Are glossy side rails the right choice for the Pixel 9 Pro? [Poll]

Google has officially soft-revealed the Pixel 9 Pro, and it confirms one of the major early leaks—glossy side rails once again.

Glossy side rails are nothing new on a Pixel device. The Pixel 8 Pro had them, as did the Pixel 7 Pro, but prior to that it wasn’t a thing. It’s a design trait that gets a lot of people talking. Other early leaks confined that the regular Pixel 9 will likely stick with matte side rails and only the Pixel 9 Pro will have glossy rails.

Personally, it’s glossy side rails on the Pixel 9 Pro is a durability concern. Matte finishes hide nicks and dings a lot better than shiny, glossy finishes. Someone even polished the shiny metal finish on the Pixel 8 Pro to have a matte finish. The result is infinitely better than a metal bar coated in nicks and cuts – at least in my opinion. Fingerprint accrue on polished metal super easily, and you also lose the grippy texture that matte metal provides.

Another leak has shown the Pixel 9 side-by-side with the 9 Pro so you can see just how different each finish looks:

Glossy surfaces are notorious for showing off every smudge. Constantly wiping down your phone can get tedious. It’s a very “iPhone” design choice too. Does it cheapen the look or make the Pixel 9 Pro look like a premium phone? It’s an interesting discussion to have.

One solution to cover this potential durability pain point is going to be a case. A case or skin will no doubt protect the corners and edges, but visually, a matte rear panel and matte sides like the Pixel 8a would be a truly striking look. We have yet to see all of the color options in the flesh, but we hope Google is cooking up an option sans glossy side rails on the Pixel 9 series.

We’re asking you: Is it a sleek upgrade or a recipe for fingerprints and has Google made the right decision to stick with glossy metal side rails on the Pixel 9 Pro? If it’s good enough for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, then surely it’s good enough for the Pixel 9 Pro? Let us know using the survey below.

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