What you need to know
- JerryRigEverything put the Pixel 9 Pro XL through its typical (and brutal) durability test following its launch.
- The device received deep display grooves at level 7 on the Moh Scale of Hardness while also surviving the bend test with flying colors.
- The Pixel 9 Pro XL has Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover and back glass and an IP68 protection rating.
- It features a 6.8-inch display, Tensor G4 SoC, up to 1TB of storage, and has an official launch date of August 22.
Zack Nelson, host of the JerryRigEverything channel, chose the new Google Pixel 9 Pro XL to put through his brutal durability test gauntlet. It showed its durability in some areas but received criticism in others.
He measured the Pixel 9 Pro XL and found the camera visor adds another 3.5mm of thickness on top of its official 8mm, jokingly calling it “one Oreo cookie biscuit thick.” That aside, he praised Google’s shift to flat glass, calling curved glass “a nightmare for durability and repairability.”
During his durability test, the Pixel 9 Pro XL showed signs of damage at level 6 of the Moh Scale of Hardness. Its Gorilla Glass Victus 2 screen showed more pronounced grooves of damage at level 7.
For comparison, when Nelson tested the Galaxy S24 Ultra, he found that it only scratched at level 7 and had deeper grooves at level 8, thanks to its Gorilla Armor. The Pixel 9 Pro XL display is still tough, but you may want to invest in a screen protector.
Nelson proceeded to the burn portion of the test, where the display lasted 30 seconds against a lighter.
The channel’s host then put the device through the ever-crucial bend test — and the 9 Pro XL surprisingly held strong. Nelson stated that it’s expected for a phone that large to have some sort of give or even a heart-stopping creak. However, Google’s Pixel 9 Pro XL barely gave in either direction when bent and didn’t even make a sound.
You can catch Zack Nelson’s full durability test breakdown of the Pixel 9 Pro XL. The video shows off the scratchy durability of the camera visor and the reliability of the in-display fingerprint scanner under severe damage.
Watch On
Despite how strong Google’s Pixel 9 Pro XL may be, we’d still recommend picking up a good case — just in case.
With Made by Google behind us, we were able to get a solid look at the latest edition to the Pixel lineup: the 9 Pro XL. With smaller bezels and a large display, the XL model features a 6.8-inch Super Actua display with a 120Hz maximum refresh rate. Consumers can grab the device with 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage.
Additionally, thanks to Gemini, the 9 Pro XL alongside the rest of the Pixel 9 cast benefit from a new wave of AI features. Gemini Live is the company’s new conversational feature that users can lean on for a variety of topics. Users will also find a revamped version of Pixel Screenshots.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL officially launches on August 22, when you can put it through its paces yourself — hopefully without scratching it up.
