Android cuts telephoto camera and high-end AI features for lower price, but ends up a little lost in the mix Google’s cheapest Pixel 9 offers almost everything that makes its top-flight sibling one of the best smaller phones available, cutting a few key ingredients to price match Apple and Samsung. The Pixel 9 costs £799 (€899/$799/A$1,349) shaving £200 off the asking price of the stellar Pixel 9 Pro while sitting above the excellent value sub-£500 Pixel 8a from May. That pits the new Pixel directly against Apple’s new iPhone 16 and Samsung’s Galaxy S24. Screen: 6.3in 120Hz FHD+ OLED (422ppi) Processor: Google Tensor G4 RAM: 12GB Storage: 128 or 256GB Operating system: Android 14 Camera: 50MP + 48MP ultrawide, 10.5MP selfie Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, wifi 7, UWB, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 and GNSS Water resistance: IP68 (1.5m for 30 minutes) Dimensions: 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.5mm Weight: 198g Continue reading...

Book-style foldable is just like a regular phone when closed but opens to reveal large and bright tablet screen Google has cracked the foldable formula on its second attempt by creating a slightly chunkier Pixel 9 Pro that opens up for a large 8in tablet screen on the inside, beating Samsung at its own game. Compared with the previous efforts, from the squat and fat passport-shaped Pixel Fold to Samsung’s many long and thin Galaxy Z Folds, the new Pixel’s simple shape seems so familiar and easy to use you wonder why it took so long for anyone to try it. Continue reading...

All the camera, AI and performance of Google’s top Android squeezed into a tighter body The Pixel 9 Pro is a rare beast: a smaller phone that keeps the same bold design, specs and camera as Google’s biggest and most expensive model. It makes it an instant contender for the best small phone going. At £999 (€1,099/$999/A$1,699), it is cheaper than its larger Pixel 9 Pro XL sibling but still firmly in the high-end bracket. What sets it apart is the 6.3in screen is significantly tighter than the monster 6.7in-plus sizes you usually need to get the very best hardware. Screen: 6.3in 120Hz QHD+ OLED (495ppi) Processor: Google Tensor G4 RAM: 16GB of RAM Storage: 128, 256, 512GB or 1TB Operating system: Android 14 Camera: 50MP + 48MP ultrawide + 48MP 5x telephoto, 42MP selfie Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, wifi 7, UWB, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 and GNSS Water resistance: IP68 (1.5m for 30 minutes) Dimensions: 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.5mm Weight: 199g Continue reading...

Top-class camera, huge screen, long battery life, Add Me photo trick and advanced Gemini Live are impressive Google’s new superphone goes all out on battery, camera and smarts, leading a new line of Android devices that can run the company’s Gemini AI system with a next-generation conversational voice assistant that is a huge leap forward. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is the biggest normal phone Google makes, costing from £1,099 (€1,199/$1,099/A$1,849) and is joined for the first time this year by a smaller 9 Pro model with the same specs and camera costing £999 (€1,099/$999/A$1,699). The XL is therefore for people who want a huge screen and big battery. Continue reading...

New Pixel phones, foldable, watch and earbuds feature Gemini Live for free-flowing conversations with AI bot Google is launching four phones, one of them foldable, two smartwatches and a set of earbuds packing its latest AI tech including the new advanced Gemini Live conversational experience, as the Android maker tries to outdo Apple and Samsung. The array of new Pixel products, announced at an event in California, mark the latest evolution of Google’s own-brand Android devices as it attempts to prove its integrated AI and devices work better than rivals. Continue reading...

Top camera, chip, seven years of updates and advanced Google AI tools beats the competition Google’s latest mid-range A-series Pixel handset steps it up a notch, bringing almost every feature from its high-end phones down to a more affordable price, including the latest AI and camera tricks. The Pixel 8a starts at £499 (€549/$499/A$849). That may be £50 more than last year’s 7a, but the new model improves just about everything, and undercuts the Pixel 8 by £200. Screen: 6.1in 120Hz FHD+ OLED (430ppi) Processor: Google Tensor G3 RAM: 8GB Storage: 128 or 256GB Operating system: Android 14 Camera: 64MP + 13MP ultrawide, 13MP selfie Connectivity: 5G, Sim and eSim, wifi 6E, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 and GNSS Water resistance: IP67 (1m for 30 minutes) Dimensions: 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9mm Weight: 188g Continue reading...