As for right now, upgrading to a Pixel 9 model would give you some noticeable, meaningful improvements — including the presence of Face Unlock for authentication (a huge quality-of-life upgrade, if you ask me!) along with a much snappier and more consistent fingerprint sensor as a backup option and some fairly significant camera upgrades. And, of course, you’d gain access to all the other productivity-boosting Pixel-9-specific elements we mentioned in the first section of this story.
➜ The verdict, in short: You could hold off one more year, if you’d rather, but upgrading to the Pixel 9 now would be a substantial upgrade for you — and the time is nigh for when such a move will become highly advisable. If you’re ready now, you’ll be delighted with the change the Pixel 9 brings you. If not, you could put the purchase off one more year and go with the Pixel 10 in 2025 instead.
Google Pixel 9 vs. Pixel 6a
Once again, the Pixel 6a situation is pretty similar to what we’ve described with other Pixel “a” models — though here, we’re looking at a two-year-old device down to its final year of active OS update support.
Practically speaking, the 6a’s OS update support end-date of July 2025 means that it’ll likely receive this year’s upcoming Android 15 update and then reach the end of the road for any additional OS updates beyond that. Even with security updates still in the picture, it wouldn’t be fully optimal and advisable to continue using past that point.
Still, after Android 15, we likely won’t see another major Android OS update until sometime next fall — and by then, there’ll be a whole new crop of Pixel products to choose from. So you could easily hold off a little while longer and then think about getting either a new midrange model or one of next year’s Pixel 10 phones as a replacement.
Once more, the Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro would be a significant upgrade in every possible measure, and you’d absolutely notice and appreciate the difference. But, again, your current phone is still reasonably okay — if a little long in the tooth.
➜ The verdict, in short: The argument for upgrading from a Pixel 6a is a strong one, given how much things have moved forward in the time since that phone’s release — but still, this is far from a must-upgrade scenario. And, just like with the Pixel 8a, the real question is if you even want to move to the higher-end Pixel path whenever you do upgrade or if you’d rather stick with the less expensive midrange “a” phones. That’s a decision only you can make.
Google Pixel 9 vs. Pixel 5 or any earlier Pixel model
This last Pixel 9 upgrade decision is the easiest: If you’re using the Pixel 5 or any Pixel model earlier than that, you should strongly consider stepping up to the Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro now.
These older Pixels are no longer actively being supported with current OS updates or even security patches, and all current features and added conveniences aside, that means they’re no longer advisable to use when it comes to the ever-important areas of optimal privacy, security, and performance for your phone.
➜ The verdict, in short: It’s time for a new device, plain and simple, and the Pixel 9 models will be a tremendous, night-and-day leap forward for you in every possible measure. If you’re on an older Pixel “a” model, you could consider going with the Pixel 8a instead, should you wish to spend a little less dough. But with any older Pixel, the Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro would be the best upgrade you could make right now, and you would be positively thrilled with the change (in addition to being maximally protected, in terms of being on the most current software possible and avoiding any privacy-, security-, or performance-related liabilities).
Wait — what about the Pixel Fold?
Using the first-gen Pixel Fold? The advice above doesn’t really apply to you.
Folding phones are their own beast, and it’s a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison to try to stack them up next to a standard slab-style device at this point.
If you simply aren’t happy with your Fold experience and think you’d rather go back to a more standard sort of phone form, you’d be quite pleased with a move to a Pixel 9 model.
Otherwise, stay tuned for more on the second-gen Pixel Fold — a.k.a. the Pixel 9 Pro Fold — soon. It isn’t slated to ship until sometime in September, and Google consequently hasn’t made review units of it available for assessment quite yet.
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