Deals: Here are the pre-order deals for the Google Pixel 9 series

By far the biggest launch this week was the arrival of the Google Pixel 9 series. The search giant unveiled two new flagships, a new near-flagship phone, and a new foldable, all of which are currently up for pre-order.

Starting with the Google Pixel 9, this takes over from the Pixel 8: a non-LTPO FHD+ display and no telephoto camera keep it from earning a “pro” moniker. However, this phone features the powerful new Tensor G4 chipset and a 48MP ultra-wide camera. Both the wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras are the same as those on the 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL.

Google has trade-in deals. Note that from what we’ve seen, storage doesn’t matter (for example, a 128GB and 256GB Pixel 8 trade in for the same price). A Pixel 8 in good condition is valued at $490, a Pixel 7 at $360. An iPhone 15 is worth $480, an iPhone 14 at $440. Samsung phone values ​​aren’t great, a Galaxy S23 is $320, even the S24 (which isn’t even a year old) is $400.

Something you may have noticed: There are no free storage upgrades. Instead, Google, Amazon, and Best Buy offer store credit or a gift card, and they all have the same value—for example, the Pixel 9 comes with a $100 credit/gift card.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro is exactly the same size as the Pixel 9, but it’s a true Pro phone with a higher-resolution LTPO display (1,280 x 2,856px) and a 48MP 5x telephoto camera. The Pros get one more upgrade: a 42MP selfie camera with an ultra-wide lens.

The Pixel 9 Pro isn’t quite the small flagship some might have hoped for: It’s bigger and heavier than the Galaxy S24 and iPhone 15 Pro. It’s also a bit bigger than the Pixel 8. However, you don’t get the 5x telephoto camera that Samsung or Apple phones do (just 3x, and with a lower-resolution sensor), nor do you get the ultra-wide or high-resolution selfie cameras. And it’s not like Samsung or Apple are fast charging, so Google doesn’t look bad by comparison. There are trade-in deals available for the above values.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is the successor to the 8 Pro (Google changed its naming scheme, which makes things confusing). This is a larger version of the 9 Pro with a 6.8-inch display (versus 6.3-inch) and a larger 5,060mAh battery (versus 4,700mAh). Another difference here is that wired charging goes up to 37W (versus 27W), which gets the battery to 70% in 30 minutes. It’s not VOOC charging, but we’ll take it.

Please note that all Google Pixel 9 phones will be supported for 7 years.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a significant improvement over Google’s first attempt at a foldable device. It folds down to just 10.5mm, compared to 12.1mm on the Galaxy Z Fold6 and 11.7mm on the OnePlus Open. However, it’s heavier than both of them, at 257g.

The OnePlus phone has an excuse: it’s a 2023 model. The Galaxy Z Fold6 is brand new, though, and we think Google has leapfrogged Samsung in the foldable device race.

In any case, note that while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold uses all-new internal and cover displays, it has more or less the same camera hardware as the original Pixel Fold. However, the original Fold launched with the older Tensor G2, so the new G4-powered model is significantly more powerful and also more efficient.

Google has launched a new 45W charger, which you’ll need to get the fastest charging speeds from the Pixel 9 Pro—the old 35W charger just isn’t enough. That said, if you have a USB-PD charger you’re happy with, you can skip this one.

The new Google Pixel Watch 3 comes in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm, while the Watch 2 was only available in a 41mm size. The 45mm option gets you a larger 1.4″ display (up from 1.2″) and a larger 420mAh battery. We’ve linked the Wi-Fi watches below, but you can get an LTE version for $100 more. If you go with the 4G version, Google will give you 2 years of free Google Fi data. Note that while text messaging is supported, calls from the watch are not (at least not on this free plan).

Finally, Google unveiled the new Pixel Buds Pro 2. This is the first time its custom Tensor chips have ventured into the TWS earbud form factor, but they promise huge improvements in noise cancellation (2x in the 400Hz-2kHz range). And ANC automatically adapts to your environment. The buds have no stems (ahem, Samsung, ahem) and promise long battery life (8 hours for the buds with ANC on, up to 30 hours with the case).