Deal: Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL go on sale, you can still get store credit for them

Last week was the big launch of the Pixel 9 series. Pre-orders for the vanilla Pixel 9 and 9 Pro XL are now over and they’re now available for sale. You can still get store credit from Google and Amazon ($150 for the vanilla, $275 for the XL). The smaller Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold are also still on pre-order, with their launch coming early next month.

There are two models becoming available this week, the Google Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

This week we wanted to focus on what you can get in exchange for the Pixel 9. How about the Pixel 8a? With a Tensor G3 and just 8GB of RAM, it won’t have many of the on-device features of the 9-series. Still, it’s a smaller Pixel phone and it’s a lot cheaper than the Pixel 9. It’ll also get up to 7 years of support, just like its more expensive sibling.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 trio offers more direct competition, and all three models are currently $220 off. All three will get 7 years of software support, just like the Pixel, and have many AI features that are often powered by Google itself. Still, One UI offers some benefits (e.g. DeX, Good Lock) and you can get more storage for less money. However, the Galaxy S24 phones are lower in RAM than their Pixel counterparts, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the AI.

Right now is the worst time to buy a new iPhone – the iPhone 16 series is a few weeks away and as soon as they arrive, prices of the current models will drop. We’ll revisit the Pixel vs iPhone issue in about a month.