How to Pick the Right Pixel 4 and Where to Preorder It

Google’s Pixel 4 phones are here. There are two new models to choose from: the Pixel 4 and the larger Pixel 4 XL. If you’re trying to decide which one to get and where to buy it, look no further. We’ve broken down all the preordering options and found the best places to snag a new Pixel 4 before it ships on October 24.

If you’d like to see what else Google announced, including other new devices like the Pixel Buds earphones, Pixelbook Go laptop, and Nest Mini speaker with Google Assistant, check out our full coverage of Google’s fall hardware event.

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Picking the Right Pixel for You

Google’s latest flagship handset comes in two sizes: the 5.7-inch Pixel 4 and the 6.3-inch Pixel 4 XL. Aside from the screen, the hardware is each version is identical.

Both Phones have OLED displays with the same resolution as last year’s Pixel 3. Google has added HDR support, so this year’s screens can better represent lights and darks. The new display is UHDA certified, which means it meets the industry standard for showing high dynamic range content. The bigger screen news in this update is the 90-megahertz refresh rate, which should make scrolling through webpages and apps feel even more smooth.

Also new is the dual camera system. Google has plopped a 16-megapixel telephoto lens alongside the more familiar 12-megapixel wide angle lens. The Pixel 4 camera system still relies heavily on Google’s computational photography for many of its features, but the new lens allows for even more camera cleverness.

The Pixel 4 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chip with 6 gigabytes of RAM. Both versions of the Pixel 4 are available with two storage capacity options; one with 64 GB of storage and one with 128 GB. If you can swing it, go for 128 GB. If you can only afford the smaller capacity, learn to use the cloud backup features in Google Photos, which can clear up a lot of space.

Aside from the specs, the Pixel 4 also looks significantly different from last year’s model—at least, as much as a rectangular smartphone handset can. The characteristic dual-tone back panel that defined the first three generations is gone. Instead the Pixel 4 adopts a more uniform look on the back that’s similar to its high-end competitors like the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy. The Pixel 4 even has a glossy-backed option. Also gone is the rear fingerprint sensor—the Pixel 4 instead relies on face recognition to quickly unlock the phone.