Google plays its Pixel 9 cards, Intel’s chip mess and Honeywell’s GaN chargers

It is uncharacteristic of Google to announce new Pixel phones much ahead of usual form (that timeline usually pinned in the second half of September or early October). Was it a conscious choice to avoid being in the turbulence of the September keynote for the next Apple iPhone line-up? Or was this to give the phones some lead-up window (availability will be slightly phased for the Pixel 9 phones) to an advantage before new iPhones go on sale? It may be a bit of both, with what now becomes Google’s broadest Pixel smartphone line-up ever. Specs? On point. Designs? Interesting. Prices? THAT is what I am most worried about.
The Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL, the latter a reminder of a few years ago when Pixels had the XL naming, joining the already on sale Pixel 8a (and most likely to be succeeded by the Pixel 9a early next year). That’s even before you factor in Google’s bold move, by bringing the Pixel 9 Pro Fold to India. A step its predecessor didn’t take.
There are the obvious steps forward, with all phones getting the new Google Tensor G4 chip as the beating heart. There are, across the board, significant upgrades to increase the amount of RAM that’s default in each phone variant. The Pixel 9 has 12GB RAM and the Pixel 9 Pro phones as well as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold have 16GB RAM. Base storage is also 256GB. Pair that with very likeable design language across the three Pixel 9 phones, and you’d want to use one. Unlike the Pixel 8 Pro, the new finishes aren’t even remotely as slippery – that’s the biggest upgrade in my book. Choose your colours wisely, Google is offering more options than before, including the very likeable Wintergreen (Pixel 9) and Porcelain (Pixel 9 Pro).
Google execs insist one of the reasons for this baseline increase (Pixel 7 had 8GB RAM and Pixel 7 Pro had 12GB) is to factor in longevity. Whilst they have, it’ll be interesting to see how the Tensor G4 and indeed more amount of RAM hold up to the promise of 7 years of Pixel Drops, Android versions and security updates, as well as the inevitable AI suite expansion for Gemini and services including Google Photos. I have a feeling things will not be as simple as it sounds for now. As Gemini gains more prowess, there will undoubtedly be new models and compute requirements which push the Tensor G4 and the RAM to its limit, and a few years later, not all features may trickle down.
There’s a lot to like about the new Pixel phones. Including the cameras, something you’d expect Pixel phones to do. The Pixel 9 gets dual cameras (50-megapixel wide and 48-megapixel ultrawide with macro focus). The pro phones have a triple camera system, with a 50-megapixel wide, 48-megapixel ultrawide and a 48-megapixel telephoto.
A new addition to the AI suite is a feature called Add Me. The way this works is, after you’ve taken a photo of the rest of your group of family or friends, you can ask one of them to get behind the camera instead and take a photo of you within the previous frame – Google’s AI will guide the person now holding the camera to the exact guidelines for framing and when to click the photo. The photo you took, and the one that was taken later with you also in the frame, will be merged together.
What’s worrying, are the price tags. The Pixel 9 is priced at ₹79,999 while the Pixel 9 Pro will cost ₹1,09,999 onwards while the Pixel 9 Pro XL demands you part with at least ₹1,24,999. For perspective, a Pixel 8 Pro was launched at ₹1,06,999. It is a significant jump to ₹1,24,999 to the similarly spec-ed and screen size Pixel 9 Pro XL. Make of it, what you will.
UNFOLD THE FOLD? This is unchartered territory for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, considering its foldable never tested these waters. Google’s big pitch to customers is their foldable phone is that it is the slimmest foldable that’ll be on sale in India, for now. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold measures 5.1mm thickness when unfolded. Is it? Numbers tell us the Vivo X Fold3 Pro (5.2mm), Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 (5.6mm) and OnePlus Open (5.8mm) aren’t far behind. Positive play with the specs too, including keeping the choice simple with a singular colour (it’s early days for foldables; brands will simply not go crazy with colours or finishes).
In the limited time I had with this foldable (more to come; stay tuned), there is a certain robustness to its build, while the hinge seems to have a good balance between rigidity and smoothness. That said, I am a bit worried about the ₹1,72,999 price tag, which may not compare favourably with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 ( ₹1,64,999 onwards), OnePlus Open ( ₹1,39,999 onwards; the new Crimson Shadow version looks very likeable) and Vivo X Fold3 Pro ( ₹1,59,999). Perhaps they are privy to a trend that I have no idea about? Unlikely.
Tech needs to be regulated, there can be no two arguments about that. Yet, as with most things in life, it is simply a question of deciding how much is too much. This is something I’ve talked about in my weekly column, citing unfolding examples of how enthusiastic, avoidable regulatory activism is stifling innovation. US and Europe are where it is most apparent (the CCI in India too keeps investigating tech giants). We will directly or indirectly suffer, as tech companies choose to walk the path of least resistance.
Take for example, Apple. The expected September keynote for new iPhones, will also give us the final versions of iOS 18 and that’ll set the stage for Apple Intelligence to be made available in the coming months. Writing tools for emails and documents, summarising emails, turning rough sketches into notes, math notes and an eventual integration of OpenAI’s GPT within the Siri assistant. While the rest of the world will undoubtedly be excited about Apple’s take on AI on an operating system level, iPhone users in Europe will only be able to look on in envy. Apple won’t be releasing Apple Intelligence in Europe, at least in the initial phase. Their concerns revolve around the EU’s Digital Markets Act, specifically the interoperability requirements.
After Google’s partial anti-trust defeat in the US court, quite how will their search business change? Basically, Google’s found to have placed exclusionary contracts in different degrees, with phone makers as well as browser developers, to keep Google Search as the default. But that isn’t the end of it. The next step, which is to decide on countermeasures for Google’s monopolistic practices, begins in September. This is something Jeremy Stoppelman, who is Co-founder and CEO of local information platform Yelp, summarised rather nicely in a blog post.
“While we’re heartened by the decision, a strong remedy is critical,” he wrote before adding, “any remedy must both address Google’s past misconduct and protect against future misconduct.” The good side of regulation too has become clear over the years. The latest verdict in the US against Google, is its newest chapter. The first was written a few years ago in Europe, when regulators countered perceived search monopoly by mandating selection and choice to users setting up a new device – that’s the reason why you see a search engine choice when setting up a new Android phone, or when configuring certain web browser apps. DuckDuckGo, a rival search engine, is of the opinion that the US could perhaps mandate something similar, except not restricted to just an initial setup (or after a reset) but one that pops up periodically – users will be able to change their mind. And choice.
Some may remember my piece from earlier this year, when I’d illustrated that the newer gallium nitride (or GaN) tech is helping fast chargers deliver more reliable performance and allows accessory makers to further push charging speeds. That is, in comparison to silicon used to make transistors, in chargers for the past few years. Undoubtedly the foundation for the first wave of genuine fast chargers (many an Android phone maker pushed chargers as differentiators) due to its heat dispersion, but a ceiling was soon reached. For instance, a 100-watt silicon charger would taper off charge speeds as it’d eventually heat up.
With GaN as the semiconductor (is a compound of gallium and nitrogen), there’s an added advantage of much lesser heat generation – the spin-off from that is not only holding fast charging speeds for longer, but also fast(er) theoretical speeds. We’ve seen examples of newer gen chargers, wherein a single adapter can be enough to fast charge a smartphone a tablet and even power a laptop, simultaneously. That’s convenient. And good for the environment. I wanted to talk about two more newer generation ones. Honeywell’s Zest line-up, with 65-watt and 100-watt speeds (there’s a 140-watt one too, which I haven’t tested; that may be useful for some), mean you need to take one adapter instead of two or three, in your office bag and while travelling.
The 65-watt (that’s priced around ₹1,900) adapter has one USB-C port and one USB-A port. I tested this with an Apple MacBook Air M2 and an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the 35-watt plus 20-watts, were well within the reach of this brick. Staying cool is crucial, which this did, even after 5 hours of usage without pause. The 100-watt charger (that’s around ₹5,400) is a bit of a beast, with three USB-C ports with one older generation USB-A. This is able to easily handle a 70-watt MacBook Pro 14-inch with M3, alongside an iPhone 15 Pro Max or a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6. If we’re to swap the MacBook Pro with an aforementioned MacBook Air, that opens up space for another phone or tablet to fast charge as well.
You’ve been warned: If you’re using bigger multi-port power adapters with a wall socket, be sure to check if that socket is stable and healthy enough (more important for older home constructions or fixtures) to take the weight when combined with gravity at work. If the power adapter is an uncomfortable fit in one, best to avoid. Usually, these fit better in a surge protector, in that situation.
A few months ago, Intel’s 13th and 14th Gen Intel Core i9 CPUs began to exhibit a strange behaviour – performance instability leading to crashes. The reason was finally decoded, that being excessive voltage exposure. If a chip started to crash, the damage is permanent, unrepairable. If it hasn’t there may still be hope for you. PC makers in this time have stepped in, extended warranty on these processors which means they can be replaced if broken. The company’s detailed more steps.