The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are finally available in stores everywhere, with all sorts of trade-in offers and cashback deals to lure in some early adopters. We've fallen in love with Google's latest hardware — both of them are some of the best Android phones you can buy today, bar none. That said, they aren't necessarily our favorite Pixel phones of all time, nor are they the ones that first stole our hearts away.

Last week, our readers selected the Pixel 6 Pro as their all-time best Pixel in a bracket-based Twitter showdown. This week, some of AP's editors and writers got together to share their own selections for their favorite Pixel phones, and the submissions may surprise you.

Sara Gitkos - Google Pixel 2

After owning the original Pixel, the Google Pixel 2 was a huge difference. It was sleek, sturdy, and above all else, had the most wonderful camera. Plus, it was cutting-edge technology in a tight little package. I was upset when I upgraded to the Pixel 4; I experienced so many life events with my Pixel 2 that it was hard to picture(ha!) life without it.

While the Pixel 4 was a great upgrade, I didn’t know what I had ‘til it was gone. You know, stuff like long battery life and the slightly smaller screen. (Look, I’m small, I hate purses, and my pockets are small.) Also, I miss how much of a tank the Pixel 2 was. It may not have been “durable,” but I dropped that thing more times than I could count, and it survived my chaotic, destructive nature. I really miss that, especially since I have a Pixel 6 that cracked like an egg when I dropped it once (with the case on, mind you.)

Even as I await my Google Pixel 7, I still consider switching back to my Pixel 2, but unfortunately, it’s a relic now. - Sara Gitkos, Editor and Lead Trainer

Taylor Kerns - Pixel 4

Sure, the battery sucked, and Soli on phones was misguided at best, and it was at least $100 too expensive, but all the same, I can't help but have a soft spot for the Pixel 4. I don't think it was very well aligned with most Android users' expectations, but it felt almost tailor-made for me.

With a 5.7-inch display, the non-XL version was delightfully pocketable. It also came with a 2x telephoto lens over its secondary camera. That level of magnification isn't very practical — especially now, in an era of 50-plus-megapixel primary sensors — but I've always preferred telephoto shooters to ultra-wides, and I'd eagerly pay a premium for a small Pixel 8 with a similar camera setup. Secure face unlock also beats fingerprint sensors in my book (heresy, I know), and that orange color was absolutely killer. - Taylor Kerns, Gadgets Editor

Zachary Kew-Denniss - Pixel XL

The original Pixel XL is often overlooked and forgotten, even though it kickstarted this new brand of Google smartphone. Other Pixels are more fondly remembered, despite the fact they all had more issues than the original. The Pixel's only crime was having what some would call a boring design with big bezels. Look beyond that and you have one of the most consistently performing phones Google has ever made.

The Pixel 2 XL had a lousy screen, the Pixel 3 XL had a bathtub, the Pixel 4 XL had a mediocre battery, the Pixel 5 was too modest, the Pixel 6 Pro spent all its time looking for a signal, and the Pixel 7 Pro is too new to for me to form an opinion on.

The Pixel XL, by comparison, was one of the smoother launches for Google. It had excellent build quality, looked stunning in "Very Silver" — why we don't have a decent picture of it here, I haven't the foggiest — and introduced all of us to Google Assistant and the camera magic we grew to love. Aside from my Galaxy S2 back in 2012, no phone has had me run to the front door with such glee on delivery day. I loved every moment with the Pixel XL; from hospital stays to holidays, it was an almost-perfect companion. Perhaps if the subsequent Pixels excited me this much, I'd still use them. - Zachary Kew-Denniss, AP Freelance Writer

James Peckham - Pixel 3a XL

The Google Pixel 3a XL is by no means the best Pixel phone, and I don’t want to swap back to it from my new Google Pixel 7 Pro, but instead, I appreciate the groundwork the Pixel 3a series set out for the next four or so years of phone releases. It took what made the flagship phones before it good and packaged it into a significantly cheaper device. It was half the price at $399. At the time, I was floored by what the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL could offer. Honestly, I’m pretty much always impressed by what the Pixel’s cheaper alternative can do.

In my Pixel 3a XL review at the time, I asked why you’d buy a Pixel 3 XL (or a Pixel 4 later in the year), considering that the flagship was double the price. Of course, time showed that the flagship series remained popular among Android fans. Still, the Pixel 3a series set out Google’s vision for up-to-the-minute software, pretty impressive specs, and a smooth all-around experience in a cheaper alternative to its top-end devices. I’ll always love the Pixel 3a XL for kicking it all off. - James Peckham, Editor-in-Chief

Will Sattelberg - Pixel 4a 5G

When it came time to replace my Pixel 2 XL after three long years of use, I didn't reach for the Pixel 5, nor did I pick up the year-old Pixel 4 (though based on the responses in this article, clearly I missed out). Instead, I sprang for the Pixel 4a 5G, a choice only partially influenced by my budget at the time. The Pixel 4a 5G wasn't the world's most exciting phone, but even today, I find it to be one of my favorite Android phones ever, a true example of something that just "worked."

Its screen size was just the right compromise between too big and too small, fitting comfortably in my hands without feeling overwhelming, and that matte plastic finish was a far cry from the glossy finishes on the Pixel 6 and 7 series. The camera was as good as any other Pixel phone at the time, competing with devices twice as expensive, and the battery life was unstoppable — this thing got me through more than a full day on a single charge without breaking a sweat.

Sure, it lacked some features many would find essential today, like wireless charging, a 90Hz display, and any sort of IP rating to help survive water. But it got all the basics right, and at only $450, it was a total bargain. I still use my Pixel 4a 5G today, both for installing Android betas and for using wired headphones in bed at night, and I'll be sad when it drops off Google's update list next November. But I'll never forget the utilitarian approach of the Pixel 4a 5G. Nothing flashy, nothing extravagant — just everything you needed and nothing else. - Will Sattelberg, Phones Editor

Stephen Schenck - Google Pixel 4

The Pixel 4 was the last really, really great phone Google made. Have we gotten some really nice A-series phones since then? Sure, and those are fine when you're willing to settle. But in the flagship space, everything since then has just been too large — yeah, even the Pixel 5. I love how the Pixel 4 wasn't afraid to have a nice, thick top bezel, which gave Google plenty of room for its awesome face unlock hardware — an experience I've yet to see surpassed on Android. Could the battery have been bigger? Well, mine actually ended up swelling, so if anything I'd argue it was too big. Was Soli weird and useless? Sure, but Google's at its best when it's trying odd, boundary-pushing stuff like that. - Stephen Schenck, Managing Editor

(Editor's note: After submitting this paragraph, Stephen sent me an alternate entry that simply read "MATTE GLASS.")

Matt Sholtz - Google Pixel 4

I was skeptical the Pixel line would just exist as expensive Nexus devices, seeing that polish and reliability aren’t typically Google’s strong suits. Suffice it to say, I still feel I was partially correct as I watch the fallout from every Pixel release and the endless bugs, though I did dip my toe into the water with the Pixel 4. Perhaps it was the giant forehead that drew me to the smartphone, or maybe it was the silly Motion Sense air gestures that never saw enough support to make them worthwhile, but there was something about the phone that appealed, so I went out of pocket and picked one up.

The one feature I did enjoy was how small the regular Pixel 4 is. Really, this is the main reason I wanted one, to finally go back to a small phone after using behemoths for years. Sadly the idea of a small phone is more appealing than actually using one, at least for me when my day-to-day entails testing endless amounts of games. So I only used it for a few short months, completing my one foray into Pixel land.

The funny thing is, I didn’t sell it, as I still think it’s a great size when games aren’t a factor, and the fabric case for the Pixel 4 line is hard to beat, even to this day. But this is Google we are talking about, and I’m still incredibly trepidatious regarding any Google hardware (my Stadia controller says hi, along with my bricked Pixelbook and Nexus 9). Still, for me, the Pixel 4 is the one that stood out. Too bad Motion Sense ended up being a useless gimmick. - Matt Sholtz, Games and Apps Editor

Zach Traverso - Google Pixel 2 XL

The Pixel 2 XL replaced my Motorola Droid Turbo 2, which died due to a charging port issue (good riddance to Micro USB). The Pixel 2 XL was stunning, especially in the so-called “Panda” colorway that I had. The two-tone black and white back with the bright orange power button is still probably the prettiest smartphone I’ve ever seen. I really miss it.

The phone did have a good number of issues with the screen, none of which I ever experienced. Compared to my Droid, the display was much more vibrant and bright, and I loved the default live wallpapers that came with it. I enjoyed the back-mounted fingerprint sensor, which was fast and accurate, and made getting to my homescreen easy. The best part about the phone was easily the camera. It was a fantastic point-and-shoot camera for the time, and captured many excellent photos for me. I also loved the squeeze-to-activate Assistant feature, which was incredibly underappreciated.

Ironically, I had to get a second Pixel 2 XL under warranty because the charging port on my first one broke — just like on my Droid Turbo 2. Nonetheless, I hope one day there’s a phone that excites me as much as the Pixel 2 XL did. - Zach Traverso, AP Freelance Writer

Manuel Vonau - Google Pixel 3

The Google Pixel 3 XL may go down in history as one of the worst implementations of the notch, but the smaller Pixel 3 didn’t share that same design flaw. Instead, it came with even bezels top and bottom. While these were bigger than the bezels on many other phones of its era, the Pixel 3 was still an attractive phone all around with its two-tone back and the small, pocketable form factor. For me, Google only really managed to nail design like that with the Pixel 5 and onwards (discarding the a series here), and I held on to it for all that time.

The Pixel 3 was my companion for almost three years, with me buying the phone when I first joined Android Police in 2019 and only replacing it with the Pixel 6 in 2021. That’s not to say that everything was perfect. The Pixel 3 had a notoriously weak battery life, with almost all phones I tested in the meantime being much more enduring. But I just kept coming back to the Pixel 3 due to the excellent Pixel skin, the constant and reliable software updates, and the form factor. I still wish manufacturers would create more small phones like this. Sure, there is the Asus Zenfone 8, but that’s not the norm. Just look at the brand-new Google Pixel 7 Pro, which has a screen almost as big as the 2012 Nexus 7 tablet, sans bezels. - Manuel Vonau, Google Editor

Ara Wagoner - Google Pixel 4a

From the very beginning of my Android writing career, I have lamented the whales of the smartphone market. I am a small woman with small hands and small pockets — because women’s fashion is warped beyond all sanity — and all I’ve ever wanted was a phone that fit in my front pocket and actually performed properly. The last phone to do this in my experience was the original 2013 Moto X, but Google’s second a-series Pixel came close and remains one of the most iconic phones Google ever made.

While the Google Pixel 4a wasn’t a powerhouse, it worked well, fit perfectly in my hand, gave users a great camera experience for a great price, and was reliable as any flagship. We made it our 2020 smartphone of the year for a reason, but even beyond the technical experience, it was just so refreshing to have a phone that was small compact, and easy to use again after half a decade of phones getting overpriced and over-inflated like a balloon, it was spellbinding. Say what you will about its battery — and I say “that’s what sweet, slim power banks are for” — but the Pixel 4a was the first phone in years that felt like it was perfectly made for me rather than some half-giant barbarian. - Ara Wagoner, Commerce Editor