Google·phone
Pixel 9
Based on 63 credible posts from Hacker News, Bluesky & YouTube. 15 filtered out as bot-like or off-topic.
High confidenceA large sample of owners; this score is stable. How we score
Scored November 9, 2026
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Owner reviews
Overall owner mood
Owners are split: 57% of 63 reviews are positive, 21% negative, and the rest mixed or neutral. Praise centers on battery & charging and camera. The most common complaint is price & value (8 owners). Owners are divided on software & ai and display. Owners with 6+ months of use are more positive (75%), which suggests it holds up well.
What owners like
Battery & charging praised by 4 owners (1 disagree)
“Battery life is great, and you don't have a bunch of cruft from Google running on your device.”
Camera praised by 4 owners (1 disagree)
“It was a Pixel 9 and it was just $290 to trade up to a Pixel 11 with storage and a better camera.”
What owners complain about
Price & value raised by 8 owners (1 disagree)
“I don't trust the digital music stores anymore, cumulatively I have probably $100 worth of music I've bought across 3-4 music stores in the last 25 years and I can't access any of it anymore.”
Owners are split on
- Software & AI 5 like it · 5 don't
- Display 3 like it · 4 don't
Worth reading the reviews on these if they matter to you.
What owners talk about
- Software & AI5 praise · 5 complain
- Price & value1 praise · 8 complain
- Display3 praise · 4 complain
- Battery & charging4 praise · 1 complain
- Camera4 praise · 1 complain
- Sound1 praise · 1 complain
Built from the reviews themselves — every quote links to the owner who wrote it.
Every credible owner review, most detailed first. Bots, off-topic comments, and ones that say nothing about using it are left out.
[...] Bought a Pixel 6a last year as a cheap way to test waters, but pretty soon I upgraded to discounted Pixel 9. [...] Initially, I started with a separate profile for google stuff (like play store/services and apps downloaded from there, like Viber), but eventually I moved everything to the owner profile (and took a bit of a privacy and battery hit in the matter of convenience). [...] Just looked at what android 17 brings to the table and I'm mildly excited - especially improving performance and adding more permissions (like ACCESSLOCALNETWORK)
I just bought an official Pixel 9 to install GrapheneOS, and the process couldn't be simpler. [...] As a side note, I've been using it for a few months now, and it works great. [...] Battery life is great, and you don't have a bunch of cruft from Google running on your device. [...]
Apps I can't uninstall on my Pixel 9 or 10 (I forget): Gemini, Google TV, My Pixel, Now Playing, Screenshots, Wallet, Weather, YT Music Some of those might be system level stuff, but I don't know what the heck Google TV is, and I certainly am not signing up for whtever "YT Music" is. [...] I don't trust the digital music stores anymore, cumulatively I have probably $100 worth of music I've bought across 3-4 music stores in the last 25 years and I can't access any of it anymore. [...]
Been running GrapheneOS for a while on a Pixel 9, and extremely happy with it! [...] The Pixel camera app works, including all modes and settings. A camera that takes good photos was absolutely a requirement for me, and the FOSS camera apps are not quite as good yet. [...] I don't have Google Photos and the pixel camera app tries to launch google photos when you want to review the picture you just took. But there is a FOSS app called GPhotosShim that uses the same namespace as google photos and thus fools the camera into launching that app instead. [...] Screencasting works! [...]
When this whole thing got announced, I purchased a new Pixel 9 and flashed it with GrapheneOS. I am hoping that in about 6-8 years (when I realistically need to update) the landscape might be a bit better. [...]
[...] Earlier this year, I was actually tried to replace my bulky 16" MBP with a Pixel 9 for work. [...]
GrapheneOS will have official support on multiple devices from Motorola This is excellent news, because the phone that has been confirmed so far (the Signature 27) is absurdly large and expensive. The Pixel 9 I currently run Graphene on is already too big for my taste.
I tend to "upgrade" to the previous release, I always got them as their stocks dwindle and their prices are low. Did this with the last nexus, pixel 6, 7, and now I got a pixel 9 from work so the pattern is broken.
I've been a paid subscriber to Claude for a couple of years, but lately I've been reaching for the free Gemini app on my Android Pixel 9 because it's so good at doing searches as part of its answers. The model feels fresh and up to date. Whether Apple can incorporate that search is an open question
[...] If I can text with my phone and the battery lasts all day, that is all I care about. My smartphone history is iPhone 3g, iPhone 4, iPhone 6, Pixel 3, Pixel 9. [...]
It was a Pixel 9 and it was just $290 to trade up to a Pixel 11 with storage and a better camera. But still my phone was only 2 years old and I wasn't ready to have it start dying yet.
[...] But I was screwing around and my phone(Pixel 9) Has an option to use it via USB for webcam. [...] could of been using that for over a year now. [...]
Been using the Pixel 9 for the last 9 months now .. [...] Have been in the Pixel ecosystem for the last 3 years now with a pixel 7a being my secondary device, a pixel watch 2 along with the pixel buds pro and Chromecast .. [...]
[...] Funny I'm the total opposite I have the pixel 9 Pro XL as my side piece I've had it since it dropped two years ago and I must say it's still excellent like the day I took it out of the box. My daily driver is my S25 Ultra and for family purposes I also have the iPhone 17 Pro in Blue. [...]
[...] When I got a Pixel 9 about a year ago, my feeling was the same (Gemini as at your fingertips. [...] A few months later after the novelty wore off, I just found the push of AI everywhere in Pixel OS and Google apps just annoying. [...]
I've been using Wispr Flow on my pixel 9 and I like it. It does the things that Rambler says it's supposed to do but it's available on my Pixel 9 unlike rambler that's currently only available for pixel 11.
Did you check the forums or research for any benign reason that could happen? I've run Graphene on Pixel 9 and 10 and never had such battery issues.
[...] Especially for Wi-Fi passwords, which are a very common thing to share. Android has had a feature for years that generates the password as a plaintext-encoded QR code so you can share a wifi password without the other party even needing to type it in. And at least on my pixel 9, I have a toggle on the password entry field to toggle visibility. I don't have an iOS device handy to compare against, but it surprises me that Apple wouldn't also recognize that Wi-Fi passwords in particular are extremely common things to share.
[...] I find Google Photos asks me once every update. I got a Pixel 9 with 1 year of free Gemini Pro (or whatever version it is, their offering almost feels like Windows 7 Home Enterprise Ultimate), but because of their nagging about the backup I loathe to give them money to subscribe to Gemini beyond that. I have a Google Pixel 1 I got from eBay, with "lifetime free photos backup", sitting plugged in on a shelf. Every evening my main phone syncs photos I take on it to my NAS, and another app copies the images from the NAS to that Pixel phone, which then backs it up to Google Photos... [...]
I'm pretty happy with a Pixel 9 running GrapheneOS and a Garmin that I never connected to a Garmin account. I use instead (then synced to my computer with syncthing), and I don't miss anything from Garmin. I'm 100% Google free, and far happier with tech that I ever was.
[...] I wish my Pixel 9 had it but I guess it hasn't trickled down yet. [...]
Same, I've got a Pixel 9 and GrapheneOS works perfectly on it. I really love having full control over the OS on my phone and being able to decide what actually runs on it.
Syncthing-fork is running perfectly fine on my Pixel 9. The web interface is definitely better than the default app interface, it's a shame they even bothered with that app interface. All you have to do is exchange "keys" with the two machines you want to sync and then it's mostly set and forget
I followed the link to the Pixel 9 bug/exploit and saw this: "Over the past few years, several AI-powered features have been added to mobile phones that allow users to better search and understand their messages. One effect of this change is increased 0-click attack surface, as efficient analysis often requires message media to be decoded before the message is opened by the user" Haven't we learned our lesson on this? Don't read and act on my sms messages without me asking you to!
[...] I'm a firm believer in the right to repair software - and the fact that it's illegal to reverse engineer binary blob drivers (or proprietary software at all) is a shame (not that you could even untangle a driver from a binary blob of a Linux fork). [...] Should be easy Ubuntu Touch on my Pixel 9? [...]
If you buy a google pixel 9 (the last version for which google released device trees), you can do anything you want on your phone. My pixel runs a version of android I built myself
[...] My Pixel 9 was free (late 2024) with a 20€/month 2 year contract that includes unlimited calls, SMS, and 5 gigs of 5G data. 480€ when the cheapest full price was over 500 (and then wouldn’t include the data or calls). [...]
I'm having that issue now on my Pixel 9, and I had it before on Pixel 6. My wife mockingly claims that it's me that keeps breaking the ports, but I've never had this issue on earlier phones.
[...] I tried both PixelOS and GrapheneOS on a Pixel 9 and ended up returning it. [...]
[...] I have owned iPhones in the past (and still have a couple of old models collecting dust in a drawer), and I don't think they are in any way more refined than my Pixel 9 running Graphene. [...]
same here, got six years out of a pixel 3 and hope to get another six out of my current pixel 9. if it hadn't been for the battery life degrading I might even have hung on to the 3 for another year or two.
Pixel 9 is so extremely slippery that one can't help but think they designed it to need a case. I never bought a case prior to Pixel 9 but the thing is like a wet bar of soap.
[...] Knox sounds like a pretty awesome feature though. I use nix-on-droid on a Pixel 9 running stock Android 16. [...]
this is why i like my pixel 9 running grapheneos. No requirement of signing into an account to setup my phone. Signing into a google account is optional if you decide to install the google play store (which again is optional, and I did do because it's the best place to install android apps)
I have the Pixel 8a and Se 3. Both just work, no bloatware. I like the timely updates.
One thing that stopped me using and selling the pixel 9 was it didn't have vapor cooling chamber. I now have the pixel 10a berry 🍓 color. Much better phone in my eyes.
Just picked up a brand new Pixel 9 in porcelain for $499 AUD ($349 USD) and absolutely love it. Couldn't agree more regarding Gemini's superiority over Siri. I was an iPhone user since the ORIGINAL IPHONE.and had simply had enough....
My 9 Pro XL does fine with battery but there's also extreme battery saver mode. [...] Those come in handy when you cell signal says "just kidding!" 😂
The pixel OLED def looks better until you watch a Dolby video. I have the 17 pro and pixel 9 and overall the pixel display with the adaptive color settings looks a lot better Edit: and we have the same Zelda live wallpaper lmao
I use my 9 for work and love it, it just get the work done and it's very good with voice to text if you have to type a lot.
i have a pixel 9 like yours and the normal use 12h and in the end of the day 20-30% stell in the battrey
Similar situation. Switch pretty frequently between my iPhone 17 pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL. Once you use a Pixel every other phone just seems less intuitive and helpful.
I've always felt the call / text screening that google does is one of those fantastic features that rarely gets discussed. [...] I like them both for different reasons, but my SIM card spends more time in the pixel because of the scam screening and adblocking. [...]
[...] phone calls, youtube, whatsapp, online payments and clicking some pictures occasionally. Pictures still turn out great in good lighting and very much usable. [...]
Bought and sold both the 9 pro and the 9 and just bought a 9 back on a massive sale. Even Google knew how good the 9 was because they gimped the 10. I've got grapheneos installed on it. Perfect backup/travel phone.
I got a new phone (Pixel 9) I feel like it's much easier to get a decent selfie with it
After smashing my phone screen on a Buenos Aires pavement, got a Pixel 9 today. Selfies look good!
I had the base 9 before upgrading to a 9 Pro because I just needed the extra camera for my kid. The Pixel 9 is 99% the same phone vs the Pro. The screen is BARELY different and even I couldn't notice the difference. [...]
I've been using Google Pixel phones since Pixel 3. But they heavily advertise Pixel 9 as a "phone made for AI", "total Gemini integration", and it such a turn off, I will probably be upgrading to something else now.
[...] But since landing back in Cardiff my phone (pixel 9) won't connect to 3/4/5g services. [...]
The claims, and the evidence
What the brand claims
- Google Tensor G4 chipFew owner reports
- 50MP main and 48MP ultrawide camerasOwners agreeCamera: 4 of 5 positive
- 12GB of RAMFew owner reports
- Actua display up to 2700 nitsMixedDisplay: 3 of 7 positive
- 24+ hour battery lifeOwners agreeBattery & charging: 4 of 5 positive
- IP68 water and dust resistanceFew owner reports
- 7 years of OS and security updatesMixedSoftware & AI: 5 of 10 positive
- Gemini built inMixedSoftware & AI: 5 of 10 positive
What owners report
“[...] Bought a Pixel 6a last year as a cheap way to test waters, but pretty soon I upgraded to discounted Pixel 9. [...] Initially, I started with a separate profile for google stuff (like play store/services and apps downloaded from there, like Viber), but eventually I moved everything to the owner profile (and took a bit of a privacy and battery hit in the matter of convenience). [...] Just looked at what android 17 brings to the table and I'm mildly excited - especially improving performance and adding more permissions (like ACCESSLOCALNETWORK)”
after 1 yearView on Hacker News“Been running GrapheneOS for a while on a Pixel 9, and extremely happy with it! [...] The Pixel camera app works, including all modes and settings. A camera that takes good photos was absolutely a requirement for me, and the FOSS camera apps are not quite as good yet. [...] I don't have Google Photos and the pixel camera app tries to launch google photos when you want to review the picture you just took. But there is a FOSS app called GPhotosShim that uses the same namespace as google photos and thus fools the camera into launching that app instead. [...] Screencasting works! [...]”
“I tend to "upgrade" to the previous release, I always got them as their stocks dwindle and their prices are low. Did this with the last nexus, pixel 6, 7, and now I got a pixel 9 from work so the pattern is broken.”
“[...] Earlier this year, I was actually tried to replace my bulky 16" MBP with a Pixel 9 for work. [...]”
Common Pixel 9 problems
Problems most owners who mention them agree on, plus ones owners are split on.
- Price & value8 owners report this (1 disagree)View on Hacker News
“I got a Pixel 9 with 1 year of free Gemini Pro (or whatever version it is, their offering almost feels like Windows 7 Home Enterprise Ultimate), but because of their nagging about the backup I loathe to give them money to subscribe to Gemini beyond that.”
- Software & AIOwners split: 5 complain, 5 happyView on Hacker News
“I'm a firm believer in the right to repair software - and the fact that it's illegal to reverse engineer binary blob drivers (or proprietary software at all) is a shame (not that you could even untangle a driver from a binary blob of a Linux fork).”
- DisplayOwners split: 4 complain, 3 happyView on YouTube
“Duuuude you sound just like me lol unfortunately I wanted the Pro XL because of the a) telephoto lens and b) larger display.”