Our verdict on the Pixel 9 Pro and XL

Are Google's flagships worth your money?                               [The Morning After]( It's Thursday, August 22, 2024. [Google is selling its ultra-premium Pixel 9 Pro in two sizes]( but it’s not the size that counts here. Instead, it’s the suite of AI features Google hopes will revolutionize how you use your phone. The Morning After’s Mat Smith has spent plenty of time with both handsets to work out if they’re good enough to justify your cash. He explores headline features, like Gemini Advanced, as well as the smart new AI-enabled photo tweaks. One of my favorites is Add Me, which puts you in the background of a group shot you were holding the phone for. Or Zoom Enhance, which offers a CSI-like level of clarity enhancement for the furthest point in a photo. I won’t spoil the review beyond saying Mat thinks the Pixel 9 Pro, sorry Pixels 9 Pro, are well worth the cash. [But you’ll have to read it all to work out why](. — Daniel Cooper The biggest stories you might have missed - [Google strikes a deal with California lawmakers to fund local news]( - [A new AI support chatbot is available for hacked YouTube channels]( - [Microsoft’s latest accessible controllers include the Xbox Adaptive Joystick]( - [Lego’s first Mario Kart sets start throwing out shells on January 1]( ​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. [Subscribe right here!]( [Rotten Tomatoes further dilutes its utility with Verified Hot badge]( Nothing matters anymore! Rotten Tomatoes has become a perpetual battleground in the internet’s perpetual culture war. But it’s trying to placate its user base by [launching a Certified Hot label that reflects rapturous viewer reviews alongside those of critics](. Viewers will need to prove they’ve seen a film but can only do so if they bought tickets via Fandango. Will that be enough to end the culture of review-bombing the site is suffering from? Who knows. [Continue Reading.]( [You can pre-order the all-digital Xbox Series X starting today]( Shipping begins October 15. [[Promotional image of Xbox pre-orders] Microsoft]( Microsoft’s strategy of pushing cloud gaming with one hand and a dedicated console business with the other hasn’t necessarily been a winner. But the company isn’t deterred and has now [opened pre-orders for the disc-free version of its Xbox Series X](. The console is $50 cheaper than the disc-enabled version and, uh, the list of benefits with this new model stops there. But you can pre-order today, with shipping due to begin October 15. [Continue Reading.]( [The JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds come with a case that can transmit audio wirelessly]( Plug it into a USB or analog source and listen along. [[Image of JBL OnTour 3] JBL]( JBL reaches for the useful side of quirky with its Tour Pro earbuds, and the third-generation model is no exception. [The true wireless earbuds already have a screen in the charging case and can now transmit audio wirelessly](. Plug the case into a USB or analog source and you can listen along, ideal for plane trips or when you need to listen to an old-timey record player. [Continue Reading.]( [Ford’s electric three-row SUV is dead]( It’s pulling back from its EV push to save cash. Ford has [canceled plans to build a three-row electric SUV as part of a broader pull back from the EV market](. It has also delayed the launch of its next-generation electric truck that would have followed the F-150 Lightning. Losses on current EV models are mounting up, which could total as much as $5 billion by the end of the year, and that’s too rich even for Ford’s blood. [Continue Reading.]( The Morning After is a daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't [subscribe](. Craving even more? [Like us on Facebook]( or [follow us on Twitter](. Have a suggestion on how we can improve The Morning After? [Send us a note.]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( You are receiving this email because you opted in at [engadget.com](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe]( from this newsletter. Copyright © 2024 Yahoo. All rights reserved.