The push for the newest, biggest and most feature-packed devices typically leads to a lot strain that purchasing the rest can really feel like self-betrayal. And whereas the Pixel 9a is technically a brand new system, its chip is six months outdated. The identical goes for its design, which is almost a carbon copy of its older sibling. To make issues even worse, this telephone is supposed to be a extra inexpensive entry into the Pixel telephone household, which looks like a loss of life sentence for anybody who cares about maintaining with the Joneses (or simply probably the most up-to-date specs). However you understand what? That is okay, as a result of beginning at $500, the Pixel 9a provides the perfect worth of any Android telephone immediately.
Design and show: Easy however sturdy
The Pixel 9a appears to be like so just like the commonplace mannequin — particularly from the entrance — that it is arduous to inform them aside till you place them aspect by aspect. When you do, you may discover the 9a options barely thicker bezels. However except for that, there aren’t a ton of variations. You continue to get a comparatively compact 6.3-inch OLED show with a 120Hz refresh charge and a peak brightness of two,700 nits, similar to on the common Pixel 9. It is sharp, it is colourful and it is merely top-of-the-line shows on this worth vary.
Engadget/Google
Between having the most important battery on any Pixel but, a easy however strong construct, a pleasant display screen and help for almost all of Google’s AI options, the $499 Pixel 9a is likely to be the perfect worth of any Android telephone out proper now.
- Smooth design
- Superior battery life
- Good show
- Nice cameras
- IP68 ranking for mud and water resistance
- Charging may very well be sooner
- No Pixel Screenshot app
- Macro Focus mode is usually a bit finicky
For those who choose each of them up, you might also discover that the 9a can also be a contact lighter (6.56 ounces vs 6.98 ounces). That discrepancy is because of Google forgoing Gorilla Glass 3 for the backpanel in favor of recycled polycarbonate (aka plastic). That stated, you continue to get a sturdy aluminum body (additionally constructed from recycled supplies) and an IP68 ranking for mud and water resistance.
The 9a’s largest departure by far is that in contrast to each different Pixel relationship again to the Pixel 6, it would not have a big bar or visor housing its cameras. As an alternative, you get a small teardrop-shaped protrusion that homes the principle and ultra-wide shooters. The module is so shallow it virtually sits flush in opposition to the telephone, which makes this one of many few handsets in latest reminiscence that truly sits flat on a desk. Granted, this can be a actually minor design tweak, however as somebody who would not like instances, I feel it is a good contact.
Efficiency: Ok velocity
Identical to the remainder of the Pixel 9 household, the 9a is powered by Google’s Tensor G4 chip. The most important change is that as a substitute of that includes 12GB of RAM, you solely get 8GB. That stated, except you are ceaselessly switching between apps or doing extra intense issues like gaming or video modifying, you are not actually going to note an enormous distinction. In Geekbench 6, each telephones posted very related outcomes with a multi-core rating of 4,294 for the 9a and 4,360 for the usual Pixel 9. The largest potential impression of this for most individuals is that you just will not be capable of have fairly as many apps working within the background, and for those who swap between them typically, it’s possible you’ll spend some further time reloading.
The Pixel 9a additionally helps almost all of Google’s AI-powered instruments together with useful stuff like automotive crash detection and Name Help. You even have entry to extra superior instruments like Gemini Stay (together with digicam and display screen sharing) and Pixel Studio (now with the power to generate pictures of individuals), the latter of which is usually a enjoyable manner of making foolish customized pictures to troll your pals. Properly, a minimum of that is what I exploit it for.
Nonetheless, software program help is not fairly the identical as you get on dearer fashions. That is as a result of one app that I’ve grown fairly keen on on latest Pixels — Google’s Screenshots app — is not obtainable on the Pixel 9a. That is positively a bummer, as a result of I discovered the power to make use of AI to shortly search by means of all of the screencaps I’ve taken is manner higher than doing it manually. I am not completely certain why it is not obtainable contemplating among the different machine learning-based options that do work. However when requested, a Google consultant informed me that as a way to “keep a $499 beginning worth, the corporate did must make some trade-offs. In consequence, some [of the standard Pixel 9’s] options will not be obtainable on the Pixel 9a.”
Cameras: Higher picture high quality than telephones twice its worth
When it was first introduced, Google claimed the 9a would have the perfect cameras of any telephone underneath $500. And after contemplating the Pixel household’s pedigree for glorious picture high quality, I pitted the telephone’s 48-MP predominant digicam and 13-MP ultra-wide cam up in opposition to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely to provide it an actual problem. And regardless of costing $800 much less, it acquitted itself with aplomb.
In a daytime photograph of a comfy espresso store, the Pixel 9a preserved extra particulars and produced a usually higher wanting picture than an identical pic taken by the S25U (although a part of that is because of Samsung’s tendency to oversharpen). However maybe an excellent higher instance of this was after I took pictures of a croquette. Not solely did the Pixel 9a’s shot look extra correct, it featured higher colours and was usually way more appetizing. And in low gentle, I received related outcomes with the 9a doing an ideal job with white steadiness whereas capturing sharp, detailed pictures regardless of the powerful situations.
Whereas the Pixel 9a would not have a devoted telephoto lens, Google tries to make up for that with Tremendous Res Zoom, which makes use of AI to help as much as 8x digital zoom. On high of that, the telephone has a macro focus mode. That stated, you will not discover a particular setting for it within the Digicam app, as a result of it prompts robotically everytime you get actually near one thing. You may know it is working once you see a tiny flower icon pop up within the nook of the display screen. I discovered this mode offers you a approach to seize a bit extra element, however nailing focus is usually a bit finicky. I typically needed to regulate the telephone a tiny bit ahead or backward to seek out the digicam’s candy spot.
Battery Life: The perfect but from any Pixel
Geared up with a 5,100 mAh energy pack, the Pixel 9a simply barely beats out its largest sibling — the Pixel 9 Professional XL (5,060 mAh) — for probably the most battery capability amongst Google’s telephones. What’s extra, the corporate claims the 9a has the perfect runtime of any of its handsets, which based mostly on my testing, is not simply scorching air. On our commonplace native video rundown check, the Pixel 9a lasted simply over 28 hours on a single cost (28:04). That is half an hour higher than what I received from an everyday Pixel 9. Not too shabby.
The draw back is that the telephone’s charging speeds have not improved since final 12 months, so you continue to get lackluster charges when utilizing both wired (23 watts) or Qi wi-fi (7.5 watts) energy adapters. That is notably slower than what you get from a typical Pixel 9 (27 watts wired and 15 watts wi-fi), which might be probably the most compelling causes you’d need to improve to the 9a’s dearer siblings. To raised spotlight the telephone’s torpid charging speeds, I put it on a suitable pad at 25 % battery and after 10 minutes, it solely sucked down an additional 5 %. On the 9a, wi-fi charging is unquestionably one thing you employ extra for comfort than velocity.
Wrap-up
Look, the Pixel 9a may not be jam-packed with fancy options and its uncooked specs aren’t tremendous spectacular. I might like to see Google add a real telephoto lens and its charging speeds (each wired and wi-fi) may very well be higher. However for $500, Google’s most budget-friendly telephone covers all of the bases after which some.
The 9a’s digicam high quality can hold with flagships twice its worth and it has greater than sufficient efficiency for all however probably the most demanding avid gamers or multitaskers. While you add in help for nearly all of Google’s software program just like the Recorder app, Pixel Studio and extra, you get a extremely compelling package deal. Plus, the dearth of an enormous digicam bump means this factor is surprisingly modern. If my youngsters have been sufficiently old to wish a cellular phone, that is what I might purchase. For everybody who says that each one they need is a straightforward, strong handset with a pleasant display screen that may take high-quality pictures, this factor is primary in all the perfect methods.