Why I Cancelled and Returned My Pixel 10 Pro XL for 9 Pro XL

I always have this knack of getting my hands on the latest flagships, and Pixel has always been my preferred OEM. So it only made sense, or so I thought, to go for the Pixel 10 Pro XL . And that’s what I did. My current device was an iPhone 14 Plus, which was in perfect condition, but I can’t just stand this iOS usability. I have been using Android devices for the past 12 years or so, but decided to jump on the hype mill and get my hands on the devices from the Cupertino giant.

But from day 1, I lamented this decision of mine. But now that I had it, I had to atleast use it for a couple of years. Well, after around 1 and a half years, I gave up [with iOS 26 and Liquid Glass design playing a major part in the same]. At the same time, one of Pixel’s official retailers in India, Flipkart, was running its sale, which is dubbed as Big Billion Days and runs around Diwali.

So after doing the math, I found out I can get the Pixel 10 Pro XL at Rs 86000/$970 [the actual cost was Rs 1,24,999, but I exchanged my iPhone 14 Plus, which gave me Rs 30,000, and then applied a few bank offers as well. Well, it was a decent deal, so I ordered the device right away.

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It would take a couple of days to reach [tonight], so in the meantime, I scrolled around the apps for other smartphone deals [I do so every year just to get myself acquainted with what’s going around the tech corners during this time of the year]. And I stumbled upon the Pixel 9 Pro XL. What followed left me in a state of shock and amusement in equal measures.

After applying the same offers and exchanges that I did for the Pixel 10 Pro XL, I can grab the Pixel 9 Pro XL for around Rs 54000/$609! Now I did some in-depth comparison of both the devices, and it’s true that the latest flagship does have some additional perks over its predecessor, but are they really worth it, atleast to me? Let’s find out!

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  • The Pixel 10 Pro XL has 100x Zoom, which I am hardly ever going to use.
  • The 10 Pro XL has some exclusive AI features that will trickle down to the 9 series as well [sooner than later].
  • As strange as it may sound, I don’t use wireless charging. So the faster Qi2 wireless charging does mean much to me.
  • The 10 Pro XL will reach Android 23 as opposed to Android 21 for the Pixel 9 Pro XL. But I usually upgrade a device after 3 years, so that wouldn’t matter much to me.

Yes, I find the color [moonstone] and the design of the 10 Pro XL better than the 9 Pro XL, but spending an extra Rs 32,000 [$361] just for these two features just doesn’t make much financial sense .

So then I did what actually made sense- cancelled and returned my Pixel 10 Pro XL for the Pixel 9 Pro XL. Trust me, for the first time, I had taken a purchasing decision in haste without comparing all the available options in my hand. I was just elated to see that the flagship was finally within my reach, so I ordered it without seeing the pros and cons.

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Just to make my stand clear, I would still, any day of the week, go for the Pixel 10 Pro XL over its predecessor, but that would be the day only when it makes sense from the financial point of view. Just having a flagship for the sake of bragging rights, without having a second look at your finances, is a strict no!

Cancelled and Returned My Pixel 10 Pro XL for 9 Pro XL: It Finally Made Sense!

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