Last week was the big launch of the Pixel 9 series. Preorders are now closed for the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro XL, which are now available for purchase. You can still get store credit from Google and Amazon ($150 for the standard model, $275 for the XL). The smaller Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold are still up for preorder, with their launch scheduled for early next month.
Here are the two models available this week, the Google Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
This week, we wanted to focus on what you can get instead of a Pixel 9. How about a Pixel 8a? With a Tensor G3 and just 8GB of RAM, it'll be missing out on a lot of the in-device features that the 9 series brings. Still, it's a smaller Pixel phone and it's a lot cheaper than the Pixel 9. It'll also get 7 years of support, just like its more expensive siblings.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 trio offers more direct competition, and all three models are currently $220 off. All three models will get 7 years of software support, just like the Pixels, and they have a slew of AI features that are often powered by Google itself. Still, One UI does offer some perks (e.g. DeX, Good Lock), and you can get more storage for less money. That said, the Galaxy S24 phones are lacking in RAM compared to their Pixel counterparts, but that shouldn't be a problem for AI.
It’s a tough time to buy a new iPhone — the iPhone 16 series is just weeks away from release, and once it arrives, prices for current models will drop. We’ll revisit the Pixel vs. iPhone question in about a month.
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