On Wednesday, Google announced the Pixel 9A. Just a couple of hours later, we found out there’s been a minor delay in actually getting the phone into people’s hands.
The Verge reported that pre-orders have not been opened for Pixel 9A yet, despite Google usually doing so right as a device is announced, due to an unspecified hardware problem with the phones. In a statement to The Verge, Google confirmed that there is a “component quality issue” affecting a “small number” of Pixel 9A devices, which means the phone will not be on shelves until sometime in April.
This certainly explains a couple of odd things about the Pixel 9A rollout. The lack of pre-order availability was the biggest sign that something was wrong, but as The Verge noted (and Mashable can confirm), nobody in the media has gotten a review unit, either. As to what the actual problem is, all anyone can do is speculate. Maybe it’s the battery, maybe it’s the display, or maybe it’s something else entirely.
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It’s a shame because the Pixel 9A is one of the more interesting Google hardware launches in a minute. Unlike most of the Pixel A-series phones, it’s a fairly radical redesign of the Pixel 9 that it’s based on, as it removes the rear camera bump that has defined the Pixel aesthetic for years. At just $499 with a Tensor G4 chip and a 120Hz refresh rate, one could argue the Pixel 9A is a substantially better value than the $599 iPhone 16e, which is still stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate.
Keep an eye out for more info on this in the next few weeks.
