In 2024, Google surprised us by releasing three new flagship smartphones (instead of the usual two devices) — the Google Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
We're expecting them to be some of the best phones of the year, and some of the best iPhone alternatives, thanks to their refreshed designs, bold bright screens and better camera systems.
In a difference from last year's Pixel phone range, there's now a smaller 6.3-inch Pro model, which is the same pocket-friendly size as the regular Pixel and packs all of the same advanced features as the 6.8-inch Pro XL model.
The Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL handsets are on sale now. The Google Pixel 9 will set you back from £799, the Google Pixel 9 Pro costs £999 and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is priced at £1,099.
Naturally, because they have only just been announced, we aren't expecting to see any huge discounts just yet. But some retailers are offering good deals, whether you're looking to buy a phone outright or on a monthly contract.
If you're on a tight budget, you might be better off looking at the best Google Pixel 8 deals and Google Pixel 8a deals.
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Best Google Pixel 9 deals
You can buy the Google Pixel 9 starting from £799. It's available with 128GB or 256GB of storage and in obsidian black, porcelain white, wintergreen green and peony pink.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro will set you back from £999 if you pre-order it from Amazon, with a choice of 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. It's due to be released on September 16 and comes in obsidian black, porcelain white, hazel green and rose quartz pink.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL prices start from £1,099. You can buy it with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. It comes in the same colours as the Pro model – obsidian black, porcelain white, hazel green and rose quartz pink.
Google Pixel 9 contract deals
If you plan on buying a new Google Pixel 9 phone with a monthly airtime plan, we've picked out some of the best deals from top UK retailers including O2, EE, Vodafone, Tesco Mobile and more.
Vodafone
If you order a Pixel 9 series smartphone from Vodafone, you'll get half price off the airtime plan for the first six months, and you'll be able to claim a Fitbit Sense 2 smartwatch worth £219.99.
These prices are for a 36-month phone plan and a 24-month 150GB airtime plan.
- Google Pixel 9 (256GB): from £33/month (£30 upfront)
- Google Pixel 9 Pro (256GB): from £49/month (£50 upfront)
- Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (256GB): from £37/month (£50 upfront)
Sky Mobile
Sky Mobile prices shown below are for the 128GB handset only, on a 36-month contract with 5GB of data.
Airtime plans start from £5/month (usually £8/month) for 3GB of data, all the way up to £25/month (usually £40/month) for unlimited data.
- Google Pixel 9: from £31/month (£0 upfront)
- Google Pixel 9 Pro: from £39/month (£0 upfront)
- Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: from £44/month (£0 upfront)
Three
Three is selling all three Google Pixel 9 smartphones. Each of these options assumes a 36-month phone plan, plus a discounted 24-month 15GB airtime plan at £11/month.
- Google Pixel 9: from £28.25/month (£25 upfront)
- Google Pixel 9 Pro: from £31.75/month (£40 upfront)
- Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: from £34/month (£50 upfront)
EE
EE is offering up to £432 off the Pixel 9 handsets and one month of free insurance.
All the plans below assume you'd like to buy the 128GB version of the handset on a 36-month contract, with EE's 24-month 5GB 'No Frills' data plan.
- Google Pixel 9: from £46.38/month
- Google Pixel 9 Pro: from £52.97/month
- Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: from £56.11/month
O2
If you buy a Pixel 9 phone and airtime plan through O2, you'll get access to O2's Priority reward scheme which includes perks such as cheap Vue cinema tickets and early access to ticket sales.
Depending on your plan, you can also select an O2 Extra, with options including up to six months of Disney+ and Amazon Prime for free. Selected plans also enable roaming in up to 75 destinations.
Each of these options assumes a 48-month phone plan for the 128GB handset, with a 1GB rolling monthly data plan. The device and airtime plans become unlinked after 24 months, which means you can change your airtime plan at that point.
- Google Pixel 9: from £37.02/month (£30 upfront)
- Google Pixel 9 Pro: from £41.19/month (£30 upfront)
- Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: from £43.27/month (£30 upfront)
Tesco
If you have a Tesco Clubcard, you'll be able to get money off a Google Pixel 9 contract with selected airtime deals, which could save you up to £306 over your new phone contract. Further details about which plans are eligible are included on the phones' product pages.
The two options shown below presume a 36-month phone plan for the 128GB handset, with a 3GB monthly data allowance.
- Google Pixel 9: from £31.99/month (£0 upfront)
- Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: from from £45.99/month (£0 upfront)
Google Pixel 9 series: What's new?
Google Pixels are some of the best Android smartphones you can buy. The ninth generation of the handsets takes what was so good about the Google Pixel 8 and the Google Pixel 8 Pro and builds on it with a new design, brighter screens, even more impressive cameras and an array of even more clever AI-powered features.
This year, Google is releasing three new flagship devices: the 6.3-inch Google Pixel 9, the 6.3-inch Google Pixel 9 Pro and the 6.8-inch Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. The two Pro models are very similar handsets, just in different sizes. The Google Pixel 9, on the other hand, is a more affordable smartphone with stripped-back specs and fewer features.
One of the biggest changes to the whole series is the design. Google has ditched the long camera bar in favour of a camera island in the middle of the phones. The Pro models have also done away with the glossy glass shell and replaced it with a matt polished glass back.
All the new devices come with the latest Google Tensor G4 processor, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to protect them from scrapes, IP68 water and dust resistance, brighter screens and the Google Gemini Assistant built-in.
Android 14 provides a slick user experience, and you'll get seven years of software updates to keep the phone relevant long into the future. Plus there have been updates to the Call Assist feature and there's a new way to intelligently store screenshots and search through them to find what you're looking for. Further down the line, these Pixels will get Satellite SOS to call for emergency help without a cellular signal as well.
Pixel is known for its cameras, and there have been improvements across the board in that sense too.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL use a triple-lens rear camera system made up of a 50MP main lens, a 48MP ultrawide camera and a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, as well as a 42MP selfie snapper on the front. To complement that, there are lots of AI features to enhance your shots, some of which are restricted to the Pro model phones, like 30x Super Res Zoom and 8K video enhancement. The top-level smartphones both pack 16GB of RAM to power them, as well as a crisper display than the base model.
The Google Pixel 9 knocks the camera system down to a more modest two lenses, including a 50MP main lens and a 48MP ultrawide lens, but it gets a lot of the same tools like low-light panoramas.
Whichever one you go for, Google Pixels are a great choice of smartphone in 2024.
Why you can trust Digital Spy
Digital Spy has been in business for 25 years, with a team of experts across TV, movies and tech.
Yasmine Crossland, our Tech Ecommerce Editor, has reviewed countless phones and she's an expert on Android in particular. Since starting her career, Yasmine has covered several big sales events too, including the Amazon Spring Sale, Prime Day and Black Friday, so she's very well-versed in deal hunting.
