Last week, we took a look at the launch of the OnePlus 13 and 13R. Next week, Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S25 series. This week, we’ll look at what Google has to offer.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro is a rare tiny Android with high-end cameras – a 1/1.31” 50MP main, 48MP 113mm periscope and 48MP 123° ultra-wide. It sports a 6.3” display LTPO panel with 1280p+ resolution and a 42MP ultra-wide (17mm) selfie camera. The battery is quite large at 4,700mAh, but charging is slow – 27W wired and 21W wireless.
google pixel 9 pro
$150 off
Read our review
16/128GB – $850 at Amazon US 16/256GB – $950 at Amazon US 16/512GB – $1,070 at Amazon US
The same hardware is available in a larger form-factor with the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and its 6.8” display (LTPO, 1344p+). The battery is also large, 5,060mAh, with slightly faster charging at 37W/23W. Check out our Pixel 9 Pro vs 9 Pro XL article for an in-depth comparison.
google pixel 9 pro xl
$150 off
Read our review
16/128GB – $950 at Amazon US 16/256GB – $1,050 at Amazon US 16/512GB – $1,170 at Amazon US
Or, if we stick with the same size, the Google Pixel 9 is $200 cheaper, but you get the same Tensor G4 chipset (less RAM, 12GB vs. 16GB), the same main and ultra-wide cameras. However, there is no telephoto module and the selfie camera only has a 10.5MP sensor. Also, the 6.3” display is not an LTPO panel and has a lower resolution of 1080p+. Here’s how the Pixel 9 compares to the Pixel 9 Pro.
google pixel 9
$150 off
Read our review
12/128GB – $650 on Amazon US
If you’re more concerned about price than size, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is $100 less than the Pixel 9. The Exynos 2400e is faster than the Tensor G4 across the board, although it has less RAM – only 8GB. On the plus side, you get a dedicated telephoto camera (an 8MP 75mm module, 3x). The S24 FE is larger with a 6.7” 1080p+ display, but the battery is essentially the same – 4,700mAh with 25W wired and 15W wireless charging. However, the Pixel achieved a slightly higher active usage score (13:05 hrs vs 11:48 hrs).
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
$100 off
Read our review
8/128GB – $550 on Amazon US
Google also has an affordable series of phones like the Google Pixel 8a. The older Tensor G3 offers even less performance than the G4 and you only get 8GB of RAM with it. The good thing is that it is quite cheap at $400 and it is small with a 6.1” 90Hz OLED display (1080p+). The 4,492mAh battery supports 18W wired and 7.5W wireless charging and scored 11:25 hours in our active usage test.
google pixel 8a
$100 off
Read our review
8/128GB – $400 on Amazon US
The Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet is on sale now, exclusively the 128GB version without lockscreen ads. The 10.9” 2,000 x 1,200px display makes it a great streaming and lightweight gaming tablet. There’s also a microSD slot if you prefer local content. Plus, the aluminum body makes this slate feel more premium than its price tag suggests.
amazon fire max 11
$70 off
no lockscreen ads
4/128GB – $170 on Amazon US
Amazon also has a choice of cheaper tablets – the Fire HD 10, Fire HD 8 and Fire 7 at $95, $85 and $45 respectively. These are quite limited, but offer solid value for money considering their price tag.
amazon fire hd 10
$45 off
lockscreen with ads
3/32GB – $95 at Amazon US, 3/64GB – $105 at Amazon US
Amazon Fire HD 8 (2024)
$35 off
lockscreen with ads
3/32GB – $65 at Amazon US, 4/64GB – $95 at Amazon US
Amazon Fire 7 (2022)
$25 off
lockscreen with ads
2/32GB – $45 on Amazon US
Nintendo teased the Switch 2 earlier this week and some people were disappointed that it didn’t have a funky new design. If you’re willing to try a new form of gaming, check out the Meta Quest 3S, a cheaper version of the Quest 3. It uses an older display and optics (from the Quest 2), but has the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2. Chip like the expensive Quest 3. This is a good middle ground if you’re not sure if VR is right for you.
meta quest 3s
Incorporated Batman: Arkham Shadow
3 month trial of Quest+
256GB – $350 on Amazon US
