T-Mobile sent my family a new Google Pixel Pro 9 to try out for our trip abroad and my daughter put it through the paces; our experience was quite a difference from our iPhones.
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Embarking On A New Journey
During our most recent trip to the UK (London and Manchester), briefly through Dublin, Ireland on a connection, and then onto New York City, Orlando, and finally back to Fort Myers, T-Mobile sent us a new Google Pixel Pro 9 to test out. This very long trip was different than others we’d taken for a variety of reasons.
We have been iPhone users since the very first model and have only missed out on a new version a handful of times over the last nearly two decades. This was our first phone outside of the Apple ecosystem since smart phones became the standard.
As a rule, we don’t let our ten-year-old daughter have a phone. This is a disadvantage for us for convenience and even safety reasons. We could get her a flip phone, and maybe we still will, but keeping our child away from unrestricted internet access is key. For this one trip we made an exception and found that it’s going to be hard to go back for us as much as it will be for her.
We didn’t just trial run her having a smart phone, but also the capabilities of the Google Pixel Pro 9 and the service speeds that come with a premium Go 5G Plus plan.
T-Mobile Speed, Service Abroad
We are used to being able to go about our international travel plans without swapping sim cards but sometimes that means adding an individual supplier’s mobile plan and additional fees when the standard, lower tier plans run out of data. During our trip we had 5 GB of high speed data and we were able to achieve speeds north of 150 mbps. As a reference point, you can usually stream a high definition Netflix film at less than 5 mbps.
TMobile Travel plans allow data in 215 countries as a standard but slow the speed down to 2G-3G service for lower tier plans I have used before. This is enough for basic information, but apps like Uber and certainly Google Maps will struggle. With the Go 5G Plus plan for this phone, it was like using the phone at home on wifi everywhere we went. Service was operated locally by a number of different networks in the UK but worked perfectly no matter where we were.
There was a per minute charge of $.25 for phone calls and texts were free However, using Google Meet uses data and my daughter utilized this a few times to communicate with relatives at home.
Google Pixel Pro 9
The setup process on the phone was intuitive and simple connecting everything with my wife’s Google account. We loved that the photos my daughter took were uploaded instantly and the integration with other Google software saved us from endlessly logging in. It also gave us a sense of control given that this was our first foray into letting my daughter have a phone. However, one area that was unwelcome was that a change on the Pixel Pro 9 changed information on our iPhones as well because the contacts were connected. So when my daughter changed my contact name to “Daddy” and photo to a candid shot in the back of a black cab it also changed it for my phone and how I would show up when sharing my contact. That was a drawback.
The cameras are significantly more advanced than the iPhone counterparts with a 42MP front-facing camera, 50MP main camera, 48 MP ultra-wide and the same for telephoto lens with up to 20x magnification, my iPhone stops at 5x.
Where it really excelled was in low light conditions. My daughter missed out on our last chance to see Big Ben as it was closed for renovation, but at night she was able to capture some amazing shots. She also captured an incredible picture of the Eye of London.
Comparing that to my iPhone (with a very jet-lagged and unhappy infant), the light bleed seems to be much more pronounced.
The London Eye and River Thames from Westminster.
She captured an amazing shot of a dumpling shop in a food hall.
Another incredible one she took of dusk departing Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
And another one of the lake at sunset with a nice range of color.
One of the key features of Google’s Pixel Pro 9 is the integration of “Magic Eraser” which can remove unwanted people and things from your photos. This is perfect for a traveler assisting in the removal of unwanted passersby or obstructions. Without a doubt, Oxford Circus would never be this empty at 5 PM a few weeks from Christmas but with Magic Eraser, it was. If one looks closely at the image of this junction, one might notice a pair of legs in gray sweatpants walking across the street with no person attached.
Magic Eraser was imperfect in our experience, where the AI might not be able to determine what should go in the place of a human being that’s walking across a street. It might smudge the image slightly, another had my daughter’s foot blending into the background wall.
That said, there were between 75-100 people visible in the shot below and it appears that Google did a fairly impressive job if not absolutely perfect.
Conclusion
Being able to utilize the Go 5G Plus service was a huge difference from slower data speeds. The strongest case for T-Mobile is that there’s no calling in to customer support to register travel plans in advance, your phone just works right away when you get off the plane. Plans are far more affordable than other US carriers even before adding the international data roaming packages. We liked the Google Pixel Pro 9 and found the camera to be really impressive without editing. The integration across the Google ecosystem is a benefit for those that are already deeply embedded with Google. With my daughter having a phone it gave us some added comfort and security knowing that she had a way to reach out to us if she needed to, and we could find her if we had to.
What do you think?
baby toys .
The wildfire victims who left their electronic toys behind continue to weep for their missing electronic toys .
Google Fi or T-Mobile are the best seamless options for travel like this. I have both an iPhone and a Pixel 7 Pro. Both have great cameras. For international travel, it’s all about having a good 4g or 5g connection. I rely primarily on my Google Fi plan on my Pixel phone and never have issues unless I’m in a really odd location with no reception which is rare.
I guess I’ve been spoiled with Google Fi for so many years that it shocks me to see people buying SIM cards or renting WIFI devices in Japan, Europe, or other places. They might as well be using a bank of pay phones.
Just download an esim and delete it after your trip.
My only smart phones have been Pixels, all using Google Fi. But, since Google will cut off your data when you’re outside of the US for 3 months, I use Airalo’s esim for international travel (and US if I have data left). And, it’s cheaper for me than if Google didn’t cut you off after 3 months. BTW, “3 months” can mean they cut you off before you’ve actually been away 3 months because of billing dates.
So you’re doing sponsored ads now?
Likely more like “snob appeal” for people with too much disposable income .
The “tech” ‘useless gadget’ ‘buyer survey’ measures “snob appeal” .
Wondering what type of technology you use daily. My iPhone became my main tool sometimes replacing a computer. It is very handy since I have everything I need in one place and with backup to he cloud working behind the scenes I have no concerns about losing my phone or someone stealing it. It is for sure a phone but it provides me a way to send instant messages, emails, have video calls with family and friends, read the news, watch videos or live TV, pay my bills, check my bank account, have all my credit cards stored and easy to use, etc… To be honest, I still carry a wallet with my driver’s license but otherwise everything I need in on my phone. Even my car keys. Anyway, I think if you balance the use of a smartphone to not retract you from social life and human interaction, it is a fantastic tool.
@Sanastico … Good for you as a traveling man of affairs .
I refuse to invite women who own one , as they can become severely dependent on them ( to the detriment of normal human interaction and interesting conversation . In fact , the owners of them generally are incapable of anything interesting or pleasurable .
I live in a quite remote location , and occasionally tourists ask me : “Where is the best cell phone location?” I laugh and tell them : “Not around here”.
Fair enough and I totally understand some people addiction to a phone which is quite concerning. Not my case. I use it as a toolto make things I was going to do anyway much easier.
It is well known that the Pixel has a better camera than the iPhone. Now, it is all about the “ecosystem” you are in. That’s how the phone makers get you. If you are a Apple guy, all your stuff is in their ecosystem which makes it very hard to switch. I would be interested to learn if after having an iPhone since the first version you will move to Google’s ecosystem and how that transition goes.
As for the Magic Eraser, Apple has launched their version called “clean up” which is available in their Photos app. Haven’t played much with it but it does a good job in getting unwanted people/objects from photos. Google has had it for longer while Apple is still developing its tool. Here is a good article comparing both.
https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/apple-intelligence/clean-up-vs-magic-eraser-i-edited-these-images-with-apple-intelligence-and-google-ai-to-see-which-is-better
I’m a long-time Google Fi user, and just take it for granted that my phone will work wherever I go without any fiddling with SIMs, eSIMs or extra data payments.
I do envy T-Mobile’s satellite connectivity, so you can (at least) text when you are in a no-signal wilderness. Maybe Google Fi will get that someday.
Forbes: “If you own a Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, or Pixel 9 Pro Fold, you can use Satellite SOS, a feature that lets you contact emergency services even when Wi-Fi and cellular networks are unavailable.” 9 Oct 2024
The pictures your daughter took were wow….
So is this a T-Mobile advertorial or Google Phone advertorial.
If I’m sponsoring this post I’m not quite happy at the content at all.
Then the grave misunderstanding “one area that was unwelcome was that a change on the Pixel Pro 9 changed information on our iPhones as well”
In short, don’t share accounts. There are accounts for children.
How lovely, an advert.
Why not just honest that this is an ad? Are we meant to believe you just woke up and felt about writing about how glorious Google phones are? Frankly a tad insulting to everyone’s intellignece…
From my perspective , this post is totally pointless. If you are reviewing the phone, you need to tell us something about the CPU, the battery life etc. If you’re reviewing the roaming service, you should be including comparisons to the likes of Flexiroam. Saying ‘they have sent me something and I need to review it’ really isn’t helpful for frequent travellers.
In a way, it doesn’t even matter whether this is intended to be an advertorial. It’s equally ineffective as a sales pitch as it is as as one for ‘travel hacks’.
I know this is sponsored, so you can’t say anything bad, but I still don’t get bloggers’ insistence on using T-Mobile when Google Fi is markedly better. The fact that they threw you a freebie makes me understand why a little bit more. I’m a Google Fi + Pixel user and I have been for years. It’s just better.
@Jerry – Because you can’t install and test out the experience with Google Fi on any other type of phone. I couldn’t try it on my iPhone and see if I liked it first.
Uh, Fi works perfectly fine on many different types of phones. My wife refuses to switch from iPhone, but thats no problem on our Fi plan and she enjoys worldwide coverage, including 5G where available, just like me with my Pixel 7.
My partner has been using it on her iPhone(s) for years. 5G is currently working perfectly here in El Salvador.
I’ve used TMO for international travel for years, always works flawlessly. Until this most recent trip. Just completed a 3 country trip over the holidays (Pakistan, UAE – Dubai and Jordan) with my Pixel 9 Pro XL. My roaming experience in Dubai was beyond frustrating! Phone took almost 30 minutes to connect to data services (calling was available sooner) and would spontaneously completely disconnect (no service) altogether (requiring me to wait another 15-30 mins for full service to return). Didn’t seem to matter if I was moving around or standing still. Extremely frustrating when trying to navigate, order an Uber, etc. I had absolutely no issues in Pakistan or Jordan! TMO wasn’t very helpful in determining the issue but did offer me a credit for my inconvenience. Got some fantastic pics with the Pixel 9 though!!! The cameras on the later generation phones are phenomenal. Several friends asked me what camera I used, they were floored when I told them it was just my phone