Google Pixel 9 vs Pixel 8

You might be in search of a compact flagship and also you land on Google’s gives. At round €900, the Google Pixel 9 is kind of pricy and you’ll simply discover that the Google Pixel 8 will get you quite a lot of its options at a far more affordable value of €500.

The brand new Pixel 9 brings an improved design, efficiency and digital camera high quality, however its focus is totally on AI options. The previous Pixel 8 nonetheless gives top-notch {hardware}, imaging abilities and clear software program, particularly on the all-time low value, so it’s not onerous to select it over the brand new mannequin.

How a lot better is the Google Pixel 9 to deserve its value premium then? Let’s look into it.

Desk of Contents:

For starters, you may examine the whole specs sheets or instantly proceed with our editor’s evaluation within the following textual content.

Dimension comparability

The brand new Google Pixel 9 seems so much totally different from the Pixel 8. Additionally it is barely bigger, as a result of greater show.

The Pixel 9 introduces an all-flat design, digital camera bar included – a departure from the properly curved Pixel 8. There are two Gorilla Glass Victus 2 panels and a flat aluminum body. The Pixel 9 is IP68-rated for mud and water resistance.

This implies the brand new mannequin has higher, arguably harder glass panels and a extra snug design. However the measurement enhance and the flat design will not be everybody’s cup of tea, particularly on the subject of a compact smartphone.

Design and measurement are all the time a private choice, so it’s as much as you to resolve which Pixel fits you higher. Regardless of which one you select, although, it will likely be one in every of a premium construct for certain.

Show comparability

The Pixel 9 encompasses a 6.3-inch OLED show with a FullHD decision and a 120Hz most refresh charge, in addition to 2,700nits of peak brightness (marketed). The Pixel 8 has a 6.2-inch OLED panel of comparable decision and refresh charge however with decrease marketed peak brightness – 2,000 nits. Each screens are HDR10 video licensed.

In our testing, the Pixel 9 supplied over 1,200nits of most brightness when adjusting it manually, and over 2,200 nits when utilizing the Adaptive Brightness choice. The Pixel 8 numbers have been barely decrease – 1,000 nits in handbook and 1,440 nits in Auto mode.

Clearly, the Pixel 9 has a brighter show, however we by no means had any points with the one on the Pixel 8 both, so even when the newer one is best, most individuals, if not all, shall be completely happy with the older mannequin, too.

Battery life

The Pixel 9 is provided with a 4,700mAh battery – a modest improve over the Pixel 8 (4,575mAh) and 8a (4,492mAh). The Galaxy S24, in the meantime, stands at 4,000mAh, whereas the iPhone 15’s battery is just rated for 3,349mAh.

In our testing, the Pixel 9 proved a worthy improve over the Pixel 8 within the endurance division, getting meaningfully higher leads to all 4 checks and practically two hours extra within the total Energetic Use Rating. In doing that, it is turn out to be one of many higher choices on the subject of battery life on this compact class.

Charging pace

The Pixel 9 helps charging as much as 27W when utilizing the brand new Google 45W adapter, although it ought to technically be capable of attain that with different good USB Energy Supply chargers with the proper volts and amperes combos of their specs. We did not have this new adapter at our disposal, so we examined with the 30W unit, in addition to Samsung’s 45W adapter that is specced surprisingly intently to the Google 45W one.

Google guarantees the Pixel 9 ought to be capable of get from 1% to 55% in half-hour with the brand new 45W adapter, and that is just about what we bought with the Samsung charger. Nevertheless, the Pixel 8 enjoys the identical charging charge with the OG Google’s 30W charger.

There may be even a minor distinction within the time to full cost in favor of the Pixel 8 because it has a smaller battery.

Each Pixels assist quick wi-fi charging up and Battery Share can be on the menu – you may cost different Qi-certified units off of each Pixels’ backs. The Pixel 9 covers newer requirements, because it seems, however the most wi-fi charging pace stays comparatively the identical.

Speaker check

Each the Pixel 9 and Pixel 8 characteristic a hybrid speaker setup. There is a backside speaker that outputs by a gap within the body, and a front-firing high speaker which can be the earpiece for voice calls.

The Pixel 9 earned a ‘Very Good’ score for loudness in our testing, similar because the Pixel 8. However whereas each supply comparable loudness, the Pixel 8 has higher audio high quality with higher vocals and total richer output.

Efficiency

The brand new Pixels run on the next-gen Google chipset – the Tensor G4. It comprises a brand new processor with eight cores, one lower than the G3’s – 1×3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3×2.6 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4×1.92 GHz Cortex-A520. All cores have been upgraded to their respective newest technology.

The GPU stays the identical as on the Tensor G3 (contained in the Pixel 8) – Mali-G715 MC7 – however it has a better clock at 940 МHz, up from 890 МHz.

The TPU for AI duties is unchanged since Tensor G3 – nonetheless in its third technology.

In all probability a very powerful replace right here is the RAM enhance – 12GB of LPDDR5X – which ought to work higher for multi-tasking and AI duties.

Lastly, there’s a new energy-efficient modem supplied by Samsung – Exynos 5400 – with Satellite tv for pc connectivity assist (in supported ).

Oddly, in our testing, the Pixel 9 scored decrease than the Pixel 8 throughout all benchmarks. We suspect our particular Pixel 9 unit is perhaps tuned in a different way as studies on-line differ from supply to supply, so verifying them objectively will not be attainable in the mean time. We aren’t posting benchmark comparisons in the mean time however Google guarantees improved efficiency with the brand new chipset.

Google guarantees many of the AI options on the Pixel 9 will finally make it to the Pixel 8 as properly. Nevertheless, solely the Pixel 9 is getting one yr of free entry to Gemini’s most superior subscription tier, which comes with sharper generative AI smarts.

Digicam comparability

The Pixel 9 inherits the Pixel 8’s digital camera system – it is bought a large major digital camera and an ultrawide on the again, then there’s selfie digital camera on the opposite aspect. That mentioned, the Pixel 9 mannequin does get a few upgrades – a brand new sensor for the ultrawide digital camera, and autofocus for the entrance digital camera.

Picture high quality

The Pixel 9’s primary digital camera saves wonderful photos with nice element, rendered in a pure approach with well-judged sharpening. There’s the standard excessive distinction you’d count on from Pixels, with a deal with spotlight preservation and considerably dark-ish shadows. Colours are very nice too, with out pushing the saturation slider to extremes.

The Pixel 8’s primary digital camera produces equally nice images and whereas the newer mannequin could also be a tad more adept with the sharpening, we’re actually nit-picking right here.

The 2x high-quality zoom is best on the Pixel 9, even when by a small margin. The element seems a bit extra pure, particularly one in every of excessive complexity, and the fuzzy areas are considerably much less apparent, although nonetheless there.

The largest improve comes with the ultrawide digital camera, which, because of the brand new sensor and lens, now saves extra detailed and natural-looking photos with much less noise.

Pixel 9: 0.6x • 1x • 2x

Pixel 8: 0.6x • 1x • 2x

The low-light images shot on each telephones are equally strong. The primary cameras, each in common and zoom modes, ship nice images with nearly no distinction. The ultrawide digital camera gives excellent high quality, too, although as a result of brighter aperture on the Pixel 9 – it saves barely brighter and images

Pixel 9: 0.6x • 1x • 2x

Pixel 8: 0.6x • 1x • 2x

And eventually, the selfie digital camera. The Pixel 9 has autofocus, which can assist it in sure conditions to ship sharper and total higher images. And you may see that distinction when capturing at shut distance – the Pixel 9 takes sharper images with extra facial element than the Pixel 8’s entrance digital camera, and the background seems a bit extra defocused. The distinction is small, however it’s there and it will likely be appreciated for individuals who shoot selfies all day and all evening.

Pixel 9 • Pixel 8

Video high quality

Each the Pixel 9 and Pixel 8 supply comparable video capturing capabilities, stabilization, decision and body charge included.

Oddly, the Pixel data softer footage than we might count on for the category – from each the principle and the ultrawide cameras. The Pixel 8 gives noticeably extra detailed and sharper movies from its primary digital camera, even in 2x zoom mode.

Pixel 9 4K30: 0.6x • 1x • 2x

Pixel 8 4K30: 0.6x • 1x • 2x

Verdict

The Pixel 9 and Pixel 8 are nice little telephones, and nobody shall be left wanting by choosing both of them – each have comparable screens, efficiency, cameras, and audio system.

The Pixel 9 is best on the subject of battery life, quicker AI duties and ultrawide picture high quality, and arguably – seems – however it comes at a value. The Pixel 9 launches at €899, whereas the Pixel 8 now prices about €500. And that may be a enormous distinction and the most important purpose why it’s best to get the Pixel 8 as an alternative of the Pixel 9.

However wait, there’s extra! The Pixel 8 turned out to seize higher movies and possibly proper now, it’s the higher system for efficiency and stability.

After all, if having the most recent and most beefed-up telephone is what you might be after, then the Pixel 9 is now accessible and no evaluation will cease you from shopping for it.