Is The Google Pixel 9 Still Worth Buying In 2026?

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If you're in the market for a new high-end phone but don't quite have the budget to shell out for the latest flagship, the older-generation flagships can often offer a pretty good value. After all, the generational improvements in traditional smartphones aren't as big as they used to be. Phones also don't become obsolete within a couple of years, as manufacturers are offering software updates for longer than ever. So, if you're someone who likes the Pixel series, does it make sense to spend hundreds of dollars on a nearly two-year-old Pixel 9, especially when we will see the launch of the Pixel 11 within months?

The Pixel 9 is undoubtedly a very capable smartphone, and at first glance, it seems powerful enough to take on pretty much anything you throw at it in 2026, with its Tensor G4 chip and 12 gigs of RAM. It also looks premium, with its glass sandwich design and an aluminum frame, and packs a reasonably-sized battery. However, there is one big caveat that you have to consider before you can head to a store or the checkout page in your browser. So, let's take a look at some of the reasons to buy or not buy the Pixel 9 in 2026.

As mentioned, there is a lot to like about the Pixel 9. It has a 6.3-inch OLED display with 1080p resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2,700 nits. While you may get brighter displays in some of its competitors, the Pixel 9 offers sufficient brightness to deliver good visibility under the sun. DXOMark agrees, ranking it at number two in its premium smartphone display rankings.

The Tensor G4 is certainly not the fastest mobile chip you can find on the market today, but it's a powerful processor that can handle most things without breaking a sweat. However, it's easily bettered by the likes of Qualcomm's 8 Elite Gen 5 and 8 Elite in terms of raw performance and gaming capabilities. That said, you'll be hard-pressed to find Qualcomm's latest-generation 8-series chips in the same price segment as the Pixel 9 in the U.S. The closest you're going to get is the OnePlus 13R, which packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and is only set to receive four major Android updates.

The camera setup is another highlight of the Pixel 9, since the phone takes excellent photos across lighting conditions. The lack of a telephoto shooter can be a concern for some, though. Lastly, like other recent Pixels, the Pixel 9 is set to receive Android OS updates for seven years, which means it will continue to receive updates till August 2031, giving it another solid five years. The rest of the phone's features are also largely in line with other high-end and flagship phones on the market. However, whether or not you should buy it in 2026 depends a lot on its pricing.

The single biggest thing you have to look for when considering the Pixel 9 is the price you are going to pay for it. As the Pixel 11 launch approaches, the Pixel 10, which is the immediate successor to the Pixel 9, is selling at a $200 discount, directly from Google. If you try third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, you can snag it for as low as $549 at the time of writing. In fact, the Pixel 10 has touched the $600 price tag several times, and $550 is increasingly becoming a common sight.

While the Pixel 10 isn't a massive upgrade over the Pixel 9, it does include a telephoto shooter, a more powerful Tensor G5 chip, and a slightly bigger battery with faster wired charging. More importantly, it supports Qi2 wireless charging, has built-in magnets for PixelSnap support, and will receive software updates for an extra year than the Pixel 9. All these benefits and enhancements do carry some value. So, unless you're getting the Pixel 9 at a significant discount over the Pixel 10, you are better off going with the latter. Then there is also the Pixel 10a, which is currently selling for around $450, has the same chip as the Pixel 9, the same rear camera system as the Pixel 10, except for the telephoto shooter, and a bigger battery than both. That said, it only has 8 GB of RAM and a plastic back.

Unfortunately, the best price we could find for the Pixel 9 at any major online retailer is $489 at the time of writing, and that's not a good price for this phone in 2026. You should give serious thought to the Pixel 10a or Pixel 10, depending on your final budget.