Google Pixel 9a fast charging upgrade is one step forward, two steps back

Last year’s Pixel 8a packed a modest 4,500mAh battery and sluggish 18W charging speed that wowed no one. So, one of the most welcome upgrades to Google’s new Pixel 9a is a much larger 5,100mAh power cell and faster 23W charging capabilities — a power level that now matches the flagship Pixel 9 model.

Has Google finally nailed battery life and charging on the Pixel 9a? Well, we’ve certainly been impressed by the former, but I took our handset to our lab to see if Google’s historically finicky charging finally comes good.

How fast does the Pixel 9a charge?

Using a high-powered USB Power Delivery PPS charger, I observed 25W reaching the Pixel 9a, which is slightly higher than its advertised charging capabilities. That seemingly innocuous PPS part is important; if you use the same basic USB PD charger as last year’s model, you’ll be restricted to 18W on the 9a. You need a PPS-compliant charger to negotiate this year’s higher power level, such as Google’s latest 45W wall charger ($29.99 at Amazon), just like you do for Google’s flagship phones.

Impressively, the Pixel 9a’s peak power level is sustained for about 20 minutes, ensuring a reasonably quick top-up when you first plug the phone in. However, the caveat is that the phone reaches 40.4°C in that time, warm enough to flash a minor warning light for battery longevity. Thankfully, this temperature is only reached temporarily, causing power levels to throttle back to 18W to keep heat under control. That said, the phone is still noticeably warmer than the previous Pixel 8a and doesn’t sustain power for quite as long as the more expensive Pixel 9. So, consider it as landing somewhere in between.

Still, that power improvement means the Pixel 9a charges to 50% in 30 minutes, 75% in 50 minutes, and full in a still painfully slow 94 minutes. Due to the larger 5,100mAh battery, the 9a is only a handful of minutes faster to full than the Pixel 8a and doesn’t reach 50% or 75% really any quicker either. Equally, because it warms up and throttles back sooner than the Pixel 9, the phone doesn’t hit that all-important 50% milestone quite as quickly as Google’s small flagship either.

So, has Google done a good job with the Pixel 9a’s charging setup? On the one hand, the power capabilities are now in line with the Pixel 9 series and, despite needing a new plug, that power boost is a welcome, if not overdue, addition to the A series. We’ve seen an increasing number of phones around the $499 mark accommodate faster charging speeds, so it’s good to see Google keeping up with the competition.

However, Google has somewhat backed itself into a corner here. The Pixel 9a needs faster charging to ensure that it doesn’t take an absolute age to fill up its larger 5,100mAh battery. However, the increased power level only keeps the phone roughly on pace with last year’s model, so it’s not really an upgrade in terms of speed. Worse, the whole setup seems to contribute to noticeably more heat while charging, which is far from ideal.

Given the Pixel 4a’s battery controversy and the Pixel 9a’s launch delay being caused by “component quality issues,” I think we’re all right to be a little cautious about temperatures when it comes to Google’s phones. The Pixel 9a certainly isn’t overly hot while charging (like some faster charging phones), but it’s warmer than last year and records higher average temperatures than the dubious Pixel 7a. While not warm enough to be alarming, it is something to think about if you’re planning to keep the Pixel 9a for as long as Google’s seven years of advertised support. I’d certainly factor in the cost of a battery replacement or possibly two.