When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
The best Google Pixel phones are excellent choices for Android fans or iPhone users looking on the other side of the fence.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
With fewer models than most other phone makers, it's relatively simple to pick the best Google Pixel phone for you.
Regardless of price, you can count on all current Pixel phones to exhibit superb camera quality and dependable performance. The choice boils down to whether you like larger or smaller phones, if you want a zoom lens, and if you're looking for a regular or foldable phone.
Ahead of the imminent release of a new Pixel lineup, the best Google Pixel phone we can currently recommend from our testing remains the Google Pixel 8, which offers an exceptional balance of price, performance, camera quality, and features. Our top budget pick is the Google Pixel 8a, which is basically a more affordable version of the Pixel 8 and offers outstanding value.
For now, Google's Pixel 8 retains the top spot as the best Google Pixel phone overall thanks to its combination of performance, camera quality, features, and design at a relatively affordable price in the premium range. For a $699 starting price, the Pixel 8 offers excellent value for the proverbial "most people."
The Pixel 8 runs on the same Google Tensor G3 processor as the pricier Pixel 8 Pro and takes equally excellent photos with the same primary camera. It has a different ultrawide camera, 12MP instead of 48MP, but it somehow manages to take comparably good ultrawide photos. Just note that the Pixel 8 doesn't include a dedicated zoom lens like the Pixel 8 Pro.
Google's Pixel 8 is the best model for most people thanks to its reasonable price tag and assortment of premium features, performance, and camera quality.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Oddly enough, according to our battery test, the smaller Pixel 8's battery life is about as good as the larger Pixel 8 Pro's. That's to say, the Pixel 8 has excellent battery life that should last you throughout the day.
The Pixel 8's 6.2-inch display also runs at the same 120Hz refresh rate as the Pixel 8 Pro for that super-smooth premium experience. Starting at $999, the Pixel 8 Pro will only be a better option if you prefer a larger display or a dedicated zoom lens. That's a steep $300 premium for those two variables, but the Pixel 8 Pro is still priced similarly to other large high-end Android phones.
The Pixel 8a and its $449 MSRP falls more in the mid-range category than the budget class, but it's the least expensive Pixel phone you can buy, so it's the best budget Pixel phone by default.
Still, even if you weren't planning on spending nearly $500, we strongly feel the Pixel 8a is well worth it — it's our top pick for the best cheap phone and best budget Android phone thanks to its performance, cameras, design, and value. Google's seven-year support window for Android upgrades and security updates also gives the phone a seven-year lifespan before you need to buy a new phone, which could translate to spending less in the long term.
The Pixel 8a runs on the same Google Tensor G3 processor as the flagship Pixel 8 phones, so it has the same high-end performance. It also comes with many of Google's popular AI features, like Circle To Search, Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser, Magic Editor, Photo Unblur, Live Translate, Call Screen, Hold For Me, and several others.
Combine the Tensor G3 processor with the Pixel 8a's super-bright OLED 120Hz display and cameras that compete with phones twice as expensive, and the experience is nothing short of premium.
The Pixel 8a is a more affordable flagship phone, albeit with slightly less premium design characteristics.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Apart from a smaller 6.1-inch screen size, the most noticeable difference between the Pixel 8a and Pixel 8 is the thicker black borders around the display of the former. It's the only real tell-tale characteristic that suggests you're using a more affordable phone. The Pixel 8a's back is made of frost-textured plastic instead of glass, but the difference is remarkably slight and doesn't impact the phone's perceivable value.
Otherwise, most other compromises aren't so noticeable. Omitted features are rather trivial and niche, like Google's Battery Share feature that lets you wirelessly charge devices from the back of the phone, among other minor differences.
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro share the same main cameras and take identically excellent photos. Yet, the Pixel 8 Pro's dedicated 5x zoom lens makes it the most versatile Pixel model for taking photos or video, simply because it lets you take sharper and better photos of objects and subjects further away.
With its 5x 48-megapixel zoom lens, the Pixel 8 Pro can take impressively sharp and detailed photos, even at higher magnifications like 10x. If you often use your current phone's zoom lens or take zoomed pictures or video on a phone without a zoom lens, you'll deeply appreciate the Pixel 8 Pro's additional zoom lens.
The Pixel 8 Pro has the best camera versatility thanks to its incredible zooming abilities.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Google also addresses the degrading photo quality that most phone cameras suffer when you zoom in between the 1x main camera and the 5x zoom lens when inferior artificial "digital" zooming is used. The Pixel 8 Pro combines images from the ultrawide and main camera lenses to produce a sharper and clearer picture, and it works amazingly well.
The Pixel Fold lets you take a selfie with the higher-quality main camera while using the exterior display as a viewfinder, which makes it worthy as an option for the best Pixel camera. However, we only add it as a secondary option, as foldables are still rather niche, and the Pixel Fold is rather expensive.
If battery life is your top priority, the Pixel Fold should be at the front of your list. It ended our battery test with 69% in the folded position and 65% unfolded. Meanwhile, the Pixel 8a, Pixel 8, and Pixel 8 Pro achieved around 60%.
That's a stunning result for the Pixel Fold in the folded position, where its 5.8-inch display is in use. Most phones with similar display sizes end our test with around 60%.
The Pixel Fold in folded mode held the best score overall in our battery test, and it even scored very well in the unfolded tablet mode.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
It only makes sense that battery life is shorter in the unfolded position, where the Pixel Fold powers a huge (for a phone) 7.6-inch display. Still, the Pixel Fold in tablet mode beats out the Pixel 8 Pro and its 6.7-inch display.
While the Pixel Fold is one of our top picks among the best foldable phones, we realize that foldable phones aren't for everyone, and the Pixel Fold is also the most expensive option here. If you're looking for a non-foldable Pixel with the best battery life, the Pixel 8 Pro is your best bet, as its 62% score in our battery test slightly edged out Google's other three current "flat" phones.
This accolade could go to either the Pixel 8a or Pixel 8, as they're all similarly sized with similar screen sizes.
Since we're picking one model as "the best," we have to look at specifics. With that in mind, the Pixel 8 is effectively the most compact Pixel you can buy. It has a 6.2-inch display compared to the Pixel 8a's 6.1-inch displays, but it's also ever-so-slightly shorter and narrower overall, thanks to its slimmer borders around the display.
The Pixel 8 is the most compact of Google's phones, even though its display is 0.1 inches larger than the Pixel 7a and Pixel 6a.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
While the Pixel 8a has 6-inch height, the Pixel 8 is 5.9 inches tall, making for a technically more compact experience. The Pixel 8 is also a smidge narrower at 2.8 inches compared to the Pixel 8a's 2.9 inches.
If you're looking for less expensive compact Pixel options, the Pixel 8a is virtually the same size and ready for your hands and pockets.
The Pixel 8a, released on May 14, 2024, is the latest Pixel phone. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, released on October 12, 2023, were the last phones to be released before the Pixel 8a.
The Pixel Fold was announced on May 10, 2023, and released on June 27 of last year, respectively.
Google is set to launch a new Pixel series next week.
How long are Google Pixel phones supported?
Until recently, Google surprisingly had some of the shortest support windows for its entries among the best Android phones, even though Google itself develops Android and produces Pixel phones. However, with the Pixel 8 series, Google finally started offering a longer support window that competes with, and surpasses, most Android phones, with seven years of Android upgrades and security updates.
Previous Pixel models have shorter support windows for Android upgrades and security updates, and most also receive security updates longer than they get Android upgrades. Below is when Google says it will discontinue support for the Pixels in this guide.
Pixel 8a: May 2031 for Android and security updates.
Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro: October 2030 for Android upgrades and security updates.
Pixel Fold: June 2026 for Android upgrades, June 2028 for security updates.
Best overallGoogle's Pixel 8 is the best model for most people thanks to its reasonable price tag and assortment of premium features, performance, and camera quality.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Google's Pixel 8 wins the top spot as the best Google Pixel phone overall thanks to its balance of performance, camera quality, features, and design in relation to its relatively affordable price in the premium range. For a $699 starting price, the Pixel 8 offers excellent value for the proverbial "most people."
The Pixel 8 runs on the same Google Tensor G3 processor as the pricier Pixel 8 Pro, and it also takes equally excellent photos with the same primary camera. It has a different ultrawide camera that's 12MP instead of 48MP, but it somehow manages to take similarly good ultrawide photos. Just note the Pixel 8 doesn't include a dedicated zoom lens like the Pixel 8 Pro.
Oddly enough, according to our battery test, the smaller Pixel 8's battery life is about as good as the larger Pixel 8 Pro's. That's to say, the Pixel 8 has excellent battery life.
The Pixel 8's 6.2-inch display also runs at the same 120Hz refresh rate as the Pixel 8 Pro for that super-smooth premium experience. Starting at $999, the Pixel 8 Pro will only be a better option if you prefer a larger display or you want a dedicated zoom lens. That's a steep $300 premium for those two variables, but the Pixel 8 Pro is still priced similarly to other large high-end Android phones.
Best budgetThe Pixel 7a is a more affordable flagship phone, in effect, albeit with slightly less premium design characteristics.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The Pixel 7a is Google's mid-range option that runs on the previous flagship Pixel 7's generation's processor, the Tensor G2. We include the Pixel 7a as a budget option, as more often than not, you can find it for around $400, though its MSRP is $499.
With cameras that compete with phones twice as expensive, strong performance, and a smooth 90Hz refresh rate display, the Pixel 7a is a wonder for its price, especially if you find it in the $400 range.
Apart from a smaller 6.1-inch screen size, the most noticeable difference between the Pixel 7a and Pixel 8 is a thicker build and thicker black borders around the display. The Pixel 7a's back is made of plastic instead of glass, but the difference is remarkably slight. These design characteristics mean the Pixel 7a isn't quite as premium as the Pixel 8, but they won't make you regret buying the Pixel 7a for $200 to $300 less than the Pixel 8.
Otherwise, most other compromises aren't so noticeable. The Pixel 7a's display doesn't get quite as bright, although we'd argue it's bright enough for most people's needs, even under bright sunlight. You're also not getting Google's Battery Share feature that lets you wirelessly charge devices from the back of the phone, and the Pixel 7a is also "only" IP67 water-resistant rather than IP68.
If $500, or even $400, doesn't fit your definition of "budget," check out our alternative budget Pixel phone below, the Pixel 6a.
Best budget alternativeThe Pixel 6a offers stunning value for its performance, camera quality, and design. Just consider it's a previous-generation model.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The Pixel 6a ignores its price and performs like a much more expensive phone. It's the finest phone you can buy for under $400, Android or iPhone.
For $349, we have a hard time finding any faults with the Pixel 6a. It runs on Google's Tensor processor that ran the company's premium Pixel 6 lineup in 2022, so it's snappy and powerful, especially considering its price.
The Pixel 6a also comes with two of Google's finely tuned 12MP main and ultrawide cameras, which the company used in several generations of Pixels past, and they deliver stunning results that belie its $349 price tag.
The 6.1-inch display runs at a more traditional 60Hz refresh rate, which is becoming rarer these days, even among other budget Android phones. Still, a faster 90Hz or 120Hz display is a worthy tradeoff for the Pixel 6a's performance and camera quality in relation to its price.
The biggest consideration to make for the Pixel 6a is its shorter support window for security updates (July 2027) compared to the Pixel 7a (May 2028) and Pixel 8 (October 2030).
Best cameraThe Pixel 8 Pro has the best camera versatility thanks to its incredible zooming abilities.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro share the same main cameras, so they take identically excellent photos. Yet, the Pixel 8 Pro's dedicated 5x zoom lens makes it the most versatile Pixel model for taking photos, simply because it lets you take sharper and better photos of objects and subjects further away.
With its 5x 48-megapixel zoom lens, the Pixel 8 Pro can take some impressively sharp and detailed photos, even at higher magnifications like 10x. If you find you often use your current phone's zoom lens, or you often take zoomed photos on a phone without a zoom lens, you'll deeply appreciate the Pixel 8 Pro's additional zoom lens.
Google also addresses the degrading photo quality that most phone cameras suffer from when you zoom in between the 1x main camera and the 5x zoom lens, when inferior artificial "digital" zooming is used. The Pixel 8 Pro combines images from the ultrawide and main camera lenses to produce a sharper and clearer image, and it works amazingly well.
The Pixel Fold lets you take a selfie with the higher-quality main camera while using the exterior display as a viewfinder, which makes it worthy as an option for the best Pixel camera. However, we only add it as a secondary option, as foldables are still rather niche, and the Pixel Fold is rather expensive.
Best battery lifeThe Pixel Fold in folded mode held the best score overall in our battery test, and it even scored very well in the unfolded tablet mode.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
If battery life is your top priority, the Pixel Fold should be on your shortlist. It ended our battery test with 69% in the folded position and 65% unfolded. Meanwhile, the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7a, Pixel 8, and Pixel 8 Pro all achieved around 60%.
That's a stunning result for the Pixel Fold in the folded position, where its 5.8-inch display is in use. Most phones with similar display sizes end our test with around 60%.
It only makes sense that battery life is shorter in the unfolded position, where the Pixel Fold powers a huge (for a phone) 7.6-inch display. Still, the Pixel Fold in tablet mode beats out the Pixel 8 Pro and its 6.7-inch display.
The Pixel Fold is one of our favorite large foldable phones thanks to its exterior display that takes the form of a familiar phone display compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5's unusually narrow external display.
We realize that foldable phones aren't for everyone, not to mention the Pixel Fold is also the most expensive option here. If you're looking for a non-foldable Pixel with the best battery life, the Pixel 8 Pro is your best bet, as its 62% score in our battery test slightly edged out Google's other three current "flat" phones.
Best small phoneThe Pixel 8 is the most compact of Google's phones, even though its display is 0.1 inches larger than the Pixel 7a and Pixel 6a.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
This accolade could go to three different Pixels, including the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7a, and Pixel 8, as they're all similarly sized with similar screen sizes.
Since we're picking one model as "the best," we have to look at specifics. With that in mind, the Pixel 8 is generally the most compact Pixel you can buy. It has a 6.2-inch display compared to the Pixel 7a and Pixel 6a's 6.1-inch displays, but it's also ever-so-slightly shorter overall, thanks to its slimmer borders around the display. While the Pixel 7a and Pixel 6a have 6-inch heights, the Pixel 8 is 5.9 inches tall, making for a technically more compact experience.
If you're looking for less expensive compact Pixel options, the Pixel 7a and Pixel 6a are ready for your hands and pockets.
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, released on October 12, 2023, are the latest Google Pixel phones.
The Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold, Google's previous most-recent releases, were announced on May 10, 2023, and released on May 10 and June 27 of last year, respectively.
How long are Google Pixel phones supported?
Until recently, Google has surprisingly had some of the shortest support windows for its phones among other Android phones, despite the fact that Android is developed by Google. With the Pixel 8 series, Google is finally offering a long support window that competes with and even surpasses some of the best Android phones, with seven years of Android upgrades and security updates.
Previous Pixel models have shorter support windows for Android upgrades and security updates, and most of them also receive security updates longer than they get Android upgrades. Below is when Google says it will discontinue support for each phone listed in this guide.
Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro: October 2030 for both Android upgrades and security updates
Pixel 7a: May 2026 for Android upgrades, May 2028 for security updates
Pixel 6a: July 2025 for Android upgrades, July 2027 for security updates
Pixel Fold: June 2026 for Android upgrades, June 2028 for security updates
