I’m a die-hard Apple fan, but even I have to admit that the Google Pixel 9 Pro is the best looking phone of the year
Back in 2021, I wrote an op-ed about why I like being trapped in Apple’s ecosystem, and while I’ve tested (and love using) many of the best Android phones since then, the relatively boring iPhone still appeals to me . every year like a titanium security blanket in a world of complex software and uncomfortably large camera bumps.
Sure, a big reason for that continued interest is convenience – as someone who uses a MacBook, an Apple TV and AirPods outside the office, I’ll always choose cross-device efficiency over innovation – but Apple has damn near perfected its product design too.
I don’t need to tell you that iPhones and MacBooks are fashion statements as much as they are productivity tools – head to your nearest coffee shop for proof. And no other Android phone has come close to copying the iPhone’s unique synergy of simplicity and style. That is, until the Google Pixel 9 Pro.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro was recently crowned TechRadar’s Phone of the Year, and for good reason. It’s the only new flagship in 2024 that feels truly new compared to its predecessor, and despite not being the most powerful device around, the Pixel 9 Pro does the things we take for granted: making calls, handling notifications, messaging shipping, and so on.
But above all, the Pixel 9 Pro is a really nice phone. As we’ve established, I’m a big iPhone fan, and even I looked twice at the Pixel’s flat aluminum sides, frosted glass back panel, and perfectly sized pill-shaped module. The phone is also impressively durable, with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Simply put, the Pixel 9 Pro is a world away from the Google Pixel 8 Pro. Just now Look there.
Of course, there’s a big elephant in the room here: the Pixel 9 Pro looks more like an iPhone than any Pixel phone (heck, any Android phone) that came before it. In fact, I commend Google for leaning on Apple’s design philosophy, while others might criticize the company for not bringing anything truly new to the table.
But honestly, why not play with a winning strategy? Just as Samsung is right to take inspiration from Apple’s iPhone design, Google should continue to push this cleaner, more industrial aesthetic, which clearly resonates with consumers with a certain purchasing power.
Anyway, what does Google have to lose by designing an iPhone-style Pixel? We know that more Android users are switching to iPhone than the other way around, and while the Pixel 9 Pro won’t convince iPhone users to switch to Pixel en masse, it could help retain existing Pixel users. Or better yet, convince other Android users to embrace the best Pixel phones instead of, say, the best Samsung phones.
Yes, maybe the Google Pixel 9 Pro represents a loss of personality for the Pixel family, but Apple has proven that personality isn’t what people buy phones for.