4 old Google Pixel phones still worth buying in 2026, and the ones you should skip

If, like me, you’re a Pixel fan looking to buy a new phone in 2026, you might think you’re out of luck. This year is shaping up to be a tough one for new phones. The RAM shortage is starting to drive up prices across the board, and companies are choosing to skip some upgrades to reduce it. There has even been talk of a possible cutback for cheaper phones. However, the good news is that there are still plenty of interesting Pixel phones from last year or years worth investing in that won’t break the bank or suffer the consequences of this price hike.

Aside from saving a little money on an old Pixel versus a new one, there are plenty of reasons why older Pixel phones are still as attractive and desirable as new ones.

For starters, a long seven-year upgrade period means that any two- or three-year-old Pixel still has a good few years left to live. Google is also one of the best companies to introduce new features to its old phones. You might not get the latest and hottest feature right away as a Pixel 10 Pro owner, but you’ll definitely get it in the next Pixel Drop or the next. For example, March’s Pixel Drop recently expanded notification summaries and scam detection to Pixel 9 owners, while bringing several additions and features to the Pixel 10’s AI-exclusive Journal app. The Pixel 9 also recently got AirDrop-Quick Share support, making it one of the few phones that can share directly to an iPhone, iPad or Mac. If you’re an Android enthusiast, you can also try the Android 17 beta to see what Google has in store for the platform. It’s a good thing that some products allow it.

And for all the talk about longevity and hardware issues, I think Pixels are pretty solid these days. My Pixel 2 XL still works, and so does my Pixel 5. Plus, I just switched my whole family over to older Pixels – my mom got my Pixel 7a, my dad a 7 Pro, and my aunt a 6 Pro. I’m not saying go back recently, but I put my money where my mouth was with this advice, I did it for my family, now you know it’s a serious recommendation.

Finally, the Pixels are doing this job a few years down the line. They were never meant to be the fastest or most efficient phones, but they have better-than-average cameras, no bloat to speak of, and smooth operation. Even a year or two down the line, they keep these. However, my only concern with the old Pixel is the battery life. Try to get a new model, not a refurbished one, so you can have the benefit of a full battery.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL is a great phone to buy if you’re looking at an older Pixel phone. It carries almost all the features of the new Pixel 10 Pro XL without the prohibitive price. Right now, you can get it for $699 on Amazon — basically the price of the new Pixel 10.

Apart from the questionable long-term use of 100x Pro Res Zoom 256GB basic storage, and built-in Qi2 magnets, there is not much you will lose compared to the latest version. You still get a large and very bright 6.8-inch LTPO display, 16 GB of RAM, a 37W wireless charger, a 5,060 mAh battery, and the same camera setup with an excellent large lens, an excellent wide-angle lens, and a powerful 5x telephoto. The difference between the processors of the two Tensor G4 and G5 phones is not surprising enough to scream “ugly old phone!”

You can copy and paste everything I said about the Pixel 9 Pro above here. The display is small, and so is the battery. Charging is also a bit slow. But some features are the same, and the difference between the old Pixel 9 Pro and the new Pixel 10 Pro remains the same.

What’s different is how good you can get the Pixel 9 Pro. The best I can find right now is $699 on Amazon, which is the same price as the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL. That doesn’t seem like a good price, and of course, I’ve seen it drop to $649 and $599 before. So, if you really want a smaller version of the Pixel 9 Pro, I suggest you wait for another similar price drop. Otherwise, perhaps going for the larger XL would be a smarter choice, considering you’re getting a bigger screen, faster charging, and a bigger battery for the same $699 price.

If there’s one older Pixel phone that still makes sense to buy today compared to its successor, it’s the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Google’s 2024 foldable looks, feels, and behaves the same as its 2025, to the point where it’s hard to tell the two apart just by looking at them. And if you were to put the experience of owning and using a foldable on a scale, both devices will provide it equally. You’ll be blown away by the big screen, great camera, and all the great new Android features that make use of the screen. Plus, the folding process is super fun!

Today, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is down to $1,199 on Amazon, although the price has been seen dropping below $1,099. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold, even with a discount, has never dropped below $1,399 and is now up, at $1,499. Is there enough to justify paying $300 more? Of course not. Don’t look for a new model, especially when there is such a big price difference.

And I say this as someone who uses the Pixel 10 Pro Fold as a second device and appreciates its new, sleek hinge, IP68 rating, and built-in Qi2 chargers. But there is no hinge smoothness that is about $300 more. Save your money, get an old Fold, and upgrade to another model in a few years.

Another testament to the “skip the new, go with the old” argument is the Pixel 9a. Even though the Pixel 10a just launched and is a great phone for $499, there’s no reason to hold onto it if you can get the 9a at a discounted price. That’s because Google this year skipped a lot of updates between the two phones. The 10a still has the same Tensor G4 processor as the 9a, along with the same camera setup and battery. It’s almost the same line, save for the flat back. And look, if you want to spend $100 or more to avoid camera blur and keep your phone flat on the table, that’s your prerogative. But most people will want to save those dollars and find the Pixel 9a a little tougher.

Now’s not the right time to do it, though, as the Pixel 9a is down to just $449 on Amazon. But when it drops to $399 or even $349 like we’ve seen in the past, it becomes a complete steal of a deal. Yes, get the Pixel 9a, but wait for it to be cheaper. In fact, you won’t miss anything from the Pixel 10a except for slightly faster charging and a much brighter display – that is, not much.

The older Pixel I wouldn’t recommend buying today is the regular Pixel 9. It’s still a great phone overall, but I think the upgrade from a dual-lens system to a triple-lens telephoto setup on the Pixel 10 makes it a great buy. Everyone wants a zoom camera; people don’t realize it until they have it. And the 10.8MP 5x primary telephoto like the one on the Pixel 10 is a great help for taking photos of pets, kids, portraits, sports, concerts, events, as well as landscape and street photography. Unless you know with absolute certainty that you won’t be using the telephoto camera, you shouldn’t get the Pixel 9.

This is especially true since these two phones have a small price difference – $499 for the Pixel 9 today against $599 for the Pixel 10. $100 is not enough money to lose a telephoto camera over everything else (built-in Qi2, bright display, bigger battery, new G5 processor). If you have your eyes on the Pixel 9 already, I would advise you to spend an extra hundred and get the Pixel 10. You will not regret it.

Unless you can get a really good deal on a new or lightly used phone, I don’t think it’s worth buying the Pixel 8 series or earlier today, in 2026. The reality of Google’s battery shenanigans is very hard to dismiss, and even though the affected phones were on the A-list, all Pixels now use Battery Health Optimization beyond a certain number of batteries after it improves battery speed. of charging cycles, and you don’t want to be caught with a phone that goes over that.

On top of this, these phones are starting to show their age now with their rounded corners, dim curved displays, slow charging, and limited RAM. Also, you’ll have to settle for a Tensor G3 (or earlier) processor.

And that concludes the list of old Pixel phones that should still be bought – or not – today in 2026. Are you looking at one of these? If so, which one and why?