Last week was the big launch of the Pixel 9 series. Pre-orders have now ended for the vanilla Pixel 9 and the 9 Pro XL, and they are now on sale. The offer of a free storage upgrade is still available on Google’s online store and at Amazon. The smaller Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold are still on pre-order, launching early next month.
These are the two models available from 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. Starting off, a Samsung Galaxy S24 model. All three of these get 7 years of software support, just like the Pixels, and they come with a host of AI features, often driven by Google itself. Still, One UI does come with some advantages (e.g. DeX, Good Lock), and you can get more storage for less money. That said, the Galaxy S24 phones have less RAM compared to their Pixel counterparts, but that shouldn’t be a problem for AI. The S24 series is up to €170 cheaper right now.
Right now is a terrible time to buy a new iPhone: The iPhone 16 series is still a few weeks away, and once they arrive, prices on current models will plummet. We’ll revisit the Pixel vs. iPhone conundrum in a month or so.
Sony phones tend to be prohibitively expensive, but the Pixel 9 Pro XL isn’t exactly cheap either. The Xperia 1 VI combines a speedy Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with a unique camera that offers a smooth optical zoom range of 85mm to 170mm. The sensor is only 12MP, but there’s no prompting for digital zoom like on the Pixel. There’s also a microSD slot, so extra storage isn’t a problem. Audiophiles will also appreciate the 3.5mm headphone jack. The Mark 6 also achieved excellent scores for battery life. The only downside is that Sony has committed to just 3 OS updates, which is pretty poor 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 underwhelming as far as Android phones go, so we thought we’d mention it. Its Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 isn’t ideal, and its battery life isn’t quite as impressive as the Mark 5’s (though it should still last longer than the Pixel 9). Like its 1-series sibling, this phone has a microSD slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as the unfortunately brief period of software support (3 OS updates are easier to stomach when the 10 VI is three times cheaper than the 1 VI).
The Moto Edge 50 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, which is a bit slower than the Tensor G4, but still quite efficient. With its 4,500mAh battery, it gets nearly identical longevity to the Pixel 9 Pro XL with its 5,060mAh battery. And it charges much faster – 125W wired, 50W wireless. The 10MP 3x telephoto lens is no match for the XL model’s 48MP 5x periscope, but it’s better than what the vanilla Pixel 9 has (no telephoto at all), and this phone is significantly cheaper. Keep that in mind when we tell you that the software support situation isn’t great – Motorola promises 3 OS updates, but they won’t arrive as quickly as Google’s.
Is there much overlap between people who like the Pixel experience and Realme UI? Probably not. But for under €600, you can have a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 phone with a spacious 6.78-inch LTPO display and a decent camera – 50MP main camera (1/1.4″), 50MP 47mm portrait camera, and 8MP ultra-wide. The 5,500mAh battery offers very good stamina and charges super-fast at 120W – it takes less than half an hour (note: this offer includes a 120W adapter). This phone also promises 3 OS updates.
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