Taylor Kerns / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google now sells refurbished Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones starting at $489 and $699, respectively.
- Both phones are guaranteed updates well into 2030.
- The Pixel 9a or a Pixel 9 or 9 Pro XL (if discounted) may be a better bargain, depending on your priorities.
Google started selling refurbished Pixel phones about a year ago, starting with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7. A few weeks ago, it dropped the aging Pixel 6 — currently guaranteed OS updates through October 2026 — from the rotation. Now, Google’s added a newer old phone to its refurb offerings: the Pixel 8 is back on the Google Store, starting at $489.
9to5Google spotted today that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have joined the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel 7a on Google’s Certified Refurbished storefront. The 128-gig Pixel 8 goes for $489, down from its $699 MSRP; the 256-gig model is $539. As of publication, the refurbished 8 Pro is only available with 128 gigabytes of storage for $699, down from $999.
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The Pixel 8 is a nice little phone, and one of my personal favorites in the Pixel line. It was the first Pixel to benefit from Google’s now-standard seven-year OS update timeline, which shakes out to guaranteed updates into October of 2030. Even so, at $489, it might not be a great buy for most people.
A brand-new Pixel 9a goes for $499, and that phone has been discounted well below the Pixel 8’s $489 refurbished price tag as recently as last weekend. The 9a comes with a newer Tensor G4 chipset; the same eight gigs of RAM; a brighter, marginally larger display; a bigger battery; and OS updates into 2032. The Pixel 8 does have a larger primary camera sensor (1/1.31″ to the 9a’s 1/2″) and slightly faster charging (27 watts vs 23), but overall, most buyers would probably do better with the newer 9a.
A refurbished 8 Pro for $699 might be a slightly more appealing option for anyone looking to nab a large-screen Google phone. The Pixel 10 Pro XL starts at $1,199, and last year’s 9 Pro XL still goes for $1,099. But we’ve seen renewed 8 Pros go for as low as $355 from other retailers this year, and sales on the Pixel 9 Pro XL have brought it down to within $50 of Google’s renewed 8 Pro price. It’s nice Google is selling refurbs at all, but it’d be great to see more reasonable price points.
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