Fall has arrived, and the year is inching closer to its end. We now have all of the major phone releases out for 2024, with powerful phones from Google, Apple, Samsung, and more.
If you’re in the market for a new phone right now, you may be eyeing the Google Pixel 9. It’s a pretty great phone, but there are some other fantastic alternatives to consider as well. Let’s take a look at five other options to think about before you go out and buy a Pixel 9.
Google Pixel 9 Pro
One issue Google had with the Pixel series before was that if you wanted a more powerful Pro device, you’d have to go for the larger size. But not this year! Google corrected this problem by having the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
If you are considering the Pixel 9 because of its smaller 6.3-inch size, you may also want to give the Pixel 9 Pro a look, as it’s the same size as the regular Pixel 9. Plus, Google also has a pink variation (Rose Quartz), though it’s not as bold a pink as the Peony Pixel 9.
The Pixel 9 Pro is the better overall phone, though. It has 16GB RAM instead of the 12GB in the base Pixel 9, and it also has the Tensor G4 chip. So you have a bit more processing power for all of the Google Gemini features, and you also get one year of Gemini Advanced for free with the Pixel 9 Pro compared to one month free with the Pixel 9. You also have more storage options with the Pixel 9 Pro (512GB and 1TB) versus only up to 256GB with the base model. The screen on the Pixel 9 Pro can also reach higher nits of brightness (3,000 vs. 2,700).
Another advantage of the Pixel 9 Pro is the triple-lens camera system. While both phones have a 50-megapixel primary camera and a 48MP ultrawide lens, the Pixel 9 Pro also has an impressive 48MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom capabilities. If you have encountered situations where you need to get close to a subject without disturbing it, then the telephoto camera is a must-have. The selfie camera on the Pixel 9 Pro is also better at 42MP with a 103-degree field-of-view (FOV) instead of the unchanged 10.5MP and 95-degree FOV of the Pixel 9.
The regular Pixel 9 is a very solid phone, but if you want a nicer display, a telephoto camera, and more horsepower, the Pixel 9 Pro is the way to go.
iPhone 16
If you don’t mind jumping ship to iOS, Apple’s latest iPhone 16 is finally here — and boy, it has one of the best color lineups Apple has done in years. Honestly, if you want a pink phone, then the pink iPhone 16 could even be better than the Peony Pixel 9. The Teal and Ultramarine colors are also beautiful.
This is also one of Apple’s most impressive base model iPhones yet. The dual camera module has been redesigned in a vertical layout, and you have a 48MP primary camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera with autofocus.
Apple added the new Camera Control, which makes the iPhone 16 feel more like an actual camera than a phone with a camera. This button can be pressed to launch the camera app and take a photo or video, and you can also use slide gestures to adjust various settings.
The new A18 chip inside the iPhone 16 is also quite powerful. It’s 30% faster than the iPhone 15 and allows it to run Apple Intelligence features that are coming in iOS 18.1. This chip also gives it enough power for the latest generation of Photographic Styles and is more efficient with battery life.
Just know that the iPhone 16 still uses a 60Hz refresh rate display, which is absolutely bonkers in 2024. But for most people, this may not be a big deal, and it won’t affect the overall usability of the phone itself. And again, you’ll have to be OK with using iOS instead of Android too.
Samsung Galaxy S24
Another great small option is the Samsung Galaxy S24. The Galaxy S24 is small, compact, and lightweight. Even though it’s the base model of the S24 family, it has a premium design that is lovely to hold and use thanks to the flat edges. It also comes in some unique colors, like Sandstone Orange.
Samsung gave the base model Galaxy S24 a triple-lens camera system, which is more versatile than the Pixel 9’s dual-lens setup. The Galaxy S24 has a 50MP main camera, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Though the selfie camera is just 12MP, it’s still marginally better than the Pixel 9’s 10.5MP.
Though the Google Tensor G4 is an improvement over previous Tensor series chips, the Galaxy S24 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, which is a much more powerful chip. You also get access to Samsung’s Galaxy AI tools, which are similar to Google’s Gemini features.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is also more power efficient than the Tensor G4, so the Galaxy S24’s battery life is a bit better than that of the Pixel 9, though the charging speeds are about the same. Further, the S24 works seamlessly with Samsung wearables like the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Ring.
OnePlus 12
For a similar price as the Google Pixel 9, you could also look at the OnePlus 12.
The OnePlus 12 has a gorgeous 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a high pixel density of 510 pixels per inch, a 120Hz refresh rate, and can even reach brightness levels of 4,500 nits. That’s more than pretty much every other flagship smartphone this year. It’s fantastic, but you do have to consider this is not a small phone — the 6.8-inch screen is rather large and curved, so that will take some adjustment if you’ve never used curved glass displays before.
You also get an incredibly powerful triple-lens camera system powered by Hasselblad. It has a 50MP main camera, a 64MP periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a 48MP ultrawide lens. The selfie camera is 32MP. Even in numbers, the OnePlus 12 easily beats the Pixel 9. And the Hasselblad color tuning is the icing on the cake.
For battery life, the OnePlus 12 has a massive 5,400mAh battery inside, which is also bigger than most of its competitors. And if you want fast charging, the OnePlus 12 has that, too, with 80W wired charging speeds in the U.S. (100W globally) and 50W wireless charging. Every other phone charges up slowly compared to the OnePlus 12, and its massive battery can easily last around two full days. So long as you can deal with a larger phone, there’s a lot to like about the OnePlus 12.
Google Pixel 8a
If you’re considering the Pixel 9 just because you want a Pixel phone and it’s the cheapest of the Pixel 9 lineup, you could also check the Google Pixel 8a.
The Pixel 8a was released a few months ago in the middle of the Pixel 8 life cycle. If you don’t mind not having the new Pixel 9 design, then the Pixel 8a is still a fantastic affordable Pixel.
It’s powered with the Tensor G3 chip, which is last generation’s processor. So it won’t be the latest and greatest, but it’s still pretty good for everyday use. The Pixel 8a is also capable of some Gemini AI features, though not as much as the Pixel 9. You will get things like Magic Eraser and Magic Editor, though, which I’d imagine are likely most used AI features, aside from Circle to Search (which is also here).
The cameras on the Pixel 8a are certainly capable of pulling their own weight too. You have a 64MP main camera, a 13MP ultrawide lens, and a 13MP fixed-focus selfie camera. It’s nothing too spectacular, but Pixels are known for taking great photos without much fuss, and this includes the Pixel 8a.
Plus, the Aloe Pixel 8a is simply a gorgeous color that we didn’t quite get with the Wintergreen Pixel 9. The Pixel 8a gives you a fantastic Pixel smartphone experience for considerably less than the Pixel 9, and for some people, it’ll be a much better buy.
