Google has introduced two phones in India that compete with the finest, the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. However, the business might not find as many customers as it had hoped for. Why? It still lacks one or two tricks.
Google began offering the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL for sale in India last week. These are extremely expensive phones that are priced similarly. They are also competitive with devices like the iPhone 15 series and the Galaxy S24 due to their selling price. In terms of style and hardware, the Google Pixel is unmatched this time around, in contrast to previous years when it would have been a step behind such phones. As we found during our evaluation of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL for India Today Tech, the latest Google phones are actually superior in a few areas.
The latest Pixel 9 phones, for instance, have excellent cameras, especially the ones in the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The excellent display is also the same. And once more, especially in the Pixel 9 Pro XL. In fact, DxOMark recently gave the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro such high ratings due to their excellent cameras and screens.
But it's more than simply monitors and cameras. The design of the Pixel 9 phones is equally amazing. They feel opulent in the hand and have a fantastic appearance because to their smooth lines, consistent bezels, and flawless construction. The smooth rear glass coating of the Pixel 9 Pro XL gives it a distinctive and extremely pricey feel. While the Tensor G4 processor is a little antiquated technologically, the battery life is good and the daily performance of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL is more than adequate. The new Pixels also operate more coolly than the older models.
Put another way, the two best Android phones available in India at the moment are the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro XL. They cost a lot, but so do a lot of other phones. However, I don't think enough people will have these phones in their possession. More affection is due to the Pixel phones than they will receive. And Google still hasn't really solved the issue.
The main reason why we might not see Pixel 9 phones in the wild is that there isn't a compelling narrative surrounding them. They indeed exist, but they do so in a way that is devoid of myth, history, and, to some extent, the future. While the market is flooded with excellent phones, these are still good phones.
Before a phone in the ultra-premium market can catch people's attention and win them over, it must possess additional features. It's not because the iPhone is a fantastic phone that people choose it. They choose it because of its meaning: the iPhone represents the best that Apple has to offer, nearly faultless one-year after-sale support regardless of the phone's original purchase location, and software updates that arrive on a clock-like schedule for four to five years.
Additionally, Apple's pledges regarding privacy, the caliber of the parts used in its phones, its willingness to go above and beyond to make sure it provides customers with exactly what they want, and, lastly, its clarity of vision are all represented by the iPhone. Although it is a costly vision, it is also one that is obvious.
iPhone is a mythical product, which is why it sells despite its excessive price
The narrative surrounding the iPhone, which has helped Apple sell a ton of them, was developed over time. When compared to the Pixel, which was released in 2016, this phone is far older. However, eight years is a long time, and Google hasn't been able to create a compelling story around the phone in that time. In just five years, OnePlus—a company founded in 2014—built a stronger brand narrative than Google did in eight. There's nothing else that folks can link with the Pixel phones but their photography performance. And since Pixels are much more than simply cameras, Google is entirely at blame for this.
Google's silence over the Pixel is the issue with its story in India. It attempts to generate buzz in the weeks leading up to the launch. But everything fades away quickly. Google doesn't go overboard when it comes to the Pixels' cameras, despite the fact that they may feature the finest primary camera of any phone. While some tech enthusiasts become aware of the Pixel camera's capabilities through following tech news, the majority of people continue to rely on the iPhone or Galaxy camera.
With Pixel 9, I believe Google has a chance to make a fresh start. Additionally, there are hints that it might be trying to make its Pixel tale better. Three Google-only service centers have now been opened by the company, one each in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai. However, it has more information to convey to phone owners that it is, in fact, giving Pixel after-sales more attention. Additionally, it is increasing the Pixels' availability by bringing in a number of physical stores to the channel. Additionally, Google might do a better job of informing users on this point as well.
Naturally, the central narrative, the grand myth, would take precedence over all of this. The Pixel 9 phones require their own films, much like superheroes need a backstory and a film to shine in people's eyes. It's possible that Google didn't have the phones in the lead role earlier. However, it has now. There are features in the Pixel 9 phones that will make them popular and garner praise, but Google will need to find a means to publicize them. No, TV commercials or full-page newspaper ads won't be the best approach to achieve this.
Additionally, Google needs to explain to the public what the Pixels are all about. Are they the pinnacle of modern technology? If so, why do the Pixel 9 phones come with a chipset that is a little outdated? Are they all focused on the newest programs? If so, why is Android 14 being shipped with them? Apple will never be found releasing its most recent iPhone models without the upcoming iOS. Is the Gemini LLM model and AI the main features of the Pixel 9 phones? If so, why have these functionalities been built so awkwardly and are they hard for non-10X Leet engineers to understand? Are security and privacy the top priorities for the Pixel 9 phones?
Yes, but why do so many apps constantly need so much data access on the phone? Are the cameras on the Pixel 9 phones the main focus? Alright, so where were the pictures taken using it? Notably, Apple frequently promotes "shot on iPhone" campaigns even though its iPhone doesn't have the greatest camera available.
You get the point, I suppose. While the Pixel 9 phones are undoubtedly fantastic, what exactly do they stand for? There's a hazy answer to it. Additionally, the Pixel 9 devices suffer from similar confused response. They outperform any other Android phone available as phones. They outperform the Galaxy S24 and the OnePlus 12 in terms of features. However, I believe that more people will purchase Galaxy and OnePlus devices than Pixels.
© 2026 Bharati News | All Right Reserved
