I currently have an iPhone 14 Pro Max and I want to switch to an Android phone.
First of all, I eliminated all Chinese phones. Since Samsung has limited custom rom support, I gave up on that too. At the end, I decided to get a Pixel because of its GrapheneOS support.
But right now I’m stuck between Pixel 8 and 9. There’s a big price difference with small improvements. I can afford both but not sure if Pixel 9 is worth it. What do you think?
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I have a pixel 8, and really don’t have a desire to upgrade.
I have a pixel 7 and I don’t have a desire for upgrade either. There hasn’t been a substantial enough change to justify a change in a while. The ability to run GrapheneOS is the main attraction.
I’d say save your money. When (if) they finally release a phone worth switching for you won’t have wasted that money.
I have a Pixel 6 and no desire to upgrade.
Anyone still rocking a 5?
If anyone is, I hope they’re running a third-party ROM like GrapheneOS, because Google ended software support last year.
Google increased their support window after the 5, so the 6 is still good for another couple years of security updates.
Are you running Graphene? I stopped using my 6 because Google stopped security patches. Fortunately the newer Pixels now have 5 years of updates.
No, the Pixel 6 still gets regular updates until October (so I’ll probably get Android 15) and security updates for another two years.
https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/4457705
Those ones get 5 years. Newer ones get 7.
Oops! I confused my old Nexus 6 with Pixel.
I went from a 7 to a 9 Pro and honestly the ultra sonic fp reader (thats new to the 9) is worth it alone imo.
I’m on a Pixel 8 Pro and I am sticking with that for now. I don’t think the iterative upgrades the 9 series offers justifies the price. And naturally, a lot of places are putting the 8 series on sale, so it’s an even better deal if you can find one. The 9 series internals are barely upgraded over the 8 series. And in typical Google fashion (if you end up sticking with the stock OS) many of the exclusive 9 series features will come to the 8 series eventually. The only real reason to get a 9 series phone is if you really like the hardware design. The increased ram on the 9 is mostly for the Gemini stuff they are pushing, and the rest of the general specs are almost the same as the 8. Yes of course it’s a new generation so the processor is “better” and whatnot, but not to a degree where in real world use, would you notice the difference between the 8 and the 9. Again, most of the internal improvements are targeting the AI stuff that all companies are pushing for.
TLDR: Save your money and get an 8. It’s mostly the same.
If you don’t mind using Meta services, you may have some luck with big discounts. I’ve seen BNIB Pixel 9’s for as low as $475 on Facebook Marketplace, though most of them are $500-$550. I’ve purchased my last two Pixels through Marketplace and haven’t encountered any issues.
That being said, I like my Pixel 8 Pro and the performance has been great, so I’m not sure the price difference for a brand new Pixel 9 direct from a retailer as opposed to a Pixel 8 is worth it unless you really like the squared off design of the 9.
The main difference between the two to me is that the 9 pro is no longer larger than the regular version. Instead there’s now a 9 pro XL. Now you can have the better camera without trying to fit a mini tablet in your pocket. If you’re staying with the non pro version, most of the recent pixel models are very similar.
