Pixel 9 Review: First Impressions and Beyond

I love nerding out on the latest tech, so I thought I’d share some of my initial reactions to Google’s new Pixel 9. Full disclosure, I’ve always loved Pixel phones. Plus, at least in my mind, Android has always delivered more than other OS options. 

With that confession out of the way, I will say the Pixel 9 is the best Pixel phone yet. 

Let’s start with the design: it is amazing.

Google was much more intentional about delivering a high end device this time around. The flat back and flat aluminum frame give the device an incredibly refined look. The latter is one of the main reasons I upgraded from a Pixel 8, which had tapered edges that looked great and gave the device the illusion of a thinner profile.

Sure, the new design does look more iPhone-like, but that's not a bad thing. Most importantly, the edges of the Pixel 9 feel so much better in the hand and makes it easier to hold. 

The previous generation Pixel was the first phone I’ve used without a case and that trend continues with the Pixel 9. That’s how good it looks and feels! Notably, the latest phone feels more durable and solid, so I do have more peace of mind. Even the buttons on the side are more sturdy and responsive, lending to that overall premium fit and finish.

My favorite part of the design, though, has to be the matte finish along the sides. It’s actually one of the reasons I chose the 9 over the 9 Pro, which has a polished finish. 

Beyond the design, I need to talk about the display. Of course, this is one of the most important features of any phone. The new Pixel 9 features a 120Hz refresh rate that lends a more premium response. It’s brighter than the Pixel 8 and it just seems infinitely more responsive to every touch or swipe. 

Matching the buttery smooth experience is incredible brightness of up to 2,700 nits. The Pixel 9’s new Acuity display is one of the best displays of any phone this year. While hiking recently, I searched for a podcast to listen to and even in the bright sunlight, the visuals were sharp and clear.

Battery life is solid. While the screen’s refresh rate doesn’t go down to 1Hz like the Pixel 9 Pro, I’m seeing stable performance thanks to Google’s adaptive battery. Best of all, I’m not running into overheating issues like I did with the Pixel 8, so I suspect that the new Tensor G4 processor is managing processes extremely well. Plus, there’s no sign of stutters, lag, or slowdowns either. 

As for the camera, Pixel devices have always been impressive. This generation is no exception. 

So far, the camera on the Pixel 9 is simply awesome. On paper, specs don’t reveal a major difference from the Pixel 8. However, Pixel 9 gets a new 48 MP ultra-wide lens supporting autofocus and macro functionality.

That is a huge upgrade! 

The combination of lenses feels very complete in this generation. Low light photos are much improved, even without moving up to the Pro. Still, truly incredible all-around performance. 

With an amazing form-factor, a fluid and bright display, and versatile camera configuration, I can’t recommend the phone enough. 

For me at least the design is the most radical improvement, but there are many small things done right to make this feel like a true flagship-level device. 

The Google Pixel 9 is one of the best Android phones you can get in this price range—full stop.

Getting Things Done: 7 WFH Tech Essentials

The right technology can really elevate your home office set up and boost productivity.

I’ve picked out seven of my favorite work from home tech essentials that have helped me stay connected and do more, especially as I’m working from home most of the time with occasional visits to the office.

Whether you want to improve your workspace, or find gift ideas, these tech essentials have worked for me, so maybe they can also enhance your workspace and productivity.

MacBook Air M2

The center of my home office has long been an iMac. I had a first-gen Intel 27” model and it worked like a champ for more than a decade! It was hard to part with it, but needless to say, it was time for an upgrade.

Although I considered a new iMac, I couldn’t wait for Apple to introduce another large screen version of its latest generation all-in-one. Plus, I kind of wanted something I could take with me when I’m traveling. So, I picked up a 32” monitor and paired it with the new MacBook Air M2.

This laptop is thin, lightweight, and gorgeous. But thanks to the M2 processor, it’s practically Pro.

I had considered a MacBook Pro 13” with the M2, but discovered the MacBook Air M2 offered a better webcam, nicer speakers, more modern looking display, fast-charging support, all in a lighter package. It was a no-brainer to go with the Air M2 and I couldn’t be happier, especially since I felt it was a better value over the Pro model.

CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub

Naturally, there are multiple devices in my home office and I needed a way to tether everything together. One challenge was that I also had two laptops – one personal and one for work – that I needed to toggle between seamlessly.

The solution: CalDigit’s Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub. Harnessing the power of Thunderbolt 4, this simple dock provides an incredible amount of flexibility for my home office set up.

I use the dock to connect my 4K monitor, laptops, a couple external SSD drives, a keyboard and mouse, plus charge devices like headphones and my mobile phone.

As mentioned, I togged between work and personal laptops, and this dock makes the process simple. I just unplug the one Thunderbolt cable between them, and I’m good to go.

Audio Technica ATH-M20xBT

One of my newest tech additions are these over-ear headphones. I had been in the market for premium headphones for a while and was so close to pulling the trigger on a pair of $299 cans that offered premium design and sound.

But then Audio Technica introduced these bad boys…

They’ve got a no frills design and don't have fancy features like companion apps or carrying cases. But in terms of sound, they really deliver.

While they may not look like $299 headphones, they’re super lightweight. I usually wear glasses while I’m working at the computer, and still the lightweight design of the ATH-M20xBT headphones make them comfortable to wear for long periods.

The 40MM drivers crank out Audio Technica’s unique sound signature that’s tuned for clarity. Everything is clear, and you’ll never hear anything too crazy. These deliver deep bass, excellent mids, and bright highs without harshness.

For just $80, these hit well above their weight class. I’ve also been using them for all of my calls and the mic does a great job of picking up dialogue while reducing ambient room noise, even without ANC support. Plus, they have a crazy battery life of 60 hours so I don’t have to worry about plugging them in constantly. You can even listen to music wired or via Bluetooth, so they’re super flexible.

eero Mesh Wi-Fi Routers

The key to productivity is good Wi-Fi. So for me, eero’s mesh Wi-Fi routers are essential.

Mesh Wi-Fi routers like eero help to eliminate dead zones by using multiple pods that work in unison to blanket your home with fast, stable coverage.

Unlike traditional routers, eero is super easy to set up and is controlled by a powerful, yet easy to use app. I also subscribe to eero Secure which adds an extra level of security to my network.

In addition to supporting my WFH activities, eero supports all my smart home’s needs. From my TCL TV, to my Nest doorbell, Sonos speakers, or smart lights in my backyard, having Wi-Fi that’s fast, stable, and keeping everything connected in every corner of the house (inside and outside) is pretty awesome.

I’ve also upgraded to eero’s latest generation of routers that support Wi-Fi 6. So, as I add more devices around my house supporting Wi-Fi 6, I know that my WFH set up — and my smart home in general — is future proofed.

Litepro Laptop Stand

I’ve got a hybrid schedule where I bounce between my home office and work office. However, I’m at home most of the week and discovered that a laptop stand is essential.

Litepro’s laptop stand is pretty basic, but it raises your laptop about five or six inches to improve ergonomics if you’re using your laptop’s screen as a second monitor, like I do.

It's lightweight and sturdy, plus it’s super easy to move around your desk. The forward tilt and open design also allows for improved airflow to keep your laptop cooler.

Since there are two laptops on my desk, what’s great about the design is that I’m also able to tuck my personal laptop underneath my work laptop to keep my workspace organized and tidy.

TCL 20 Pro 5G

TCL is known for creating products that punch above their respective weight classes, with a level of performance that usually belies their price tags. That can certainly be said for the TCL 20 Pro 5G which is why it’s still my daily phone of choice.

Although specs alone won't suggest a major leap forward, I can attest to the TCL 20 Pro’s reliable software, incredible build quality, and gorgeous design.

First and foremost, TCL’s expertise in display technology is evident in the 20 Pro. The display is bright, colorful, and is easy on the eyes, no matter what I'm watching or reading. The processing also makes it buttery smooth while jumping between apps or scrolling through long pages.

One of my favorite features is the SmartKey. It's an extra button on the side that can be programmed to do quick tasks. Unlike other manufacturers, TCL makes it easy to quickly launch just about anything with SmartKey. I personally use it to close background apps in a pinch.

The phone is fast, smooth, and shows no signs of sluggishness moving between apps or while browsing the web. Even the camera processing for modes like Portrait and Super Night photos feels fast.

Something that might get lost in reviews, but that I really appreciate as a former Pixel user, is the lack of bloatware. Beyond some basic software like TCL's excellent NXTVISION technology, or theme improvements, the phone isn't too far off from stock Android.

Sonos One

There are many multi-room speakers available these days, but in my opinion you still can’t go wrong with the Sonos One.

I’ve got one in just about every room of the house because they make multi-room listening so easy. For work, it’s satisfying to quickly cue up some ambient music on Spotify and play over the One.

Sound quality is excellent. Every time I listen I can’t believe how much detail and rich bass can be achieved in such a small package.

With both Alexa and Google Assistant built in, not to mention AirPlay support, Sonos has also made it easy to control music and incorporate the One into any smart home ecosystem.

I Rediscovered Feedly and Can't Believe What I've Been Missing

There's no shortage of apps to help aggregate and serve up news and information on important topics. A decade or so ago, this might have been more of a challenge. But today, it’s easily done through a host of services, and even some features baked right into our smartphones.

One of my favorite places to catch up on news and articles related to my interests is Google Discover. It’s only a swipe away from the homescreen on my TCL 20 Pro 5G. Discover gives me all the important stories that are relevant to me.

Discover is amazing. It’s a highly personalized feed of articles based on topics I care about, which Google determines from the sites I’m visiting and the queries I’m searching for. In most cases, my Discover feed is pretty spot on. Plus, I can easily control what I’m seeing just by tapping on the icons that can show me more or less content on any topic.

What I love most about Discover is it’s simplicity:

• It’s just a swipe away on my Android phone. No extra app or login is needed.

• It’s always up-to-date, surfacing content that’s related to what I’m interested in that week or that same day.

My other source for quick access to news on the go is Twitter. I don’t have time to visit individual publications I’m a fan of, so I subscribe to these outlets’ Twitter feeds to keep a pulse on their latest stories.

Essentially, I’m using Twitter as a modern RSS reader to get the latest posts from the publishers I love.

Relying mostly on these two services have served me well. However, on a recent vacation this summer I experienced something unusual. I had something that I hadn’t experienced in quite a while—downtime.

It was bliss, thanks to limited TV, cutting off work notifications, and having time to catch up on everything that’s important to me.

What I found was that the two primary sources I’ve come to rely on for keeping a pulse on the world around me just didn’t cut it.

Google Discover didn’t provide the volume of content that would help me feel caught up on all the things I’m passionate about. Rather it was really good at providing me with a somewhat limited window into recent info or what I had only recently researched online.

Twitter presented the opposite problem with way too much information. Constant tweets and that firehose of content means it’s never quite able to serve up the stories I want, when I want them. There are simply too many tweets for Twitter to make sense of and deliver in a focused way. It’s fine for killing time while waiting in line at a coffee house, but less useful when you’re dedicating more time to staying informed.

There are great topics and groups I subscribe to on Twitter. The Marketing topic, for example, is great and introduces me to new marketing folks. But the content of the posts have no real consistency, and they’re rarely enriching. Lately, it seems like there’s more marketing inspiration and quotes rather than anything really actionable.

In that moment of disconnectedness on vacation, I turned to an app on my phone I had not touched in many, many years: Feedly. I had used Feedly in the heyday of Feedburner and other tools that helped manage RSS feeds.

What I found was that Feedly was alive and well, and vastly improved. Still powered by the magic of RSS, Feedly was able to keep me up to date with the topics and trends I really cared about, without the limited or overwhelming presentation I found on Google Discover or Twitter, respectively.

Publications can be easily organized into groups. From there, I was able to see all the latest stories from those groupings and individual topics.

Feedly was perfect for my vacation mindset; it was efficient, it was current, it was actually enjoyable. From Marketing news, to Design & UX inspiration, to ideas on the best meals to cook when I got back home, Feedly allowed me to get easily immersed in all the stuff I love.

The information age is great and all, but sometimes there’s just too much information (or disinformation) to track. Feedly was useful in helping me keep a pulse on the topics that I cared about the most when I first used it back in 2008. I’m glad to see that it’s still around and doing exactly what it does best: making it easy to organize, read, and share information.

If you haven’t tried Feedly, I highly recommend giving it a spin.