The Google Pixel 10 may have just been unveiled, ahead of its August 28 launch, but is it the only option for potential Pixel hopefuls? After all, the Google Pixel 9 is only a year old, and typically older models enjoy some generous discounts once they hit that milestone.
Then again some phones simply disappear from store shelves, as focus is shifted to the new model. So which fate has befallen the Google Pixel 9? Can you still buy last year’s Google phone, and how much is it going to cost you compared to the Pixel 10?
The good news is that the Pixel 9 is still available to purchase, as are the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. The bad news is that the prices haven’t actually changed — they essentially cost the same as their Pixel 10 counterparts.
Pixel 9 at Google Store
If anyone was going to discount the Pixel 9 series, you’d think Google would be it. But checking the Google Store and there don’t seem to be any discounts on Pixel 9 series devices as of this writing. That means the Pixel 9 is going to set you back at least $799, which is the exact same price as the Pixel 10.
Admittedly, the Pixel 9 is available right away and there seems to be plenty of stock available in all colors and storage options. The Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL aren’t quite as readily available, but as long as you’re not picky about the color you get then all the different storage options are available.
The Pixel 9 Pro still costs $999, the same as the Pixel 10 Pro, though the Pixel 9 Pro XL is $100 cheaper than its successor at $1,099. That lower price is due to the fact Google still sells the 9 Pro XL with 128GB of storage, which isn’t the case for the Pixel 10 Pro XL and its 256GB base storage.
Pixel 9 at Amazon
Being the retail behemoth that it is, Amazon has a lot of different Pixel 9 options from a variety of sellers in various levels of condition — and it’s not always obvious from the search menu whether you’re looking at a new or refurbished model. For the sake of simplicity, I’m going to focus on devices that are brand new and unlocked.
Anyone hoping to pick up a Pixel 9 can get a $50 discount on the original $799 price tag — but only if they buy that phone in wintergreen. The black model has had no discount, and white is more expensive for some reason. Considering we’ve seen this phone drop as low as $499 in the past few weeks, I wouldn’t recommend this deal at all.
The Pixel 9 Pro is a little bit better off, with a $909 price tag for the black model — the other options are apparently sold out. Again, though, that’s not an amazing deal. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is much better value, with the black model dropping to $929, but that’s still almost $150 more than the lowest ever price.
Google Pixel 9 at Best Buy
The good news is that the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are both available to purchase at Best Buy. The bad news is that they’re both listed at full price, and you can only get the Pro in black. Pixel 9 buyers have a little more choice, since the wintergreen option is also available.
Fortunately the Pixel 9 Pro XL is both in stock and discounted to $989 — which actually makes it slightly cheaper than the smaller Pixel 9 Pro. But it’s still a lot higher than this phone’s all-time low.
Pixel 9 at Walmart
Walmart is very much like Amazon, in that you’re potentially buying from multiple sellers rather than Walmart itself. So there are a lot of used or refurbished Pixel 9 models listed for sale, which muddies things up slightly.
Sadly new and unlocked models appear to be out of stock across the entire Pixel 9 lineup. That means no Pixel 9, no Pixel 9 Pro and no Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Pixel 9 at AT&T
The Pixel 9 Pro XL is available at AT&T, though it appears the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are unavailable. The former is out of stock, while the latter is apparently just not visible on the carrier’s website.
However those of you hunting for the XL have some caveats to contend with. The first being that AT&T is only stocking the 256GB model, and it costs the same amount as the Pixel 10 Pro XL. To make the Pixel 9 Pro XL even less appealing, the 10 Pro XL has a pre-order bonus that nets you the handset for free with any eligible trade-in.
That same deal isn’t on offer for the 9 Pro XL — meaning you’ll have to pay the full $1,249 price out of pocket.
Pixel 9 at T-Mobile
All 3 non-folding Pixel 9 devices appear to be out of stock at T-Mobile, not that it would have mattered. The three phones are all listed with the same price tags as their Pixel 10 counterparts — which is full retail.
Pixel 9 at Verizon
The only Pixel 9 option available at Verizon is a 128GB Pixel 9 Pro for $999 — and like the Ford Model T, it’s only available in black.
Both the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL are listed as out of stock, with no colors or storage options available to order.
Should you buy the Pixel 9 right now?
The question you may have right now is whether it’s actually worth buying a Pixel 9, or Pixel 9 Pro, right now. Honestly, I would recommend against it for the time being. While stock levels do seem to be declining, being patient is far more likely to pay off.
Pixel 9s have been on sale a lot over the past 12 months, and those discounts were pushed to their extreme in the run-up to the Pixel 10 launch event. The Pixel 9 dropped below the cost of a full-price Pixel 9a, and in comparison the full $799 retail price seems like a complete rip-off. The same goes for the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL, which have dropped their prices by several hundred dollars in the recent past.
My gut would tell me that, faced with the prospect of paying the same price for a Pixel 9 and Pixel 10, you’re better off picking the newer phone. But we are at that weird point between the Pixel 10 announcement and its actual release, which means we don’t really have a complete picture of how the new phone will perform until we do a full review.
Plus, odds are we’ll see retailers slashing prices to try and clear stock once the Pixel 10 is actually released on August 28. At which point you can better decide whether you want to pay out for the latest model, or save some money with last year’s (admittedly very good) tech.