The Pixel 9 series is officially available to pre-order. The new series brings a refreshing new design, is capable of more AI, and even offers a new size variant – the Pixel 9 Pro XL. If you plan on pre-ordering, this guide will help you narrow down your options and find the best deal.
As strange as it may seem, pre-ordering a new phone is actually one of the best ways to buy one. During a pre-order period, manufacturers and retailers often boost trade-in values, meaning your Pixel 8 or Galaxy S24 will be worth more to them than at any other time of the year. On top of that, it’s become customary for some retailers to offer storage upgrades that make getting the 256GB version the same price as the 128GB model.
Users also have the option of opening a new line with certain carriers. Carriers like Verizon and AT&T will offer free devices with a new line, though you should probably only take that offer if you were already in the market for a new carrier.
In any case, there are pre-order options, and the deals that they offer are sometimes the best we see all year.
Who has the best offer?
It’s hard to say for certain, though it’s easy to narrow down if you know what you want. If you want to get a new line or upgrade with a carrier, look into some of the carrier options we list. If you want to grab a new Pixel 9 Pro XL but don’t need your Pixel 8 Pro, trade it in with Google or another retailer for trade-in credit on top of pre-order credit.
Google is going to house some of the best trade-in offers for the Pixel 9 series. Namely, up to $760 back when you trade in certain devices like the Google Pixel Fold from last year. The Google Pixel 8 Pro will net you $699 back after it’s sent to the company.
On top of that, buying through the Google Store means you’ll get instant credit back. Buying the Pixel 9 means getting $100 back in credit, while the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL will give the user $200 back. Buying the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will result in a $350 credit.
With that, buying the Pixel 9 Pro Fold might be best to do through the Google Store.
Best Buy is also offering credit to users who pre-order, though it’s smaller than what Google offers. Pre-ordering the Pixel 9 will net the user a $100 gift card, while the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL will result in a $200 gift card.
There doesn’t seem to be a storage upgrade for the cards, but Best Buy is offering trade-in values. Those values seem to favor Apple’s devices – trading in a Pixel Fold will get you a $60 credit. If you’re looking to trade in an iPhone, you’ll definitely want to go through Best Buy.
Amazon won’t do trade-ins, but they will offer the same credit amounts as the Google Store – in Amazon fit cards. With that, the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold are all the same price as on the Google Store with little else to offer.
At Verizon, the Pixel 9 has the potential to be free for new and existing customers, but it may require a new line or upgrade. The Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL can be selected as well at a $800 discount from trade-in.
That deal includes a free memory bump, allowing users to pick up a 256GB Pixel 9 series phone for nothing extra. The deal also includes a Pixel Watch 3 at $5/month when a Pixel 9 series device is purchased.
As for AT&T, the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL are free with an eligible trade-in, though it seems a new line might be required. The Pixel 9 can be purchased for $10.99/month under similar circumstances it looks like. Each device comes with a storage upgrade for those that pre-order the phones. On top of that, the Pixel Watch 3 is half off.
Don’t forget to use Rakuten
To sweeten the deal a little bit, users can use Rakuten at a couple of the retailers listed above. That includes the Google Store and Best Buy. At the Google Store, Rakuten users will receive 2% cash back. At Best Buy, that’s bumped up to 4%. It might not seem like a lot, but on a $1,099 phone, that’s a nice little chunk of money back that can be used for other things like accessories.
To use it, users need to sign up and use the Google Chrome extension while purchasing a Pixel through accepted stores.
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