It is type of wild to see simply how far Google’s telephones have come because the Nexus days. The corporate went from counting on different OEMs to showcase the ability of Android to purchasing up a few cellphone divisions and releasing its personal take. And now, the perfect Pixel telephones span a number of worth factors and even type elements.
Of the present out there choices, our favourite choose is definitely a two-fer. It is both the Pixel 9 Professional or the Pixel 9 Professional XL, as these telephones share the identical specs, apart from display screen dimension and battery life. However the wonderful thing about Google’s present ensemble is that there is a Pixel cellphone for everybody, it doesn’t matter what your price range and wishes dictate.
At a look
Finest total
Each the Pixel 9 Professional and Professional XL supply the perfect that Google has to supply, combining premium {hardware} with wonderful software program. It is only a matter of deciding on how massive of a display screen or battery you need.
2. Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold
Finest foldable
Google shocked many with its unveiling of the Pixel 9 Professional Fold, introducing a cellphone that bears no resemblance to its predecessor moreover the “G” on the again. It is a design that also holds up virtually a 12 months later, and efficiency is not too shabby both.
Finest price range choose
In order for you a cellphone that gives about 80-90% of the identical expertise, however prices $300 much less, the Pixel 9a is the best way to go. It would look a bit odd with the brand new digicam module, however that should not deter you from holding it in consideration.
Finest worth
Positive, the Pixel 8 Professional is nearly two years outdated, however it nonetheless packs a punch. It is actually superb for individuals who desire a flagship expertise, minus the entire further AI options that hold getting added to the newer fashions. Plus, you can discover it for a lot much less as a consequence of how lengthy it has been round.
Finest mid-range
Google’s entry-level Pixel should not be missed utterly, however is tougher to suggest when the Pixel 9a exists. That mentioned, if you will discover it on sale, the Pixel 9 makes for a incredible alternative.
Finest total
It isn’t all that always that an organization makes a “goldilocks” cellphone that matches the wants of virtually everybody. Not solely did Google do this with the Pixel 9 Professional, however there’s additionally the Pixel 9 Professional XL. The one two variations between the 2 are the display screen and battery dimension, however the whole lot else is precisely the identical.
These are simply the perfect Pixel telephones on the market, offering you with an arsenal of instruments to carry out principally any activity. What’s good about Google’s determination to maintain the specs the identical is that you do not have to make sacrifices simply since you desire a smaller cellphone. That is been a difficulty with the finest telephones for years, so it is good to see Google buck the development and stand out.
When it comes to efficiency, benchmarks slot the G4 behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, however that does not account for the work Tensor does to supply a superb Gemini-powered AI expertise. That, along with the wonderful digicam {hardware}, improved software program expertise, and a bunch of intangibles, the Pixel 9 Professional and Professional XL are merely incredible.
Finest foldable
Take the whole lot you knew concerning the Pixel Fold and throw it out the window. That is seemingly what Google did, because the Pixel 9 Professional Fold is a revolutionary foldable cellphone that also manages to impress.
Whereas the Pixel Fold felt outdated as quickly because it was launched, its successor looks like Google introduced one thing again from the long run. On the time, it was the slimmest foldable cellphone in North America, holding that title till the Galaxy Z Fold 7. All whereas housing an enormous 8-inch internal show, complemented by a 6.3-inch cowl display screen, each with a 120Hz refresh charge.
Naturally, the Tensor G4 is on the helm, paired with 16GB of RAM, and identical to the Pixel 9 Professional, it is a beast. The bigger shows present an even bigger canvas for interacting with Gemini, and up to date updates proceed to enhance the expertise. Even with the Pixel 10 Professional Fold probably coming across the nook, the Pixel 9 Professional Fold remains to be the most effective telephones total.
Finest price range choose
Google’s Pixel 9a represents a “break” from the norm by way of design. As a substitute of the digicam bar on the again, the 9a’s dual-camera system is solely embedded into the again, just like the outdated days. This helps Google’s price range cellphone stand out from the crowded price range scene in a very completely different, however good, means.
Like the opposite units in Google’s 2024 lineup, the 9a comes outfitted with the Tensor G4, however with “simply” 8GB. Because of this, efficiency drops a bit when in comparison with the Pixel 9, however not by very a lot. It isn’t till you get into the realm of Gemini options that you simply actually discover the distinction.
A part of that is because of the truth that whereas the Pixel 9a nonetheless contains Gemini Nano, it is a “restricted model” known as “Gemini Nano XXS.” With this, Google eliminated some Gemini options with the 9a, such because the Pixel Screenshots app and Name Notes. That mentioned, it nonetheless contains the extra standard options like Gemini Reside, Finest Take, Magic Editor, and others.
Finest worth
You would possibly assume it is a bit odd to see a cellphone that is virtually two years outdated on this listing, however I guarantee you, it is for a great purpose. For one, Google (and partnering retailers) are nonetheless providing the Pixel 8 Professional, often at a fairly steep low cost.
On paper, essentially the most noticeable distinction between the 8 Professional and its successor is the chip, because the Tensor G3 gives the horsepower right here. Moreover that, now we have a flagship digicam system, headlined by the 50MP wide-angle lens, joined by a 48MP ultrawide, and a 48MP telephoto digicam with 5x optical zoom.
You may additionally get pleasure from higher battery life with the Pixel 8 Professional, not less than in comparison with the usual 9 Professional. That is due to the 5,050mAh cell powering the operation, in comparison with the 4,700mAh battery within the 9 Professional. Past that, we do not see something unsuitable with saving your self just a few hundred bucks and getting 90% of the identical expertise.
Finest mid-range
Rounding out our listing of the perfect Google Pixel telephones is the Pixel 9. Seeing this because the final entry would possibly come as a shock to some, and understandably so. It isn’t that the Pixel 9 is a nasty cellphone, however it’s extra about the place it lands as compared.
In his “one 12 months later” retrospective, Android Central Managing Editor Derrek Lee echoes that sentiment when evaluating the Pixel 9 to the 9a: “This cellphone prices $300 lower than the Pixel 9, however its specs and capabilities aren’t too completely different, save for much less sturdy glass, much less RAM, and a few lacking digicam/media options like 10-bit HDR video or Motion Pan.”
That mentioned, the cellphone nonetheless gives an amazing “Pixel expertise” total, full with Gemini and Google’s wonderful digicam tuning. It is simply not as simple of a cellphone to suggest when the Pixel 9a exists, and the Pixel 9 Professional is simply $200 extra. Nonetheless, if that is the cellphone in your price range, then you definately’ll be more than pleased.
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It could appear a bit daunting when making an attempt to resolve which of those is the perfect Google Pixel cellphone for you. Clearly, if you need a foldable cellphone, then the Pixel 9 Professional Fold is the one alternative, except you occur to have an odd want to seize the unique Pixel Fold on a steep low cost.
The Pixel 9 Professional and Professional XL are the plain picks for these wanting the “finest” that Google has to supply. These have the entire bells and whistles that you would need, leaving you solely to decide on between display screen and battery dimension.
Then issues get a bit murky, with the Pixel 9a, Pixel 8 Professional, and Pixel 9, all vying for the eye of the budget-conscious. Every of those have their execs and cons, so it is going to in the end come all the way down to what you worth extra.
In the event you’re okay with lacking out on just a few AI options however desire a bigger battery, the Pixel 9a might be for you. Those that do not care as a lot concerning the Gemini fluff however desire a incredible digicam will gravitate in the direction of the Pixel 8 Professional. Then, the Pixel 9 is there to fill the wants for anybody nonetheless searching for an choice.
It doesn’t matter what cellphone you resolve on, simply know that you simply’re getting the most effective telephones that cash can purchase. Google has come a great distance in each the software program and {hardware} lately, and it positively exhibits.
