GoKawiilIf, like me, you are a Pixel fan looking to buy a new phone in 2026, you might think you’re a bit out of luck. This year is looking to be really problematic for new phones. The RAM shortage is starting to cause price hikes across the board, and companies are opting to skip spec upgrades to mitigate it. There’s even talk of a potential spec regression for cheaper phones. The good news, though, is that there are still plenty of interesting Pixel phones from last year or the years prior that are worth investing in and that won’t break the bank or suffer the consequences of this price hike.
Why you should consider an older Pixel phone
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
Besides saving a bit of money on an older Pixel versus a new one, there are many reasons why older Pixel phones are still as interesting and desirable as the newer ones.
For starters, the longevity of seven years of updates means that any two- or three-year-old Pixel still has a few good years to live. Google is also one of the best companies at rolling out new features to its older phones. You might not get the latest and hottest feature as fast as a Pixel 10 Pro owner, but you’ll definitely get it in the next Pixel Drop or the one after that. For example, the March Pixel Drop just expanded notification summaries and scam detection to Pixel 9 owners, while bringing several of the Journal app’s previously Pixel 10-exclusive AI prompts and features. 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 beta test Android 17 to see what Google has in the works for the platform. It’s a perk few other brands allow.
And for all of the talk about longevity and hardware issues, I think Pixels tend to be quite sturdy nowadays. My Pixel 2 XL still works, and so does my Pixel 5. Plus, I just switched my entire family to older Pixels — my mom got my Pixel 7a, my dad the 7 Pro, and my aunt the 6 Pro. I’m not saying you should go this far back, but I did put my money where my mouth was with this advice and did it for my own family, so you know it’s a serious recommendation.
And finally, Pixels still do the job several years down the line. They were never supposed to be the fastest or most performant phones, but they have better-than-average cameras, no bloat to speak of, and a smooth operation. Even one or two years down the line, they retain these. However, my only concern when considering an older Pixel is battery life. Try to grab a new model, not a refurbished one, so you can have the benefit of a full battery.
Pixel 9 Pro XL
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
The Pixel 9 Pro XL is the quintessential phone to buy if you’re looking at an older Pixel phone. It packs almost all of the features of the newer Pixel 10 Pro XL without the prohibitive price tag. Right now, you can get it for $699 on Amazon — essentially the price of a new regular Pixel 10.
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