Among Google's latest flagships, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is decidedly the best new device around when it comes to the camera. Or, at least that's what the extensive camera specs for the phone hint at.
While the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is arguably the more exciting phone, it's the Pixel 9 Pro XL which gets the newest hardware and the most updates to its camera setup, making it the true spiritual successor to last year's spectacular Pixel 8 Pro.
Surely, a large part of the appeal behind the Pixel 9 Pro XL is intertwined with the plethora of AI goodies that Google throws, it's still carrying some exceptional hardware. Let's see how it stacks up against its predecessor and then run it through the paces of the PhoneArena Camera test.
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
PhoneArena Camera Score
BEST 157
151
PhoneArena Photo Score
BEST 162
159
Main (wide)
BEST 85
84
Zoom
BEST 28
27
Ultra-wide
BEST 25
23
Selfie
BEST 30
26
PhoneArena Video Score
BEST 153
142
Main (wide)
BEST 79
76
Zoom
BEST 27
21
Ultra-wide
BEST 23
20
Selfie
BEST 28
25
Pixel 9 Pro XL Camera Score compared to its rivals
Phone
PhoneArena Camera Score
Photo Score
Video Score
Pixel 9 Pro XL
150.5
159.4
141.6
Pixel 8 Pro
150
157.6
142.4
Galaxy S24 Ultra
156.4
161.9
150.9
iPhone 15 Pro Max
153.3
157.6
148.9
Sadly, the new Pixel 9 Pro XL fails to beat its main current-get rivals, the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but what's even more surprising is that it barely beats Google's previous Pixel 8 Pro as well.
With a Photo Score of 159.4, the Pixel 9 Pro XL beats its predecessor and also bests the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but loses to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It's the Video Score that drags the new Pixel 9 Pro XL back––and it loses to the rest of its rivals and predecessor here.
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The spectacular main camera photo quality is keeping it all afloat, but the shortcomings in the video and the issues with softer ultra-wide/zoom cameras definitely hurt the overall versatility of the new Pixel flagship.
Pixel 9 Pro XL camera spider chart
Pros
Excellent main camera with superb detail
Great color accuracy with the main camera
Sharp telephoto camera with great stabilization
Cons
Ultra-wide camera has unimpressive corner sharpness
Videos taken with the ultra-wide are too soft
Selfie camera is too soft
Some portrait mode issues
Main Camera
The main camera of the phone is excellent. It delivers very decent dynamics, nails the perfect color temperature almost always, and a ton of perfectly resolved details. No over-sharpening or any other serious issue here, just a dependable and very decent main camera.
It is also used in portrait mode, but there are some artifacts that rank it lower than the respective portrait modes of the Galaxy S24 Ultra/iPhone 15 Pro Max. For many people, this is the most important aspect of a phone's camera to consider, so we are pleased to report that the main camera won't disappoint!
Zoom Quality
The zoom quality is magnificent, losing only to the better-equipped Galaxy S24 Ultra in terms of score in our camera test. The phone delivers a consistent level of sharpness throughout the zoom range, culminating at the native 5X optical telephoto zoom. Dynamics and colors are on par with the Pixel 8 Pro, Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Ultra-wide Camera
The ultra-wide camera of the Pixel 9 Pro XL has some issue with the corner sharpness, which is crucial with ultra-wide images. It's noticeably softer than its rivals and predecessor, but besides that, the center of the frame will get you decent detail and the same lovely color reproduction that carries from the other cameras.
Front Camera
A bump in the megapixel count isn't an instant cheat code for much superior image detail, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL proves that. While decent, selfies here are softer when compared to those taken with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Galaxy S24 Ultra, and even the Pixel 8 Pro, all of which have slightly less impressive front-facing cameras, at least hardware-wise.
Main Camera - Video
When it comes to video, the Pixel 9 Pro XL doesn't impress. In fact, it fares worse than all of its rivals. The main reasons for that are the unimpressive amount of detail captured, as well as the dynamics and overall color reproduction, which leave a lot to be desired, especially when compared to such notable rivals like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Zoom Quality - Video
Videos taken with the Pixel 9 Pro XL's 5X telephoto can't really match the dynamics and detail you get from the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, both of which fare better in this test. The image stabilization is good, though.
Ultra-wide quality - Video
Just like ultra-wide photos, ultra-wide video is not great. You lack sharpness in the corners, but new here is the soft detail in the center of the frame, which further drags the device down. Then again, ultra-wide videos are a niche use case, so you might be only slightly disappointed on the off chance you will have to capture such a video.
Front camera - Video
Selfie videos aren't impressive: there are lots of oversharpening and the dynamics aren't great (blown highlights and crushed shadows galore).
Conclusion
The Pixel 9 Pro XL has an excellent main camera, which will easily satisfy the needs of even the pickiest camera connoisseurs.
The zoom camera is also very decent, excelling in terms of overall sharpness and image stabilization. The rest of the camera setup, namely the ultra-wide and selfie cameras, fails to match that level of awesomeness and delivers slightly less impressive results.
Overall, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a very minor improvement over last year's still excellent Pixel 8 Pro, and can't really match the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max in terms of overall versatility. It's a good camera phone, but there are certainly better ones out there.
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Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.
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