When the Google Pixel 9 series of smartphones was released, I switched from the iPhone 13 to the Pixel .
My partner is the Google Pixel 9 Pro (256GB) in rose quartz. I don’t plan on replacing it for a while, but I’d like to keep using this phone for as long as possible, at least unless I damage it or it becomes difficult to continue using it for some reason.
My fifth smartphone in four years
How often do you replace your smartphone?
According to the Cabinet Office’s Consumer Trends Survey ( March 2024 edition ) of 8,400 households, the average replacement period for mobile phones, including smartphones, was 4.5 years. The most common reason for replacement was “breakdown,” accounting for 40% of cases.
It seems that many people around me also tend to upgrade to a new smartphone every four to five years. Just the other day, a friend of mine who bought an iPhone 12 mini at the same time in November 2020 told me that he was considering buying an iPhone 16 because of the battery life.
On the other hand, while my friend continued to use the iPhone 12 mini for four years, I replaced my smartphone four times . In November 2022, I changed to the Google Pixel 7 Pro , in October 2023, to the Samsung Galaxy A04e , and in December 2023, to the iPhone 13. It was an opportunity to ask myself again why I needed to replace my smartphone so frequently.
The allure of new products
One of the reasons why I kept replacing my smartphones was the excitement of having new ones .
Smartphones continue to evolve day by day, with annual model changes and OS upgrades. Every time we see a new model with faster processing speeds, better looks, and more convenient functions, we think, ” If I get this smartphone, I’ll be able to do this ,” as if the smartphone were supplementing our own capabilities.
New things are exciting. They make you dream of enriching your life with the latest technology. However, when it comes to actually using your new smartphone, the answer is no.
The current situation where people are not able to use smartphones to their full potential
To be honest, I don’t use my smartphone at all in my private life. My average screen time is about 3 hours a day . Most of that time is spent on communication tools such as LINE and WhatsApp. Other than that, I only use it for taking photos, playing music, health monitoring, map apps, recorder apps, etc.
I hardly watch videos. I don’t play games. I used to be into social media, but I quit that too. My hobbies are all analog.
To be honest, I feel that a shiny smartphone with all the latest features is too good for me. Maybe I should have just gotten a dumb phone (a simple mobile phone that’s mainly for making calls) instead?
Why I still bought a Pixel smartphone
That’s because the Google Pixel is an excellent phone for work .
As a writer, I find the Google Pixel recorder app extremely useful. Its greatest merits are its high real-time transcription accuracy and ease of use. There is no flat-rate fee to use it.
In addition, I am helped daily by a series of Google products centered around Gmail . I use multiple Google accounts for both work and personal use, create albums on Google Photo to share photos, and when I lived abroad, I often used Google Lens and Google Translate .
There are some pictures that can only be taken with a Pixel smartphone
The way photos are taken is also different between Google Pixel and iPhone. The same night view can be captured very differently on the Google Pixel 7 (top), released in October 2022, and the iPhone 13 (bottom), released in September 2021.
It all depends on your preference, but I personally trust the cameras on Pixel smartphones, which can capture even the finest details even in dark places .
Like the 8 Pro, the Pixel 9 Pro is equipped with pro settings and up to 30x super-resolution digital zoom, and also includes Google’s own image editing features such as Magic Eraser, Magic Audio Eraser, Magic Editing, Best Take, and the new “Take a photo together .” For me, who takes photos on a daily basis, these are all fascinating features.
Pixel 9 Pro is now easier to hold
Even though I’ve been recommending Pixel smartphones so much, the reason why I haven’t continued using my previous Pixel 7 Pro is because I dropped it and broke it .
The Pixel 7 Pro’s smooth, rounded design was appealing, but I also felt that it was difficult to use. In addition, it was too big for my hand, so I dropped it frequently, and eventually the display stopped responding after a year. I still regret that I wasted so much money on it.
On the other hand, the latest Pixel 9 Pro is smaller in height, width, and thickness , and has a glossy matte cover glass on the back . The slightly iPhone-like angular shape of the sides also makes it easier to hold.
I have high hopes for the best Pixel smartphone I’ve ever had
“The Google Pixel Pro that fits my hand is finally here!” I was happy, and it was the deciding factor for me to buy it. Of course, I’ll put a case on it just in case, and I’ll also sign up for Preferred Care (official warranty service).
This is just my opinion, but I’m always excited about the updates to the Pixel smartphone every year. There’s always a big surprise in store every year, whether it’s a bold change to the design or monstrous improvements to the front camera specs.
Among them, the Google Pixel 9 Pro is the easiest to use of all the Pixel smartphones I have used so far, and is packed with attractive features, making it the best Pixel smartphone ever .
So… after much deliberation, as I’m not very good at using smartphones, I decided to purchase the Pixel 9 Pro.
It may have been an unreasonable purchase, but since I no longer need to replace it, I will be careful not to drop the Pixel 9 Pro and continue to use it for as long as possible.
