Head to head
Google Pixel 9vsGoogle Pixel 8
The short answer
Choose the Pixel 9 for peak brightness and typical brightness. The Pixel 8 wins no row by a gap you’d notice. The Pixel 9 gets security updates for longer: until August 2031, against October 2030 for the Pixel 8.
- Released
- 2024-08-22endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Price
- £799Google Store UK, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Security updates until
- 2031-08-01endoflife.date — Pixel, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Released
- 2023-10-04endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Security updates until
- 2030-10-01endoflife.date — Pixel, retrieved 2026-08-20
2 wins for Pixel 90 wins for Pixel 84 gaps borderline4 differences you won’t notice
Verdict: Pixel 9 ahead on 2 rows, Pixel 8 on none
On the makers’ published figures, the Pixel 9 wins on peak brightness (2,700 nits against 2,000 nits) and typical brightness (1,800 nits against 1,400 nits). 4 gaps are borderline, differences most people would not notice: HDR peak brightness (1,800 nits against 1,400 nits) for the Pixel 9, RAM (12 GB against 8 GB) for the Pixel 9, fast charging (45 W against 30 W) for the Pixel 9 and Geekbench 6 (CPU, multi-core) (3,797 against 3,450, both from Geekbench Browser) for the Pixel 9. The differences in weight, display size, battery capacity and wireless charging are below the thresholds you would notice. Both state the same refresh rate and storage (base). The other 33 rows have no threshold or no direction to judge by, so nobody wins them.
True to scale
Outlines from each maker’s published dimensions, drawn to scale. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.
Specifications
A win is marked only where the figures can be ranked and the gap is one you could notice. A row the site has no threshold for says whether the two differ, and that it is not ranking them. = marks the same figure on both, ≠ not ranked a difference with no ranking. Every figure carries its source.
Body
Display
Platform
Memory
Camera
Battery
Connectivity
Benchmarks
6 attributes neither phone has a sourced figure for
OS versions supported · Google Mobile Services · Telephoto · Claimed video playback · AnTuTu benchmark · 3DMark Wild Life Extreme. Rows appear as sources are cited — a gap in our data, not a statement about either phone.
Questions
Is the Pixel 9 better than the Pixel 8?
On the figures, the Pixel 9 is ahead wherever there is a gap you’d notice: peak brightness, 2,700 nits against 2,000 nits (both Google) and typical brightness, 1,800 nits against 1,400 nits (both Google). The Pixel 8 wins no row by such a gap. That is a count of rows, not an overall score.
Which has the better battery?
The Pixel 9 is ahead on paper, but not by a gap you’d notice: battery capacity, 4,700 mAh against 4,575 mAh (both Google).
Which is lighter?
The Pixel 8 is lighter on paper, but not by a gap you’d notice: weight, 187 g against 198 g (both Google).
Which has the brighter screen?
The Pixel 9, by a gap you’d notice: peak brightness, 2,700 nits against 2,000 nits (both Google). The Pixel 9, by a gap you’d notice: typical brightness, 1,800 nits against 1,400 nits (both Google). The Pixel 9 is brighter, narrowly: HDR peak brightness, 1,800 nits against 1,400 nits (both Google), a borderline gap most people would not notice.
Which gets updates for longer?
The Pixel 9 gets security updates for longer: until August 2031, against October 2030 for the Pixel 8. Sources: dates from endoflife.date.
Other comparisons
The pairs a buyer of either phone would also weigh. Any two phones in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.