Last week was the big Pixel 9 series launch. Pre-orders have now ended for the vanilla Pixel 9 and the 9 Pro XL and they are now available for sale. The offer of a free storage upgrade is still available from Google’s online store and from Amazon. The small Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold are still on pre-order, their launch is early next month.
Here are the two models that are available as of this week, the Google Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
This week we wanted to focus on what you can get instead of a Pixel 9. For starters, a Samsung Galaxy S24 model. These three will get 7 years of software support, just like the Pixels, and they have a host of AI features that are often powered by Google itself. Still, One UI offers some advantages (e.g. DeX, Good Lock) and you can have more storage for less money. That said, the Galaxy S24 phones are short on RAM compared to their Pixel counterparts, but that shouldn’t be an issue for AI. The S24 series is up to €170 off at the moment.
Right now is a terrible time to buy a new iPhone – the iPhone 16 series is a few weeks away and once they arrive, prices of current models will drop. We will revisit the Pixel vs. iPhone issue in about a month.
Sony phones are usually prohibitively expensive, but the Pixel 9 Pro XL isn’t exactly cheap either. The Xperia 1 VI combines a fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with a unique camera that has smooth optical zoom in the 85mm to 170mm range. The sensor is only 12MP, but it’s not being asked to do digital zoom like on the Pixel. Also, there’s a microSD slot, so extra storage isn’t an issue. Audiophiles might appreciate the 3.5mm headphone jack too. Also, the Mark 6 posted stellar battery life scores. Its only downside is that Sony has committed to just 3 OS updates, which is pretty bad for a phone this expensive.
It’s certainly no flagship, not even as high end as the vanilla Pixel 9, but the Sony Xperia 10 VI is pretty small as far as Android phones go, so we thought that we should mention it. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 is less than ideal and the battery life isn’t as impressive as it was on the Mark 5 (it should still outlast the Pixel 9, though). Like its 1-series sibling, this phone has a microSD slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as the unfortunately short software support window (3 OS updates is easier to swallow when the 10 VI is three times cheaper than the 1 VI).
The Moto Edge 50 Pro is based on the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, which is a bit slower than the Tensor G4, but it is quite efficient. With the 4,500mAh battery, it gets almost the same endurance as the Pixel 9 Pro XL with its 5,060mAh battery. And this one charges much faster – 125W wired and 50W wirelessly. The 10MP 3x telephoto lens is no match for the 48MP 5x periscope of the XL model, but it’s better than what the vanilla Pixel 9 has (no tele at all) and this phone is considerably cheaper. Take that into account when we tell you that the software support situation isn’t as good – Motorola is promising 3 OS updates, but they won’t be as quick to arrive as Google’s.
Is there a lot of overlap between people who like the Pixel experience and Realme UI? Probably not. But for less than €600 you can have a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 phone with a roomy 6.78” LTPO display and a decent enough camera – 50MP main (1/1.4”), 50MP 47mm portrait camera and 8MP ultra wide. The 5,500mAh battery provides very good endurance and is super quick to charge at 120W – it needs less than half an hour (note that this offer includes a 120W adapter). This phone is also promised 3 OS updates.
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