[cipheredStones]

My current phone, a Pixel 6 Pro, is becoming unusable due to screen flickering.* I have an unopened Pixel 8 Pro on my desk that I got for ~$700 after cashback during Prime Day last month, and I've been waiting for this launch so I could consider the possibility of returning it and getting the new model.

So far, looking at this, I can't find any differences between the 8 Pro and the 9 Pro XL that I think I'd actually notice. It would be kind of nice to get the smaller 9 Pro for the sake of my wrists, but not enough to pay an extra $400 for.

Am I missing anything? Or is this just a heavily hyped release of a tiny incremental upgrade?

*I'd be more inclined to hold this against Google and not get another Pixel if my previous phone, a Samsung flagship, hadn't died in approximately the same way after approximately the same lifespan.