No trade-in required! Google Pixel 9 crashes to $549 with activation at Best Buy

Front and back of Porcelain-colored Google Pixel 9 phone
(Image credit: Google)

Ready to upgrade your Android phone? The Google Pixel 9 is now on sale at Best Buy for $250 off with service activation and $150 off if you buy it unlocked for use with your existing service.

That means you can get a new Google Pixel 9 phone for as little as $549 at Best Buy. This is the lowest price we've seen with activation. And the unlocked Google Pixel 9 price of $649 is within dollars of the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

The Google Pixel 9 is the smallest of Google's four latest handsets, but its 6.3-inch display is sizable enough to enjoy using the phone for productivity as well as communications. This model shares many core attributes with Google's larger Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. The Pixel 9 Pro XL is one of my favorite high-performance Android phones thanks to its generous 6.8-inch display and its excellent 5x optical zoom camera.

The smaller Pixel 9's display is half an inch smaller, but it still has a fast variable refresh rate (60Hz to 120Hz), and it is very bright, measuring up to 1,800 nits during typical use and 2700 nits at peak brightness. The phone has Google's Tensor G4 processor and Titan M2 co-processor, both of which are primed for AI use. And it has 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (add $100 to jump up to 256GB of storage).

Tom's Guide gave the Google Pixel 9 Pro 4 out of 5 stars in their review. Among the standout features were the Pixel 9 Pro's excellent camera performance and bright display.

If you're in the market for a new Android phone and want something that's powerful but won't break your wallet, grab this Best Buy deal while supplies last. Amazon also has the unlocked phone on sale for $649.

Best Google Pixel 9 Black Friday deals

Google Pixel 9
Google Pixel 9: was $799 now $549 at Best Buy

Overview: Save $250 with activation! The Google Pixel 9 is the smallest of Google's flagship phones, but it's also the most affordable and most pocketable. And now Best Buy drops the price by up to $250 with a service activation.

If you prefer buying your phones unlocked, Best Buy has that version on sale, too, for $649.

All four colorways are available at this price.

Features: 6.3-inch (1080 x 2424) OLED display with 120Hz refresh and up to 1800 nits brightness (2700 nits at peak), HDR support, Google Tensor G4 processor, Titan M2 co-processor, 12GB RAM, 128GB of storage (options up to 256GB), dual rear camera: 50MP wide lens with Super Res Zoom up to 8x, 48MP ultrawide lens, 10.5 MP front camera with autofocus, 4,700 mAh battery, fast wireless charging, battery share, IP68 dust and water resistance, Android 14

Release Date: August 2024

Price history: The unlocked price is within dollars of the best price we've ever seen on Amazon.

Price comparison: Amazon $649 (unlocked) | Google $649 (unlocked)

Reviews consensus: Tom's Guide reviewed the Google Pixel 9 Pro and gave it 4 out of 5 stars in their review. The reviewer loved this phone's excellent camera performance, bright display, and above-average battery life.

Tom's Guide: ★★★★

Buy it if: You want to save on an AI-capable unlocked phone with a terrific display and phone features.

Don't buy it if: You are a power user and crave a larger display or a 5x optical zoom lens (as found on the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL).

Melissa Perenson
Contributing Writer

Melissa Perenson has deep expertise in phones, tablets, e-readers, laptops, monitors, storage, and cameras. She buys way too many of the things she writes about it and has worked as an editor at Forbes Vetted, PCWorld, PCMag, and ZDNet, and as a writer at countless publications, including Laptop Mag, Tom’s Guide, and TechRadar.