As a Pixel 7 Pro owner, I should be champing at the bit to buy a new Pixel. But I’m not, and it’s because the Pixel 9 Pro XL hasn’t changed very much.
Another year, another Pixel. Well, in this case, four new Pixels — without including the Google Pixel 9a, which may arrive later this year. The Made by Google August event for 2024 introduced a mighty four new phones to the Pixel brand, the Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
All four have the usual upgrades you’d expect from a new model of any smartphone, but there’s a much more unwelcome surprise lurking beneath the shiny spec sheets: another price increase. The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL cost $100 more than the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro — which were already $100 more expensive than the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Yes, that means Google has increased its prices for two years running.
As a mindless follower of mobile tech, I should be furious about this. But instead, I’m a smug little bug. Why? Because it’s made me feel a lot better about my ill-fated Pixel 7 Pro purchase two years ago.My long journey with the Pixel 7 Pro
I’ll be honest; I wasn’t sure I’d made the right choice when I preordered my Google Pixel 7 Pro in October 2022. Shortly after I’d put my money down, it became clear that all was not well in Pixeltown. When our Pixel 7 Pro review came out just a week after the device was revealed, Joe Maring’s experience was worrying. Software bugs had threatened to derail his time with the phone and continued to plague him until he finally put it down.
