Why you (probably) shouldn’t buy the Google Pixel 9

 
As you can see, if we include the Pixel 8a in the mix, the current generation of Pixel phones already seems bloated and unnecessarily convoluted. The Pixel 8 became irrelevant the minute Google unveiled the Pixel 8a. It has the same chipset, the same RAM and storage, similar camera system, and a very similar screen too. The $200 price bump is not justified.

Now take a look at the upcoming Pixel 9 series.

 *-specs based on leaks and rumors

Of course, there's still some time left until the official unveiling of the next-gen Pixels, but thanks to the endless leaks and rumors, which seem to be the new reality of smartphone launches, we know almost everything about the Pixel 9 series. 

And the differences between the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro are even smaller. The size is now similar, so there's no reason to go for the Pixel 9 over the Pixel 9 Pro if you want a compact flagship and if size was a constraint before.

If we count in the Pixel 9 Fold, we will get four Pixel models this August, and if we add the Pixel 9a to the mix six months later, which I admit is a bit of a stretch, the portfolio grows to five models. But even if we look at the four models to be launched in a month or so, things aren't looking particularly good. Why buy a phone that will become obsolete in six months?

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Why you shouldn't buy the vanilla Pixel 9 specifically

So, looking at the table above, it's clear to see that Google will be adding a big (and potentially more expensive) Pixel XL model to the mix, demoting the Pixel 9 Pro to the same size as the regular Pixel 9. This reminds me of the iPhone, iPhone Pro, and iPhone Pro Max strategy, size-wise and price-wise.

The differences between the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro, however, are now even smaller than with the previous generation. The Pixel 8a made the regular Pixel 8 irrelevant, but it seems that the vanilla Pixel 9 will launch like that from the get-go.

The powerful compact flagship will be the Pixel 9 Pro, and the ultra-premium model will be the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Meanwhile, the Pixel 9a will take on the role of an affordable flagship, sporting the same silicon, cameras, and software features as the regular Pixel 9 when it launches in six months or so.

So can we justify the 6-month shelf life of the Pixel 9? Probably not.

What should you do?

It's easy. If you like compact phones with flagship features, get the Pixel 9 Pro. If you like big-screen phones, buy the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and if you like affordable flagships, wait a couple of months more and buy the Pixel 9a. But I see no reason to burn your money on the vanilla Pixel 9.

And, of course, if you like to fold your phone in half, you can get the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, even though I personally think that these folding devices are still inferior to their more rigid counterparts and also too expensive to be mainstream.

Things are so uniform these days when it comes to hardware, and differences between models boil down to one additional camera and a slightly larger screen/battery. And in order to boost sales, companies add more and more superficial models, so people would have this illusion of choice and the chance to find something they would eventually buy.

Let me finish with a scary story about Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Do you know why there are often two or more vending machines next to each other, and from competing brands? Marketing and psychology research showed that when people have a choice of two or more, their choice shifts from "should I buy a can or not" to "which one should I buy."