Google’s done some great work with its phones over the past few years, but it really managed to dial things in starting with the Pixel 9 series. And while the Pixel 10 lineup is going to be our top choice when it comes to Android phones to recommend, you can’t go wrong with the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro if you’re on a tighter budget.
The former has everything you’d want from a top-tier Android phone, and it manages to keep the price low. In fact, we’re now seeing it drop down to one of its lowest prices of the year, coming in at $499. That’s a $300 discount off its original retail price, which makes it a pretty good time to buy.
You can’t go wrong for the price
When it comes to the hardware, the Pixel 9 looks good and performs well too. It has a 6.3-inch AMOLED display and is powered by Google’s Tensor G4 chip that’s paired with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
The phone also has a dual camera setup on the rear, with a 50MP main camera and 48MP ultrawide. For the most part, it’s fairly reliable, and the software updates will just make it better and better. Google will offer seven years of support, so it will feel fresh for years to come.
The price makes it right
Although we loved this phone when it was first released, it became an even better buy at its current price of $499. Despite it getting a huge discount, you can feel confident that this phone will remain relevant, with software updates until 2031.
While we can’t guarantee that it will get every new Pixel feature in the future, Google will at least deliver the important core updates to keep the phone feeling modern. We don’t think you can go wrong here, because at this price, the Pixel 9 becomes a no-brainer.
- SoC
-
Google Tensor G4
- Display type
-
OLED, 120Hz
- Display dimensions
-
6.3″
The most affordable flagship device from Google is now even cheaper thanks to a special $300 discount. You can now grab one of our favorite phones for just $499.


