Need a Google Pixel Phone? Read This Guide to Choose the Right One for Your Needs.
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Since their introduction in 2016, Google Pixel smartphones have rightfully been constant contenders for the best in the Android realm. That's hardly a surprise, as every iteration of the Pixel family has been designed and developed by the maker of its platform.
Today, in 2024, Google's smartphone lineup includes the affordable Pixel 7a, the latest Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and the range-topping Pixel Fold. To help you decode the lineup, our Google Pixel reviews are on every phone that debuted over the past year. I also took a trip down memory lane to revisit older Pixel iterations dating back to the original from almost a decade ago.
The Best Google Pixel Phones
Best Overall: Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro
Best Budget: Google Pixel 7a
Best Foldable: Google Pixel Fold
What to Consider
By providing a clutter-firee — as in, no additional hardware manufacturer and carrier embellishments — platform experience and hardware that's tailor-made for it, the Google Pixel presents a strong Android alternative to the iPhone and the synergy between its hardware and Apple iOS. Having a product ecosystem that includes the Google Pixel Tablet and Pixel Watch, before factoring in the Google Chromebook integration, is also worth highlighting. There are several important things to consider before making a choice in today's lineup.
Choosing the Most Future-Proof Pixel
Every new Pixel offers a perfect synergy between hardware and software, along with years-long support for platform and security updates. That said, you should know that the latest iterations — the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro — are the most advanced in terms of hardware, user experiences, and our Google Pixel reviews. These phones will treat you or a giftee to the most powerful chip, best camera, and most advanced AI features.
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will also get timely Android updates through 2030, meaning that if you hand one down to a family member or a friend, they'll enjoy an up-to-date experience for years. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro and the Pixel Fold will receive Android and security updates until mid-2026 and 2028, respectively. That's still an excellent timeline that guarantees a great experience through a lengthy upgrade cycle.
Camera
Regardless of its price tag, every Google Pixel packs the best camera setup for the money. I highly recommend spending extra on a Pro model if you or your recipient are into mobile photography. The Pro's triple camera has a dedicated telephoto snapper that makes it more versatile and ideal for capturing wildlife and live sports, among countless other scenes.
The costly Pixel Fold has a triple camera with a zoom lens, too. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 7a are equipped with high-resolution primary sensors and can zoom in digitally. However, nothing beats having an onboard zoom lens.
How We Tested
I spent months with every Google Pixel on this list as my primary Android phone. My mixed-use pattern included fielding work emails and Slack messages, keeping in touch with family via WhatsApp and Google Messages, browsing the web using Chrome, navigating social media, streaming music from Tidal, and squeezing in 20-30 minutes of gameplay every other day. This is a fairly common usage pattern that allowed me to get a sense of how every phone I tested will resonate with the end user, be it yourself or a giftee.
I monitored evedevice'se's speed, multitasking capabilities, and mixed-use battery life. I have also reviewed every Pixel iteration in depth, so a more thorough verdict is available alongside every suggestion.
After reading all of the above, you'll be able to use my Google Pixel reviews to easily find the best phone for yourself or someone dear among today's latest ones below.
Pixel 8 Android Smartphones
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are Google’s most advanced phones to date. The phones deliver a host of easy-to-access, AI-powered features that combine to deliver the most advanced Android experience. These include enhanced Google search, image-editing tools powered by generative AI, and efficient screening tech to help reduce spam calls, to name a few novelties.
Of course, the latest Pixels also have a sleek and instantly recognizable design (with the same camera bar as on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 ranges), a durable build, and top-tier hardware specs. Every Pixel 8 iteration packs a capable chip, a vibrant OLED display with a high refresh rate, a multi-sensor camera setup that’s a best-in-class contender, and a big battery with support for fast wired and wireless charging, as well as reverse wireless charging.
The Pixel 8 Pro is my pick in the range for its bigger screen, more premium build with a matte glass back cover, and triple rear camera with a dedicated telephoto lens. I constantly relied on the latter to photograph Central Park wildlife with impressive results. The pricier Pixel is also the first Google phone with an onboard temperature sensor. The new bit is FDA-cleared, so it can even measure body temperature.
On the other hand, the Pixel 8 deserves your attention because it is cheaper, considerably more compact, and therefore easier to operate with one hand. The Pixel 8 has less RAM than the Pro, though I haven’t felt it needs more after my months of testing. Google offers the Pixel 8 with up to 256 GB of storage, while the Pro is available with up to 512 GB of memory.
Pixel 8 Android Smartphones
amazon.com
$499.00
Stefan VazharovPixel 7a Android Smartphone
The Pixel 7a is the Google phone to get if you’re looking to keep your upgrade or gift budget below $500. The reasonably priced phone has the same instantly recognizable design as the pricier member of the Pixel range, a dual camera that’s among the best in its price range, stellar everyday performance, and long battery life. Like the Google Pixel 6a it replaces, the sequel is compact by today’s Android smartphone standards.
I didn’t have any difficulty replying to texts and emails on the go while holding the phone with one hand. Big-screen Android phones are more unwieldy in comparison, consistently requiring me to pause walking to compose lengthier responses. On-screen Android keyboards usually have a one-handed mode, but the feature can’t beat holding a compact device because you don't have to handle a larger rectangular slab.
In addition to rocking a more capable Tensor G2 chip, the Pixel 7a has a fancier screen and more RAM than its predecessor. A 90-Hz refresh rate made scrolling through emails and gaming on the newcomer more fun. On the other hand, having 8 GB of RAM ensures the Pixel 7a is a more proficient multitasker than the Pixel 6a with 6 GB of memory.
Like every Google phone, the Pixel 7a is easy to customize and protect via a large selection of cases. If you want a bigger screen or a more capable camera on the cheap, consider the Google Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro. Those 2022 Pixels are still available, and because the Pixel 8 family is out, their prices hover around $500.
Pixel 7a Android Smartphone
amazon.com
$374.00
Stefan VazharovPixel Fold Android Smartphone
As its name suggests, the Pixel Fold is Google's first Android with a foldable screen. In addition to looking striking in metal, its deployable big screen allows it to replace both a smartphone and a tablet without losing its pocketability. Such versatility makes a serious case for spending big on the Pixel Fold, so long as its hefty price fits your budget. If it doesn't, you should know that a Pixel 8 and a Pixel Tablet bundle will cost less than the Fold.
When unfolded, the Pixel Fold's 7.6-inch interior display is perfect for multitasking, streaming video, and gaming, especially with a wireless controller. I like that the bigger display comes with a pre-installed screen protector. And because its screen folds flat when not in use, the Pixel is surprisingly easy to pocket or fit in a small purse.
The device's 5.8-inch exterior display is ideal for use on the move and any other scenario that doesn't require a big screen. It's comfy to type on and scroll through web pages, social media feeds, and emails, among many other tasks.
The versatile triple camera is the main reason I'd recommend the Pixel Fold over any similarly shaped rival, even though the phone has been on the shelves longer than its competitors made by Samsung and OnePlus. The Pixel has superior optical zoom capabilities and, like every Google phone, an edge in computational photography and image processing.
You can order the Pixel Fold with 256 or 512 GB of storage. Every phone comes with 12 GB of RAM, ensuring effortless multitasking.
Pixel Fold Android Smartphone
amazon.com
$1299.00
Stefan VazharovA Brief History of the Google Pixel
Curiously, the first Google Pixel isn't a smartphone but an ultra-premium Chromebook. The tech giant introduced the now-legendary moniker by launching the Chromebook Pixel in 2013. Featuring a stunning all-metal design with a colorful light strip integrated into its lid, high-end hardware specs, and a hefty price, the Chromebook Pixel made its rivals within the same platform look cheaper and more generic.
In 2015, the tech giant then introduced the Pixel C Android tablet, which had a similar all-metal build as the Chromebook to go with a matching keyboard cover. At the time, the slate was the best with Android on board, besting its rivals in design, craftsmanship, and performance, like the Chromebook Pixel.
A year later, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones arrived with a sleek unibody design, top-shelf hardware, and performance to match. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL took things up a notch by introducing an official rating for water and dust resistance alongside a host of hardware and performance upgrades the following year.
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL brought more welcome improvements in late 2018, while the budget-friendly Pixel 3a and 3a XL — the first to rock the "a" moniker hit the shelves in mid-2019. The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL arrived at the end of 2019 with dual rear cameras and display panels with higher refresh rates than their predecessors.2021 was a pivotal year for the Google Pixel lineup.
Following the compact Pixel 5 with mid-range specs that arrived in 2020, Google gave its smartphone lineup a thorough design and hardware revamp with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro in 2021. The phones introduced a distinctive design with a camera bar running across the back panel and proprietary Google chips, both of which became defining features of all Google Pixels that came after.
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