Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

The pink Google Pixel 9 is the phone of my dreams

A pink Google Pixel 9 laid on a pink background.
Google

Google has wrapped up its Made by Google August event, and with it came a bunch of new products: the Pixel 9 series, the Pixel Watch 3, and the Pixel Buds Pro 2.

The Pixel 9 lineup was the big star of the show, as it includes four devices time time around: the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This year, Google also gave us some proper pink phones with the Pixel 9 in Peony and the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL in Rose Quartz.

Recommended Videos

They’re both excellent hues and, in the case of the Peony Pixel 9, it may be one of my all-time favorite smartphone colors.

Bright and bold

A pink Google Pixel 9 Pro XL laying down.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL in Rose Quartz Joe Maring / Digital Trends

One of the things that I’ve hated about the mobile industry as of late, especially from brands like Apple and Samsung, is that the colors of devices are drab and boring. It simply feels that most brands commonly come out with neutral, “safe” colors like black and white. Yawn.

Of course, it’s not like those are the only colors available. Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup comes in yellow, blue, green, and pink. However, the problem with Apple’s colors is that they are all quite light, basically just pastels, which I don’t like in terms of a phone color. And the blue honestly doesn’t even look blue, but more like a “hospital white.”

Pink is probably the best color in the iPhone 15 lineup, but it’s just not pink enough. Samsung didn’t even have a pink option this year, though I think the Sandstone Orange was the best color overall for the S24 line.

Someone holding the Peony Pixel 9.
The Google Pixel 9 in Peony Joe Maring / Digital Trends

While Google did give those who are interested in the Pro models this year a beautiful pink, it’s got nothing on the regular Pixel 9’s pink color. Both pinks look great, but Peony? Just look at it!

Why do I prefer the Peony pink? Because it’s bright, bold, and simply fun. It gives me Barbie vibes all over. Pink is my favorite color.The Google Pixel 9 is an impressive-looking phone with powerful specs and features. But the best thing abut it may be its pink color. I love a good, vibrant pink, and this is it.

The Google Pixel 9 in Peony is also that kind of pink that will certainly catch the attention of those who see it. The Rose Quartz color for the Pro models is also pretty, but Peony just hits differently.

Make phone colors good again

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, the Google Pixel 9 Pro, and Google Pixel 9 all next to each other.
Ajay Kumar / Digital Trends

Google also made the Pixel 9 in a Wintergreen color, which is lighter than the Aloe Pixel 8a and a bit similar to Apple’s green iPhone 15. There’s also the Hazel color for the Pro, which is gray, and, of course, the Rose Quartz pink.

But still, nothing tops that Peony pink. I really love fun phone colors, and the Peony Pixel 9 is what I wish I could have for every phone. According to rumors, Apple could be releasing another pink iPhone 16 this year, but from what we’ve seen with the dummy units, which are a good indicator of what final products look like, it doesn’t even come close to the Peony Pixel 9. It looks like Apple is set to release another muted pastel pink, which is nice, but it would be far better if it was darker and bolder.

The Google Pixel 8 next to the Google Pixel 9.
The Google Pixel 8 (left) and Pixel 9 Ajay Kumar / Digital Trends

After seeing the Peony Pixel 9, it’s going to be hard to get excited about any other pink smartphones in the future. I really just want Apple to bring back that Rose Gold color from the iPhone 6, because that was my absolute favorite. It’s incredibly disappointing that it never brought back anything even close to that, especially for the Pro models.

In the end, I just want more phone makers to take a page from Google’s book and give me a beautiful, vibrant pink phone. Google did precisely that with the Peony Pixel 9, and I really want to see more phones just like it.

Christine Romero-Chan
Christine Romero-Chan has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade. She graduated from California…
This phone highlights what Google and Samsung need to fix with their cameras in 2025
Oppo Find X8 Pro laying flat on a table.

When companies release new smartphones, they usually call out a specific camera specification or two. For the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung calls out the 200-megapixel main camera as well as the 5x telephoto, while Apple focused on its 48MP Fusion camera, and Google made bold claims about the power of its 5x telephoto zoom.

However, dive deeper, and you’ll often find that these flashy cameras are paired with other lower-resolution sensors. For some companies, this isn’t a significant problem, and Google has proven that you can work wonders using AI and algorithms, even when the hardware doesn’t match up.

Read more
5 phones you should buy instead of the iPhone 16 Pro
Someone holding the iPhone 16 Pro.

If you’re in the market for a new phone, whether it’s for yourself or a loved one, you may be considering the iPhone 16 Pro from Apple. After all, it just came out, and it’s packed with the latest and greatest from the fruit company. That means an A18 Pro chip for fast performance, an upgraded 5x telephoto camera, the new Camera Control button, Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18, and more.

But what if we told you there are some better options out there? And some offer even better features or are a better value? Here are five alternatives to consider before you buy the iPhone 16 Pro.
iPhone 16

Read more
I tried a new Android phone that puts some of the best smartphone cameras to shame
The rear camera setup on the Oppo Find X8 Pro.

It’s been a few years since I was surprised by a smartphone camera’s zoom performance. With Samsung offering 100x zoom on its Galaxy S Ultra lineup, little has shocked me with smartphone cameras — until now.

The Oppo Find X8 series is the successor to the Find X7 series from last year, and alongside several other improvements, there’s also been a significant upgrade in one area: the 30x zoom. Oppo and OnePlus have great cameras at shorter zoom distances, and at a recent briefing, I discovered that we can now add the 30x zoom to the list.

Read more