vs the best Snapdragon 8 Elite phones and that iPhone 16 Pro Max? Well, it's one of my favourites of 2024, even if I prefer the more compact model.

In the long term, these premium Google blowers should prove a wise purchase, not least because of the extended software support. The Pixel 9 Pro XL, now with Android 15, is one of the greatest camera phones around. Photo quality is more natural than rivals, while this phone is catching up for video capture. But of course it's the easy editing that really elevates that camera experience.

Gaming isn't the Pixel 9 Pro XL's strong point although it doesn't fail in this area. It's just not as capable as more recent Snapdragon 8 Elite phones, or the Oppo Find X8 Pro. Still, the Pixel 9 Pro XL does absolutely dominate for battery life, even if the charging speeds are proper lethargic.

So that's what I think of this Google smartphone after three months. Check out my Pixel 9 series comparison for more!

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review Chapters:
0:00 - Time be slipping
0:50 - Design
3:19 - Android 15 & features
6:34 - Display & audio
8:08 - Performance & gaming
9:37 - Battery life
11:21 - Cameras
16:10 - Verdict