There are plenty of tech products out there. Some are great buys offering excellent value, but others aren't. Most fall somewhere in the middle.
Unless you have the means to buy one of everything, you have to decide if something is the right fit for you. That can be hard; the companies making them will tell you that you need one to make your life complete, people who got a lemon or just didn't like it will say the product is garbage, and reviewers simply can't cover everything.
So many tech products! It can help if you take a breath, a step back, and think about what you really need. We're here to help you do just that!
Often, it's good to take a step back and see what you're going to get inside that pretty package. Was it worth what you paid for it? Will you get enough use from it to justify the purchase? Or maybe you should hold off and see what's coming next.
We can't make those decisions for you, but we can tell you what we think and maybe where you should start your decision-making process.
The Pixel 10 is here, but what about the Pixel 9? Should you buy it?
Why buy an older phone
There are some really good reasons why you might want to buy a phone that's not brand spanking new.
The biggest, and the one you've probably already thought of, is that you'll usually save a good bit of money. Phones are one of those things that start to lose value the minute you buy them, but that doesn't mean they don't work as well as a brand-new one will. Everyone likes to save a little money.
Next up is the software, and this goes extra hard for a Google Pixel. A quick look across the internet will show you a mountain of people expressing issues they were having with the last Pixel phone when it was brand new. Give it a few months, and most of those are all ironed out via software updates. I hate to say Google releases things that aren't quite ready (it does), but you interpret that however you like.
This alone doesn't mean the Pixel 9 is still a good value today, but I think it is for a lot of people. The software will be updated longer than the battery will last, and there are no real red flags here. I've used one for a while and all I can say bad about it is that it gets too hot while it's charging.
The Pros
The list of pros and cons for any sort of Pixel 9 versus Pixel 10 match-up isn't going to be very long. You'll get a phone that works a certain way without any real spectacular new hardware features to make a big difference. They are there, though, and every little bit helps.
The biggest pro is, of course, the price. I don't know why exactly, but the Google Pixel is one of those phones that sells well enough but is still always on sale somewhere. Google isn't trying to get rid of millions of extra stock, yet these phones show up on sale in plenty of places.
The Pixel 10 will be the same way, and that can be a big part of deciding which to buy. If the price is the same, pick the newer model. But the price won't be the same. We will see the Pixel 9 price cut a few times before all the stock is gone, and the used market will be around a lot longer if that's how you roll.
Another thing people always think about is the latest software features that debut on the new Pixel phone. The thing is, most of those are going to come to the Pixel 9 as well. That's another thing we see every year; the software kind of trickles down to all the models that can run it.
There will be features announced for the Pixel 10 that never come to the Pixel 9. I guess that some of the new AI camera "stuff" will be some of them. Maybe I'm wrong here, though, because Google builds its tensor processor to crunch AI algorithms. If it can do other phone things too, that's a plus. The Pixel is Google's way to showcase the way it bakes AI into everyday software. The company wants you to use it.
The cons
There are a few good reasons to buy the new Pixel 10 instead.
The price of a Pixel phone isn't crazy high. That's a big deal, and it means the price difference may not be that much once all the sales and deals kick in. Right now, as I'm writing this, you can get a refurbished Pixel 9 Pro XL for $699 at Amazon. You'll need to cough up $1,199 to preorder a Pixel 10 Pro XL from Google.
You probably won't buy it from Google, though, and Pixel 10 deals are already out there. Once it shows up on the shelves and the prices are mostly settled, you won't be spending a bunch of extra money if you decide to get the newer Pixel 10.
Next are the software features. Both a pro and a con, which is weird, but it makes sense in this case. Most of the new software features, especially the Gemini-based ones, will end up on the Pixel 9. Most is not all, though. If you really want to make sure you can use Camera Coach (something that really impressed me, which is hard to do), you need to buy a Pixel 10.
Finally comes the hardware bump. The Pixel 9 uses Google's Tensor G4 processor, and the Pixel 10 has jumped up the the Tensor G5. Neither is ever going to match up with the best from Qualcomm or Apple in any area but one: AI processing. That's what Google focuses on, and they build what works best for their business model.
I've not used a Pixel 10 enough to know what the difference is, but it probably will handle some of those "phone things" a little better. Unfortunately, nobody can tell you today how well the Pixel 10 will perform, only that it's expected to be better than the Pixel 9.
My verdict
Don't buy anything right now. Never buy anything on day one or preorder something unless you already know that you want it.
Once all the dust settles and the prices find whatever spot they will live in comfortably, then decide.
If the price difference is more than $200, I would buy the Pixel 9 all day. If I really wanted or needed to have every AI feature Google showed me, I would pay the extra and buy the Pixel 10. Only you know what's most important to you.
