Greatest Google has to supply
Google Pixel 9 Professional and 9 Professional XL
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Greatest cellphone for Android purists
Google Pixel 9
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Final 12 months’s mannequin continues to be nice
Google Pixel 8 Professional
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Greatest Android cellphone below $700
Google Pixel 8
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Greatest Google Pixel cellphone for most individuals
Google Pixel 8A
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The very best Google Pixel cellphone when on sale
Pixel 7A
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The very best Google Pixel in the event you’re on a decent funds
Pixel 6A
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With telephones just like the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Professional, Google simply shook up its complete smartphone lineup for the higher. For years Pixel telephones had been identified for his or her digital camera capabilities and being the best implementation of Android — which is smart as a result of Google makes Android. These new fashions nonetheless have nice cameras and can ultimately get Android 15 however are largely a platform for Google’s Gemini AI assistant.
The Pixel collection comfortably competes towards the most effective from Apple and Samsung. Google’s present lineup ranges from the reasonably priced Pixel 8A, which is simply $449, to the Pixel 9 Professional XL, which begins at $1,099. Then there’s the Pixel Fold, which has been changed by the newly introduced Pixel 9 Professional Fold. At $1,799 the 9 Professional Fold is the costliest Pixel Google sells, however it has a folding show that opens up into a big 8-inch display screen, which needs to be nice for watching YouTube movies or taking part in video games. We’re presently testing the Pixel 9 Professional Fold and do not have a suggestion right now.
The vary has grown, and with older fashions just like the Pixel 8 Professional and Pixel 7A nonetheless on sale, it may be a bit complicated to work out which one’s finest for you. So we have pulled collectively the highest Pixels presently on sale that will help you resolve.
Learn extra: Greatest Cellphone to Purchase in 2024
What’s the finest Google Pixel cellphone proper now?
The Pixel 9 Professional and 9 Professional XL sit on the prime of Google’s cellphone lineup, with the Tensor G4 processor, implausible cameras and a bunch of AI abilities. Gemini Superior is actually wonderful, however in our testing there have been some hiccups. One factor to look out for is worth. The Pixel 9 Professional is a brand new, smaller model with a 6.3-inch display screen and a $999 price ticket. The 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Professional XL, whereas it has a brand new title, is for all intents and functions the successor to final 12 months’s Pixel 8 Professional. The 9 Professional XL truly prices $100 greater than the 8 Professional did when it was launched. The Pixel 9 Professional and 9 Professional XL even have Satellite tv for pc SOS for emergencies and include seven years of main Android OS updates, safety patches and Pixel characteristic drops.
The Pixel 9 Professional and 9 Professional XL have loads going for them, like their shiny new designs and lengthy software program assist interval. But it surely’s the AI abilities that basically stand out, from the deep integration of the conversational Gemini Reside, to the brand new Pixel Studio that creates strange photographs out of your textual content prompts.
The telephones aren’t good. Whereas the cameras are good and might take glorious pictures in shiny gentle, they’re simply okay in low-light and in evening mode. The very best AI options would require a month-to-month subscription (although you get the primary 12 months at no cost). However in the event you’re eager to experiment with AI in your cellphone then the brand new Pixel 9 Professional vary is an excellent approach to expertise it.
There’s loads to love in regards to the Pixel 9, from its respectable digital camera to its stylish new design and prolonged seven-year timeline for software program updates. However Google’s telephones have at all times shined for his or her clear, slick software program, and that when once more applies to the Pixel 9 collection. Pixels are additionally among the many first to get new software program updates, making them a super selection for individuals who wish to get their palms on the most recent model of Android first. Other than Android updates, Google additionally brings new options to Pixel telephones all year long via updates it calls Function Drops.
The Pixel 9 comes with just a few new AI methods that you could be discover helpful, like the flexibility to seek for content material in screenshots, generate photographs from scratch within the Pixel Studio app and add new objects in pictures. These options aren’t must-haves, they usually’re not with out flaws. Plus, at a beginning worth of $799, the Pixel 9 has the next bar to reside as much as. However the Pixel 9 feels prefer it belongs in that class of machine.
Whereas we had some early points with the Google Pixel 8 Professional — principally with its cameras capturing Uncooked recordsdata — additional testing and software program updates from Google meant we ultimately got here away considering fairly extremely of the Pixel 8 Professional. It is received loads going for it, from its slick design and easy-to-use Android 14 software program to its rear digital camera setup, which may take some genuinely lovely photographs. Google has sprinkled a wide range of new AI options all through the cellphone too, together with a instrument that makes use of generative AI to create wallpapers for the cellphone and a digital camera characteristic that means that you can mix totally different faces from a collection of burst photographs of a gaggle of mates to be sure that everybody seems their finest.
Top-of-the-line updates is Google’s dedication to offering seven years of safety updates to the Pixel 8 collection, that means this cellphone will nonetheless be secure to make use of in no less than 2030. Whereas we’ve not been as impressed with this 12 months’s 8 Professional as we had been with the 7 Professional, it is nonetheless an awesome cellphone to think about, particularly in the event you’re eager to carry on to your cellphone for longer. Learn our Google Pixel 8 Professional overview.
The Pixel 8 has lots of the options of the dearer Pixel 8 Professional however is available in a barely smaller bundle and with a smaller price ticket to match. You will discover the Tensor G3 processor on board, together with Android 14 software program that features AI instruments just like the generative picture wallpaper creator. It additionally comes with the identical assure of no less than seven years of safety updates so this cellphone will nonetheless be going robust in 2030 — so long as you take care of it.
The rear cameras are extra reduce right here, as the bottom Pixel 8 lacks the 5x optical zoom digital camera seen on its larger brother. I personally love that zoom lens, however then I am knowledgeable photographer. If pictures is not a precedence for you, it can save you your self a bundle and go for the cheaper of Google’s new vary. The Pixel 8’s greater worth $699 appears price it and makes you understand simply how extremely reasonably priced the $599 Pixel 6 and seven had been and nonetheless are. Learn our Google Pixel 8 overview.
The Pixel 8A is so good it makes the common Pixel 8 nearly really feel irrelevant. It shares a lot in frequent with its pricier sibling, from its choice of AI-powered options like Circle to Search to its cool aesthetic and highly effective Tensor G3 processor, that it’s laborious to see why anybody would purchase the Pixel 8 as a substitute.
The Pixel 8 does supply a slightly higher digital camera system, a barely bigger display screen and the flexibility to cost different telephones and equipment wirelessly on the again of the machine. These options don’t really feel vital sufficient to impression the shopping for resolution for most individuals. As I wrote in my overview, the Pixel 8A raises the bar for what a $500 cellphone needs to be. That additionally means I’ll expect extra from the Pixel 9 this fall.
Editor’s word: Google launched the Pixel 8A, additionally $500. You’ll be able to learn our Pixel 8A overview right here. In case you’re shopping for a Pixel 7A be certain that it is on sale.
Google’s funds cellphone leaped ahead with the Pixel 7A, which presents lots of the similar advantages because the Pixel 7 however at a less expensive worth. Just like the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7A runs on Google’s Tensor G2 processor, that means it has lots of the similar photograph enhancing and language translation options as its pricier sibling. The Pixel 7A’s 64-megapixel digital camera additionally takes glorious pictures that rival the Pixel 7’s in high quality.
Whereas we nonetheless just like the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7A’s lower cost makes it a greater deal for most individuals. Go for the Pixel 7 solely if you would like a barely bigger display screen and are prepared to pay the additional $100 for it. In any other case, the primary variations between the Pixel 7 and 7A come right down to the previous’s extra sturdy construct, barely quicker charging and its means to wirelessly cost suitable equipment. The Pixel 7 additionally has a bigger digital camera sensor that is extra delicate to gentle, in accordance with Google, however CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco did not discover a lot of a distinction. Learn our Pixel 7A overview.
Launched in July 2022, the Pixel 6A is likely one of the older fashions on this checklist, however Google nonetheless formally sells it alongside its newer handsets — and with a cut-down worth. The Pixel 6A packs a stable twin digital camera, 5G connectivity and a good show into a comparatively compact physique. Whereas it does not have probably the most up-to-date Tensor processor, its older chip will nonetheless address all of your on a regular basis necessities.
Positive, the Pixel 7A makes some welcome updates with face unlock and wi-fi charging, however it prices about $100 greater than the 6A. In case you’re on the lookout for a stable Google Pixel expertise that leaves you with probably the most change in your pockets, the 6A is properly price contemplating.
Deciding which Pixel cellphone is finest for you’ll doubtless come right down to how a lot you are prepared to spend. As with something, the additional cash you splash, the higher options you may get. The Pixel 9 Professional is the costliest of the primary vary (excluding the Fold) and in consequence, it comes with the most effective digital camera system.
If pictures is not vital to you, it can save you your self some cash and look as a substitute towards the bottom Pixel 9 or the extra reasonably priced Pixel 8A. The Pixel 8A has the identical processor because the 2023 Pixel 8 Professional, so you’ll be able to anticipate good general efficiency, however its twin rear digital camera is aimed extra towards these of you merely desirous to take the odd snap of your child on the seashore, quite than these on the lookout for Instagram stardom.
If you would like probably the most cutting-edge piece of tech in your pocket, the Pixel Fold’s foldable show definitely makes it stand out within the vary. You will pay a hefty worth for this brand-new know-how, that means it is not a cellphone for everybody to think about.
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Each cellphone on this checklist has been totally examined by CNET’s knowledgeable critiques workforce. We use the cellphone, check the options, play video games and take pictures. We assess any advertising guarantees that an organization makes about its telephones. If we discover one thing we do not like, be it battery life or construct high quality, we let you know all about it.
We look at each side of a cellphone throughout testing:
- Show
- Design and really feel
- Processor efficiency
- Battery life
- Digicam high quality
- Options
We check all of a cellphone’s cameras (each back and front) in a wide range of circumstances: from outdoor below daylight to dimmer indoor locales and nighttime scenes (for any accessible evening modes). We additionally examine our findings towards equally priced fashions. We now have a collection of real-world battery assessments to see how lengthy a cellphone lasts below on a regular basis use.
We keep in mind further cellphone options like 5G, fingerprint and face readers, styluses, quick charging, foldable shows, and different helpful extras. We weigh all of our experiences and testing towards the worth, so you understand whether or not a cellphone represents good worth.
Learn extra: How We Take a look at Telephones
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