The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Has Never Been This Cheap, So Ditch the Monthly Payment Plans
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The unlocked smartphone is an amazingly underutilized bit of technology. While the overwhelming majority of cellular customers reflexively walk into the store of one of the major carriers and immediately lock themselves into a plan, a contract, and a long installment purchase of a new smartphone, anyone with an unlocked phone has the freedom to shop around and jump between plans and carriers at will.
With that in mind, when a really good sale on a really good unlocked smartphone pops up, you should be taking a long look and considering life as a cellular free agent. And now’s one of those times — Amazon just dropped the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL back to its all-time low price of just $799, a 27% cut from its regular retail price of $1,099.
Why Go Unlocked?Avoiding the long installment plans that big carriers lock you into every time you buy a new smartphone or upgrade to a newer model is reason enough, but there are other benefits to owning an unlocked smartphone like the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. You have the freedom to pick and choose between carriers, since the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is compatible with nearly all of them, including Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. Sign up with one and connect with their SIM card, and if another drops a better offer your way 6 months later? Go for it — with an unlocked smartphone all you need to do is swap out the SIM card.
Speaking of that SIM card, it’s also the key to making cellular usage on your international trips easier and much less expensive. International roaming rates from US carriers can be astronomically high, but with an unlocked smartphone you can purchase a local SIM card (many are available right at the airport at your destination) and pop it in, and you’ll be paying far lower local rates or paying as you go.
The Perfect Escape PlanCombine the benefits of going with an unlocked smartphone with the many great features of the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and you’ll wonder why you ever locked yourself into a single carrier in the first place. The Pixel 9 Pro’s triple rear camera captures incredibly detailed closeups and vibrant images even in low light. It also shoots 8K video, captures amazing nighttime videos with Night Sight Video technology, and can zoom up to 20x with Super Res Zoom Video mode activated.
Google’s high-res Super Actua display is capable of hitting 3000 nits of peak brightness, and refreshing at a crisp 120Hz for prime gaming and streaming on the crystal-clear 6.8-inch screen. Factor in the 24-hour battery life of the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Gemini — Google’s powerful AI chatbot and the world’s most popular AI assistant — and the one-time purchase for just $799 during Amazon’s 27%-off sale will make your newfound status as a cellular free agent all the more rewarding.
gizmodo