Black Friday is upon us again, which means it’s an excellent time to save on those tech purchases you’ve been putting off. The latest and greatest from companies like Google and Samsung is available at a discount this holiday sale season, of course — but Black Friday also makes an excellent time to pick up last year’s tech for a song. Right now, you can grab Google’s 2023 hardware at truly fantastic price points. With devices like the Pixel 8 and Pixel Watch 2 available at steep discounts, it’s almost hard to recommend the newer versions.
No Thanks, Keep Reading
The Pixel 8 is down to $450
The latest Pixel 9 improves on last year’s Pixel 8 in the expected ways: it’s a little faster, its battery lasts a little longer, and the photos it takes are a little better. But having used each phone for months, I can confirm that the differences are hardly night and day. Yes, the Pixel 9 has a more premium, boxier build, and access to a few AI-based apps like Pixel Studio and Pixel Screenshots. But the Pixel 8 is still guaranteed Android OS updates until 2031 at the earliest, and for AI tasks that mostly play out in the cloud — eg, using Gemini or certain Google Lens features — the Pixel 8 is every bit as capable as Google’s newer phones.
For Black Friday, the Pixel 8 is down to $450 — $250 off its original retail price, and $200 under the Pixel 9’s Black Friday sale price. For me, the Pixel 8 at $450 is a much better buy than the Pixel 9 at $650; it’s a remarkably similar experience for $200 less. If you’re in the market for something larger, the Pixel 8 Pro is going for $599, or $250 less than the similarly sized Pixel 9 Pro XL will run you this Black Friday.
Don’t get me wrong: the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL are unequivocally better phones than the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. But considering last year’s phones were already very good, and that you can get them for hundreds less than the newer models, I strongly recommend going last-gen if you’re looking to upgrade from something that’s already a few years old.
-
Google Pixel 8
$450 $699 Save $249The Pixel 8 isn’t the latest and greatest from Google anymore, but it is a killer deal at just $450 for Black Friday.
-
Google Pixel 8 Pro
$649 $999 Save $350If you’re looking for something larger, the Pixel 8 Pro is also a strong bargain at $649 — a full $350 off its retail price.
Grab the Pixel Watch 2 for $145
The Black Friday situation is largely the same for Google’s wearables. The latest 41mm Pixel Watch 3 is down to $280 this weekend, a solid $70 off MSRP. Last year’s Pixel Watch 2, meanwhile, is going for more than a hundred bucks less at just $145.
The Pixel Watch 3 is, of course, better than the Pixel Watch 2. The newer watch has a larger, brighter display, longer battery life, and currently enjoys exclusive access to Fitbit Premium’s AI-powered run training that generates daily runs for you, based on your goals and previous performance. That run training functionality may be appealing to you; I’ve been using it consistently since upgrading from Pixel Watch 2 to Pixel Watch 3. But otherwise, for most people, the Pixel Watch 2 experience will be nearly identical to what the Pixel Watch 3 can provide, especially if you don’t mind charging about once every 24 hours.
There’s one major exception here: the Pixel Watch 3 comes in two sizes — 41 and 45mm — while the older Pixel Watch 2 is only available in a compact 41mm form factor. If you can’t live with a small smartwatch, you’ll want to grab the bigger Pixel Watch 3. The 45mm version is $330 for Black Friday, $70 off retail.
Google Pixel Watch 2
The Pixel Watch 2 is a very competent smartwatch, and for Black Friday, you can get it at a very fair price: the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi model is down to just $145.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is $300 off
If there’s one Google product category where I don’t recommend going last-gen this Black Friday, it’s foldables. This year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold represents a sizeable generational leap over the original Pixel Fold in a lot of ways, particularly when it comes to build and display quality. While the newer model’s improved software experience did eventually make its way to the older folder, the first-gen Fold’s hardware will always feel clunky and underbaked.
Both models are on sale for Black Friday. The newer 9 Pro Fold is $1,499 — still a ton of money to spend on a phone, to be sure, but it’s $300 off MSRP, matching the lowest price we’ve seen to date. The original Fold is $1,199, which technically makes for a savings of $600 off retail. But if you’re set on spending four figures on a phone this Black Friday, I think you’ll be better served ponying up the $300 difference and grabbing the newer 9 Pro Fold. It really is a much better foldable phone experience.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is leaps and bounds ahead of the older Pixel Fold, especially when it comes to hardware quality. For Black Friday, it’s $300 off, going for $1,499.
