Refresh
If you need any one reason to choose a Pixel 9a over other Pixel phones, it’s the battery life. Google Tensor processors have never been very efficient and that has resulted in poor battery life, but big thermal changes and an even bigger battery make the Pixel 9a the Pixel phone to get for battery life.
Android Central’s Michael Hicks and Brady Snyder both said they were able to get around 2 days of use out of a single charge, something that’s absolutely never been true of any Pixel phone to date. Most Pixel A-series phones struggled to last just one day, much less into the second at all.
That’s all while packing the exact same Tensor G4 processor as all the more expensive Pixel 9 series phones. Yes, that even includes the $1700 Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
When Apple launched the iPhone 16e last month, many were left scratching their heads. Not only was the phone too expensive for what it offered, but Apple only shipped it with a single camera on the back. As Android Authority points out this morning, Apple’s phone looks even worse now that the Pixel 9a is out.
While both the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e feature a similar 48MP main camera, Google’s photo processing has outpaced Apple’s for some time. The Pixel is better at capturing subjects in motion than an iPhone — I’ve named Pixel phones the best phones for parents for years because of this — and the more color-accurate Pixel 9a camera also helps make photos look more like real life.
And while the main camera is definitely an upgrade over the iPhone 16e, the Pixel 9a’s secondary rear camera is the real star of the show here. Not only is it a super high-quality ultrawide camera but it also doubles as a macro camera that delivers some of the best macro shots you’ll find on any phone. That’s not something your ordinary $500 phone can claim, and definitely not something the $600 iPhone 16e can do at all.
While the Pixel 9a doesn’t fall into the “small” phone category with its 6.7-inch display — see it next to the regular Pixel 9 above — Michael noted that it was easier to hold than most budget phones in its class. Some of that is thanks to weight, but a lot of it is down to the design.
Aside from making it flatter, Google also improved the Pixel 9A’s water and dust resistance rating over the 8a, giving it the IP68 rating of its full-priced flagship models. Unfortunately, this one uses older Gorilla Glass 3 on the front and back, so we don’t recommend going caseless unless you’re ultra careful with your phones.
A good Pixel 9a screen protector will keep it protected for a long time to come. Plus, unlike some other screen protectors, these won’t interfere with that ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the display.
Back on the design, there’s sure to be a love/hate relationship with Google’s changes. No, I don’t mean the camera bar, mean the flattening of the overall phone. Gone are the smooth curves and ergonomic edges of the Pixel 8a’s river rock design and, in their place, are very flat sides and a totally flat front and back. This makes the phone feel like a slate rather than the “friendly” design of last year’s model.
But, as Google previously noted, most people won’t notice the design change because it’s going to be in a case. There are already some amazing Google Pixel 9a cases to grab, so if that’s your plan, the wider, flatter Pixel 9a will feel just fine.
Google swapped out the 64MP main camera from the Pixel 8a and replaced it with a 48MP camera on the Pixel 9a. While this sounds like a downgrade on paper, the 9a actually improves quality over the 8a in some scenarios. Brady Snyder conducted a full Pixel 9a camera review for us, which breaks down all of the differences.
Here’s the TLDR version for now if you don’t have to time to look at the longer article. The Pixel 9a noticeably improves color science over the Pixel 8a, delivering some of the most accurate colors from a Pixel camera in years. Daytime shots look incredible as a result, and you’ll enjoy great AI features like Best Take any time of the day. Plus, the new Macro Mode turns out jaw-dropping macro shots.
In low light, there is a slight drop in sharpness and detail versus the Pixel 8a but, as Brady points out, you’d need to zoom in a lot to notice anything different. All in all, this is the Pixel camera you’re looking for, and it’s guaranteed to outperform anything in this price segment.
Alright, let’s talk about that big design change first. There’s no shortage of controversy around Google removing the camera bar on the Pixel 9A, but Google says the change was made to prioritize function over form. The phone is thicker than the Pixel 8A and looks a lot less unique, but it comes with several advantages because of the change.
Google broke the Pixel 9A down to its base components, added a huge vapor chamber to keep the Tensor G4 extra cool, then slapped a giant battery on top. That meant adding the camera bar would have made the phone unacceptably thick, by Google’s standards, so the bar had to go. Thankfully, the left-aligned camera module didn’t result in a wobbly phone despite the camera bar removal, which is a big sigh of relief.
If you’re not an AT&T customer or don’t want to switch to AT&T for some reason, other carriers have good deals worth taking a look at, too. T-Mobile is also offering a free pair of Pixel Buds A-Series deal when you get a Pixel 9a through the Uncarrier. Plus, the Pixel 9a is free when you add a new line with T-Mobile, which might be even more cost-effective than AT&T’s deal, depending on your plan with the company.
US Mobile is offering a $799 bundle deal that includes a regular Pixel 9 PLUS a Pixel 9a. You’ll need to opt for an Annual Starter or Premium plan through US Mobile to get the deal, but it’s pretty slick being able to get two amazing Pixel 9 phones for this price.
Lastly, Verizon is offering the Pixel 9a for free to all new customers. Existing customers won’t get the deal, which is always sad, but Verizon does offer a rather excellent Google One AI Premium add-on for $10 a month, which includes all the amazing features of Google’s $20 plan — like full access to Gemini Live and tons of cloud storage — for half the price.
If you live in the U.S. and are looking for a great Google Pixel 9a deal, all the major carriers (and even some smaller carriers) are running great launch-day sales. THE MOST RIDICULOUS deal is from AT&T, which is selling the Pixel 9a for just $2.99 a month with any unlimited plan. That’s on a 36-month payment plan, but that only brings the TOTAL cost to $107. Keep in mind the Pixel 9a retails for $499, and you think you’ve gotten the deal of a lifetime, but AT&T isn’t done.
Grab a Pixel 9a today from AT&T, and they’ll also toss in a pair of Pixel Buds A-Series for free. That gets you a pair of legit fully wireless earbuds plus Google’s best A-series phone yet for roughly $500 less than you’d pay if you bought them outright. It’s impossible to find a better deal than this!
Before we dive into some of the phone’s features, let’s talk pricing. The Pixel A-series has long prided itself on delivering extreme value at a mid-range price. That means renowned Pixel camera quality, one of the fastest processors for the price, and seven years of software updates that keep it feeling fresh for a long time.
You can grab the phone unlocked from Google for $499 / £499 / €549 / CA$679 / Rs 49,999, which nets you 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Roughly $100 more will double your storage, which could be helpful if you’re planning on keeping it the full seven years. That’s 2032, to put things in full perspective!
But if you don’t want to buy it straight from Google for some reason, that’s no big deal. You can also find the phone unlocked at Amazon, unlocked or with a carrier deal at Best Buy, or elsewhere in four excellent colors.
After a few weeks’ delay, the Google Pixel 9a is finally here! We’ve loved the Pixel A-series for years, but this year gave us reason to worry. In addition to that “component quality issue” that caused the delay, there has been concern about performance issues, limited RAM, and the controversial new design language.
Thankfully, our reviewer, Michael Hicks, reports that Google’s latest budget flagship was worth the wait. With the best battery life of any Pixel to date — yes, better than all the more expensive models — plus the same Tensor G4 processor as the more expensive Pixel 9 phones, it’s hard to say no to the Pixel 9a.
