Pixel 9 vs Pixel 8

You’re on the lookout for a compact flagship and also you land on Google’s affords. At round €900, the Google Pixel 9 is kind of pricy and you’ll simply discover that the Google Pixel 8 will get you plenty of its options at a far more cheap worth 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 The outdated Pixel 8 nonetheless affords top-notch {hardware}, imaging abilities and clear software program, particularly on the all-time low worth, so it isn’t laborious to select it over the brand new mannequin.

How a lot better is the Google Pixel 9 to deserve its worth 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.

Measurement comparability

The brand new Google Pixel 9 appears to be like quite a bit totally different from the Pixel 8. It’s also 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 in relation to a compact smartphone.

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

Show comparability

The Pixel 9 includes 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 provided 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 had been barely decrease – 1,000 nits in guide 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 healthier, most individuals, if not all, shall be completely glad with the older mannequin, too.

Battery life

The Pixel 9 is supplied 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 barely 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 ends in all 4 exams and practically two hours extra within the general Lively Use Rating. In doing that, it is turn into one of many higher choices in relation to 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 fitting 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 carefully 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 acquired 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 take a look at

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

The Pixel 9 earned a ‘Very Good’ ranking for loudness in our testing, identical because the Pixel 8. However whereas each provide related loudness, the Pixel 8 has higher audio high quality with higher vocals and general richer output.

Efficiency

The brand new Pixels run on the next-gen Google chipset – the Tensor G4. It incorporates 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 era.

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

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

Most likely crucial 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 may be tuned otherwise as experiences on-line range from supply to supply, so verifying them objectively is just not potential 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 a lot of the AI options on the Pixel 9 will finally make it to the Pixel 8 as effectively. Nevertheless, solely the Pixel 9 is getting one 12 months 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 acquired a large major digital camera and an ultrawide on the again, then there may be 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 most important digital camera saves wonderful pictures with nice element, rendered in a pure means with well-judged sharpening. There’s the same old excessive distinction you’d anticipate from Pixels, with a give attention to spotlight preservation and considerably dark-ish shadows. Colours are very nice too, with out pushing the saturation slider to extremes.

The Pixel 8’s most important 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 healthier on the Pixel 9, even when by a small margin. The element appears to be like a bit extra pure, particularly one among excessive complexity, and the fuzzy areas are considerably much less apparent, although nonetheless there.

The most important improve comes with the ultrawide digital camera, which, because of the brand new sensor and lens, now saves extra detailed and natural-looking pictures 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 principle cameras, each in common and zoom modes, ship nice images with nearly no distinction. The ultrawide digital camera affords very good 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 is able to assist it in sure conditions to ship sharper and general higher images. And you’ll see that distinction when taking pictures at shut distance – the Pixel 9 takes sharper images with extra facial element than the Pixel 8’s entrance digital camera, and the background appears to be like a bit extra defocused. The distinction is small, however it’s there and it will likely be appreciated for many who shoot selfies all day and all night time.

Pixel 9 • Pixel 8

Video high quality

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

Oddly, the Pixel information softer footage than we would anticipate for the category – from each the primary and the ultrawide cameras. The Pixel 8 affords noticeably extra detailed and sharper movies from its most important 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 related screens, efficiency, cameras, and audio system.

The Pixel 9 is healthier in relation to battery life, sooner AI duties and ultrawide photograph high quality, and arguably – appears to be like – nevertheless it comes at a worth. The Pixel 9 launches at €899, whereas the Pixel 8 now prices about €500. And that may be a enormous distinction and the largest purpose why it’s best to get the Pixel 8 as a substitute of the Pixel 9.

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

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