If someone rates those telephones for a living, I don’t often stay with one hand set for a long time.
At Tech Advisor we have a strict policy to use a smartphone as our main device for at least a week before we assess it. But once that review is completed, the next phone is often ready and waits for my SIM card.
After I switched to the Pixel 9 Pro XL in October in October to a trip to Hawaii (where it has proven me wrong), I got the unusual opportunity to keep using it for much longer. I didn’t even move telephones until the Galaxy S25+ arrived at the beginning of February – a period of more than three months.
With this extensive test window I was able to fully integrate the phone into my daily life. It made impressions that are simply not possible within a week, so the things I discuss here should better reflect your experience if you decide to buy it.
So how does the Pixel 9 Pro XL dishes have? My long -term assessment of the phone can be split into three categories: the good, the bad and the … rather ugly.
Good
In our entire Pixel 9 Pro XL review, Jon Mundy described it as “an excellent flagship telephone”. After using it for three months, I would stay, given all the ways in which it really made an impression on me.
Still the best camera phone (for most people)
The highlight of the 9 Pro XL is undoubtedly the cameras. Many telephones have surpassed or even surpassed the pixel when it comes to camera hardware, but none can match the software wizard.
If someone wants to take great photos with a minimal amount of hassle, the Pixel 9 Pro XL has been a pleasure to use. The 50MP main lens consistently delivers great color accuracy, dynamic range and exposure – including with little light. It also treats skin tones better than every phone I have ever tried.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Unlike most telephones, switching to the 48Mp Ultrawide does not mean a large drop-off quality. I thought it was great to have the flexibility of a field of vision of 123 degrees that I could trust, especially when recording Maui’s dramatic coastline or the skyline of Las Vegas.
If someone who wants to take great photos with a minimal amount of hassle, the Pixel 9 Pro XL was a pleasure to use
Then there is the 48MP Periscope telephoto. I found the 5x optical zoom so good, which made detailed photos of impressive far away. And the 42MP lens in front targeted lens treats selfies as a champion.
Pixel telephones have a lot of photo-related AI functions, but I usually ignored them, safely in the knowledge that I have already had many great photos.
I cannot accuse the 9 Pro XL when it comes to video. With optical image stabilization (OIS) on both the head and telephone lenses, even 1080p images look flexible and fresh in most environments. Although not entirely the gold standard of the iPhone, I thought it was ideal for documenting my travels.
Set up a great display
The pure size of the screen of the Pixel 9 Pro XL has caused some problems (more about that later), but that should not take away anything from the quality of the display.
The 6.8-inch panel is a beautiful 120Hz OLED and offers a fresh 1344 x 2992 resolution that in principle everything looks good to ensure that you use it in settings.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
At different times during the three months I trusted the 9 Pro XL as my primary entertainment device, the use of it to catch up with TV programs or watch YouTube. It didn’t let me down at all and offered about such a compelling experience if you can get on a smartphone.
I could continue on how good the display of Pixel 9 Pro XL is all day
I also often used the phone outside, also in bright sunshine. It was turned without any problems, with 3000 nits peak clearance that guarantee excellent visibility.
I could continue on how good the display of Pixel 9 Pro XL is all day (not literally … or can I?), But I don’t want to be bored. Rest assured that it is there with the very best displays you find on every phone.
Great tensor
Before trying a phone for yourself, it is tempting to dive into the benchmarks to see what you can learn.
That is exactly what I did before I try out the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and they take care of grim reading. In CPU and GPU tests, telephones are powered by the Tensor G4 chipset kilometers behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 from last year, let alone the latest Snapdragon 8 -Elite.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
However, this serves as a good memory of how few benchmarks matter when it comes to real-world performance. Of course, the 9 Pro XL can be a fraction slower than the Galaxy S25 Ultra or OnePlus 13, but it is almost impossible to say.
During my three months of use, the performance of the Pixel 9 Pro XL did not let me down once. It was consistently fast and very responsive, with ease demanding apps and multitasking.
During my three months of use, the performance of the Pixel 9 Pro XL did not let me down once
I am not exactly an avid gamer, but if you want to play a little PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty: Mobile: Mobile, the 9 Pro XL can handle that too. In other words: don’t worry about the Sub-par benchmarks at all!
Battery life for days (literally)
However, all those great achievements are not good if the battery does not last the distance.
And the 5060 MAH capacity of the Pixel 9 Pro XL is not nothing to write home about, especially with a lively 6.8-inch display on the electricity.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Fortunately, all the worries of the battery life that I quickly faded after I started using the phone. Even on the most demanding days of more than 12 hours while traveling, the phone didn’t even died on me before I went to bed.
At home that can easily stretch to two or three days on a single charge. Depending on how you use it, the 9 Pro XL can offer a real multi -day battery life.
Depending on how you use it, the 9 Pro XL can offer a real multi -day battery life
Peak smartphones software?
Beyond are the days that Android was a confusing, messy mess. Depending on which phone you buy, Android 15 can offer an intuitive, well -considered experience that is full of useful functions.
This latest iteration came in advance on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and as someone who mainly uses Google Apps, I immediately felt at home. Pixel -telephones offer an impressive integrated approach that is completely free of bloatware, which is very refreshing.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
It feels that Google has thought every aspect of the user interface, while the AI functions are currently the most advanced available on a smartphone. Eventually I used Gemini and Circle to look for much more than I expected.
An obligation for another six years of OS and security updates is the icing on the cake.
Bad
However, it is not all good news. Extensive use of the Pixel 9 Pro XL revealed some things that I was not such a big fan of.
Let me eliminate my wifi in peace!
Almost the software, an aspect of Android 15 caused great frustration. In contrast to in principle, any other Android phone requires Wi-Fi or mobile data in or disabled in the Fast Settings menu two taps-one to select ‘Internet’ and the others to actually switch it.
Foundry
It may not sound like a big problem, but if you quickly get annoying this several times a day, every day for three months. Why can’t Google separate them into two buttons with one tap?
It is too damn large and heavy
It comes as a surprise for absolutely nobody that the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a big phone. After all, it has a 6.8-inch display!
But if someone with relatively large hands, I thought I could deal with it. Wrong.
About a month later, the size of the 9 Pro XL became a real burden. Even with the relatively large bags in the pants for men, there was not much room left for something else. Every time I bent over, I had to brace myself for a light shot. At least I think the corners are bent, I think.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Unfortunately, the use of the phone did not offer a respite. The 9 Pro XL is already one of the heaviest round at 221G, but I would very much recommend adding a case for extra grip and protection. The official of Google took the total at 265 g.
The result: after about 10 minutes of use my wrist started to hurt and my little finger finger threatened to make a place under the weight. Not a good look.
Of course this problem is not exclusive for the Pixel 9 Pro XL – In principle, each large flagship will cause similar problems. But it made me long for a much smaller and lighter device.
If the regular Pixel 9 Pro only had a better life of the battery …
Ugly
There is one aspect of the Pixel 9 Pro XL that I was so annoyed that it had to go in the ‘Ugly’ section. It is not only the biggest disadvantage of the phone, but Google also makes it unnecessarily complicated to get the best out of it.
What’s going on with charging?
When I saw that the Pixel 9 Pro XL supported the 45W fast charger of Google, I was enthusiastic. We finally get a pixel with considerable loading speeds!
Unfortunately it was too good to be true. In reality, the phone is limited to 37W, and even that trusts that you have that compatible charger. Without this, speeds are still considerably slower.
If someone who does not charge his phone at night, I need a device that can quickly go from 0-100%. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is not – expects more than an hour for a complete charge.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
Qi wireless charging is useful, but does not pay too much attention to the 23W figure. That depends on buying a special Pixel stand accessory, which is no longer even available via the Google website.
Without that you look at painfully slow 12W speeds. It is probably obvious, but I have not taken the trouble.
No matter how frustrating the loading situation is, the battery life is good enough to mean that it is not a dealbreaker for most people. But on those occasions that I was low, it would be an understatement frustrating. Google, you can do better than this!
My 3 -month judgment on the Pixel 9 Pro XL
Despite several disadvantages, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is still easy to recommend to most people.
It offers the best combination of display, cameras, battery life and software on every phone in 2025. Even the performance, which looks like a weakness on paper, eventually become an important strength.
However, the enormous size of the phone and the farce on loading speeds achieves the shine of the experience. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is still worth buying, but only if you are satisfied with these compromises.
Looking for alternatives? View our guide for the best phones you can buy now.
