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The best Google Pixel phones 2024

The best Pixel phones are launched each year. From the Pixel 8 Pro to the affordable 6a, our guide will help you decide which to buy.

best Google Pixel phones - Three different Google Pixel phones on a light green background

Selecting one of the best Google Pixel phones can be confusing – after all, there are numerous models to choose from, and they offer a range of overlapping specs and features. The Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8 were the latest handsets to be released in October 2023, but the Pixel 77 Pro, and Pixel 7a also offer great performance and value as last-gen models.

Pixel phones can hold their own against Apple and Samsung, despite a slightly lower price point than iPhones or the best Samsung phones on the Android operating system. Google’s phones give you a clutter-free Android interface with the benefit of timely updates straight from Google, and they integrate with Google Apps seamlessly.

Keen to switch out your old phone for a Google Pixel but not quite sure which model to opt for? To help you decide which phone is right for you, we’re reviewing all the latest phones and testing the battery life, display, and resolution while looking at how usable each phone is for your daily tasks, too.

Why you can trust our advice ✔ At Pocket Tactics, our experts spend days testing games, phones, tech, and services. We always share honest opinions to help you buy the best. Find out how we test.

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Best premium Google Pixel

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Google Pixel 8 Pro specifications:
Chipset Google Tensor G3
Display 6.7-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED (1344 x 2992 pixels)
RAM 12 GB
Storage 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery 5,050mAh
Release October 2023
Reasons to buy
  • Ultra bright LTPO OLED display
  • Top photo and video capabilities
  • 7-year software and security updates
Reasons to avoid
  • Tensor G3 chipset lags behind Apple
  • Temperature sensor doesn’t justify itself

As Google’s latest flagship, the Pixel 8 Pro features notable improvements on previous models. Its Tensor G3 chipset is designed to help further enhance AI features, including the Audio Magic Eraser that cleans up messy background noise in your videos. Combined with the 6.7-inch 120Hz screen, and camera setup, the 8 Pro looks more like a content creation machine to rival Apple and Samsung.

The 8 Pro is a nice-looking handset, even if little has changed from the last generation. It feels solid in the hand, and our reviewer found the screen responsive for gaming. With six to eight hours of battery life per charge, the 8 Pro is Google’s most powerful phone yet and, according to our reviewer, it ‘tops the best Google Pixel phones chart without question’. However, that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for everyone.

For some, the higher price point of the Pixel 8 Pro may be a sticking point. It’s at least $100 more expensive than the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 6 Pro at launch, matching the starting price of Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung S24, but we’re seeing lots of deals to bring it down by up to 30%.

Read our Google Pixel 8 Pro review.

Google Pixel 8

Best Google Pixel phone for most people

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Google Pixel 8 specifications:
Chipset Google Tensor G3
Display 6.2 inch 120Hz OLED (1080 x 2400px)
RAM 8GB
Storage 128GB-256GB
Battery 4575mAh
Release date October 2023
Reasons to buy
  • Tensor G3 chip
  • Good price for a flagship
Reasons to avoid
  • Smaller than the Pixel 7
  • No charger included

One of the latest Google Pixel models to release, the Pixel 8 brings brings an array of upgrades compared to its predecessor. Though the Pixel 8 is a little smaller than the Pixel 7, it retains a sleek design with a satin finish, that has had a little refresh to keep it modern and in line with the newest tech.

The camera upgrades include AI features to ensure your photo editing is top-notch, and there’s also a Macro Focus mode for those of you into up-close photography.

Now, the Pixel 8 comes with Android 14, including some Pixel-exclusive features. There’s even a promise of constant updates for the next seven years, keeping your device up to scratch.

Considering the Pixel 8 is one of Google’s newest flagships, its price is competitive compared to other brands, but it is still higher than the last generation – though that’s something we can’t avoid.

Read our Google Pixel 8 review.

Google Pixel 7 Pro

Best value Google Pixel phone

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Google Pixel 7 Pro specifications:
Chipset Google Tensor G2
Display 6.7 inch 120Hz AMOLED (1440 x 3120)
RAM 8GB/12GB
Storage 128GB-512GB
Battery 5,000 mAh
Release date October 2022
Reasons to buy
  • Photo unblur tool
  • Value for money
  • Excellent cameras
Reasons to avoid
  • Battery life is average
  • No microSD card slot

The Google Pixel 7 Pro has some better features than the Pixel 7 – however, this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the absolute best model for everyone.

In terms of competition, it keeps up alongside the Samsung S23 and Apple’s iPhone 14 devices. Better yet, the cameras may be the best out there, despite being almost two-thirds of the cost of the best competitors – retailing at $899/£849, or less now that a few months have passed since release.

Thanks to the Tensor G2 processor, the Pixel 7 Pro works like a dream and can handle intense photo editing, and all manner of apps and games, and it even comes with an in-built VPN for added privacy.

However, there’s no microSD or dual SIM slot, so if you want more storage there’s not much you can do. The battery life also lets the Pixel 7 Pro down, so we can’t recommend it as a gaming phone.

Read our Google Pixel 7 Pro review.

Google Pixel 7

Best mid-range Google Pixel phone

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Google Pixel 7 specifications:
Chipset Google Tensor G2
Display 6.3-inch 90Hz AMOLED, 1080 x 2400
RAM 8GB
Storage 128GB / 256GB
Battery 4,355 mAh
Release date October 2022
Reasons to buy
  • High-res front camera
  • Photo unblur tool
  • Battery life improvement
Reasons to avoid
  • No microSD slot
  • No stylus support
  • Expensive

The main thing separating the Pixel 7 Pro and the Pixel 7 is the price, so this is a key thing to note if you have a specific budget in mind. The Pixel 7 is an improvement to the Pixel 6 but isn’t world-shatteringly different. The fingerprint sensor is noticeably better in the 7 than in the 6, but that’s the only really obvious upgrade.

In terms of what differs from the 7 Pro, it comes down to size and resolution. The Google Pixel 7 is 6.3 inches with a 1080 x 2400 resolution, making it a decent option no matter what you’re doing, and not too big to hold for long periods, but adds a little more screen size than the Pixel 7. The Pixel 7 doesn’t include a microSD card slot, something missing from a few of Google’s handsets, so consider this if you need more storage space.

Read our Google Pixel 7 review.

Google Pixel 8a

Best Pixel for under $500/£500

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Google Pixel 8a specifications:
Chipset Tensor G3
Display 6.1-inch 120Hz OLED (1080 x 2400 pixels)
RAM 8GB
Storage 128GB / 256GB
Battery 4,49s mAh
Release May 2024
Reasons to buy
  • Impressive AI features
  • 120Hz refresh rate
  • Brilliant performance
Reasons to avoid
  • Battery life kind of short
  • Charges slowly
  • It has chunky bezels

If you’re looking for an affordable, middle-of-the-road phone, then Google Pixel 8a is the one for you. With its 120Hz fresh rate and its gorgeous OLED screen, everything looks great on it, which is good news for anybody who likes to use their phone to play the best mobile games, or to watch TV shows and movies.

What particularly impressed us was the addition of some pretty futuristic AI features. Now, we writers hate AI because it’s going to leave us all in the poor house – however, when it comes to fun and convenient applications on phones, we have no objections. One such feature, Circle to Seach, lets you circle anything in a picture in order to get information on what it is. Another of these is Live Translate, which does exactly what you might think and works seamlessly with a number of other apps. It’s really impressive stuff.

The two cameras it has on the back are really cool as well. They offer 64 MP wide and 13 MP ultrawide shots, and they look truly wonderful. These can also be somewhat enhanced with AI too, with features like Magic Erase (which removes unwanted features from the backgrounds of photos) and Best Take (which makes an amalgamation of multiple photos so that you can get the best of all worlds).

It’s a pretty impressive phone, and while we wish that it could charge a bit faster or even that its battery would last a bit longer, when it’s fully charged there’s very little that we could say against it. For its price, it’s an excellent choice of smartphone.

Read our full Google Pixel 8a review.

Google Pixel Fold

Best foldable Google Pixel phone

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Google Pixel Fold specifications:
Chipset Google Tensor G2
Display 7.6-inch 120Hz OLED (1840 x 2208), 5.8-inch 120Hz OLED (1080 x 2092)
RAM 12GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB
Battery 4,821 mAh
Release date June 2023
Reasons to buy
  • Decent cameras
  • Sleek design
  • Great for video
Reasons to avoid
  • Middling battery
  • Hefty price tag

The Pixel Fold functions almost like a mini tablet and is a good starting place for those who haven’t used a foldable phone before. It’s a heavier device than some, which makes sense given that it’s almost the size of two phones.

The good news is that when the Pixel Fold is closed, there’s no gap between the screens and it’s quiet to close. Performance is decent, battery life is okay, and it’s an exciting first step into the foldable market.

Read our Google Pixel Fold review.

Is Google Pixel worth buying?

Google Pixel phones run on an Android operating system, and they run a stock Android experience that many find cleaner and easier to use than competitors also running Android. Pixels also come with high-quality cameras, and Google has introduced revolutionary “computational photography features” over the past few years, including Magic Eraser.

Overall, Pixel phones are smart and sensible, have fast-tracked software and security updates directly from Google, and are priced at competitive rates. But for many, they’re still not as sexy to look at or use as the best gaming iPhones.

How to choose a Google Pixel

When it comes to choosing the right Google Pixel for you, it’s important to take various factors into account. Don’t assume that just because a phone is the newest model it’s the best option for you.

Instead, it’s a good idea to look at key factors like the amount of storage offered, how powerful a phone model is, what features it offers, and how much it costs. You may also want to consider how well both the front and rear cameras perform, and how easy the phone is to hold and use for extended gaming periods.

If the best Google Pixel phones aren’t for you, check out our guides to the best Xiaomi phones and the best 4G phones. You might also like the best stylus phones, along with the best stylus for iPad and iPhones.

What’s the difference between the Google Pixel 8 and the Google Pixel 8 Pro?

The Google Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8 were released in October 2023 and represent the company’s top-tier handsets. The 8 Pro is the more expensive option, and the most obvious difference between the two phones is their screen size. The Pixel 8 Pro has a larger, brighter 6.7-inch display with a higher 120Hz refresh rate, against the Pixel 8’s 6.2-inch display and 90Hz refresh rate.

The Pixel 8 Pro also wins for its camera array, with a triple-camera system (50MP main sensor, 48MP ultrawide sensor, 48MP telephoto lens) against the Pixel 8’s 50MP main sensor and 12MP ultrawide.

As the Pixel 8 is more affordable than the Pixel 8 Pro, I’d recommend going for the 8 Pro if you want a mega smooth display for gaming or streaming or the best smartphone photography experience.