Pixel 9 Specs vs. Pixel 8: Here's What You Get for an Extra $100

Google's new Pixel 9, unveiled the phones at an August launch event, has several improvements over its predecessor, last year's Pixel 8, including a host of new generative AI features that may or may not come to the older phone. But how else do they measure up? Here's a comparison between the Pixel 9 specs versus Pixel 8.

As expected for phones that are one year apart, what's new in the Pixel 9 is pretty incremental: it's slightly larger yet slightly thinner, just a bit heavier, has a higher resolution ultrawide camera, better hardware and new generative AI features. For all that, you'll pay an extra $100, as the Pixel 9's price jumped to $799, up from $699 for the Pixel 8. For buyers who are fine without a full suite of AI bells and whistles, the $499 Pixel 8A released earlier this year is a very strong choice.

Read more: Pixel 9 Pro XL Review: Google Goes All In on AI, for Better or Worse

But between Google's flagship phones, there are still some differences between this year's and last year's models. The new Pixel 9 packs a Tensor G4 chipset with 12GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage, while the Pixel 8 has last year's Tensor G3 chipset and 8GB of RAM alongside the same storage options. While we haven't had the chance to fully test the Pixel 9 and compare it to the Pixel 8, we'd expect higher benchmarks from the newer phone -- though it's too early to tell if that would make it noticeably faster in day-to-day use. But it could help make the Pixel 9 lifespan if you're looking to keep it longer than a few years.

As previously mentioned, the Pixel 9 is 2 millimeters taller and wider yet nearly half a millimeter thinner than the Pixel 8, which you'd really only notice if you were laying them on top of one another. Accordingly, the new phone's 6.3-inch OLED screen (2,424x1,080-pixel resolution) is slightly larger than the older phone's 6.2-inch OLED display (2,400x1,080-pixel resolution). 

The newer Pixel 9's screen is Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass and has a higher 2,700-nit peak brightness compared with the Pixel 8's Gorilla Glass Victus display with a maximum 2,000 nits, making the former presumably easier to see in bright sunlight. Both max out at a 120Hz variable refresh rate. 

Both phones have a trio of cameras, two rear and one forward-facing. While they share a 50-megapixel main rear camera, the Pixel 9 has a high resolution 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, up from the 12-megapixel ultrawide in the Pixel 8. Both have a 10.5-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies, and both record video in 4K.

On paper, the Pixel 9's 4,700-mAh battery and 45-watt charging slightly outperform the Pixel 8's 4,575-mAh battery and 30-watt charging, though both share around 12-watt wireless charging. Both phones have an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, which is standard for handsets, allowing either to be submerged in knee-high water for up to half an hour. 

AI is where the phones may really differ, though it all depends on how many features trickle down from the Pixel 9 to its older predecessors. The Pixel 9's has a new Add Me photo mode that uses AR to meld multiple images for group photos that include everyone. And while AI is no doubt used in some way to accomplish this, Add Me doesn't use generative AI like other Pixel 9 features. There's a Gemini chat assistant integration that can do things like suggest recipes based on images of your refrigerator contents. It's no surprise given Google's big emphasis on generative AI at its I/O conference in May, but it's a mystery how many of these features will come to the Pixel 8 and older phones.

Watch this: Google Pixel 9 Review: More AI, a New Look and a Higher Price

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Finally, the Pixel 9 launches with Android 14 which -- wait a minute -- is the same as the Pixel 8 launched with? Yes, it seems like Google didn't have Android 15 ready by the time it brought out its new phones. This isn't a surprise since the Pixel 9 is launching in August, two months ahead of the typical Pixel release window in October. Google hasn't officially announced when Android 15 will come out, but given older Pixel phones have gotten it the day it's released, we expect the Pixel 9 and Pixel 8 to both get upgrades on the same day.

Google has pledged seven years of operating system and security updates for the Pixel 9, though the company hasn't made it clear whether Android 15 will count against those years. Assuming it doesn't, the Pixel 9 will get its last update in 2031, while the Pixel 8 released last year (and also promised seven years of updates) will get its last update in 2030.