The Pixel 9a is great for us, terrible for Google

Google has revealed the long-awaited – but heavily leaked – Pixel 9a, and it’s pretty much what we expected. That’s great news for us consumers, but not so much for Google. 

Why? Simply put, the Pixel 9a closes the gap between it and the flagship Pixel 9 more than any ‘a’ series device that came before it, so much so that the £300/$300 price difference between the two seems almost comical. 

That’s great news for us consumers, as we’re getting way more bang for our buck with the £499/$499 Pixel 9a. However, it also means there are very few reasons to opt for the £799/$799 Pixel 9 at this point. Sorry, Google, you might’ve shot yourself in the foot with this one. 

Let me explain.

These specs sound familiar

Let’s start with the screen. The Pixel 9a sees quite the upgrade in the display department, sporting a larger 6.3-inch Actua display than its 6.1-inch predecessor. If that screen size sounds familiar, it should; it’s the same size as the Pixel 9. 

It’s not just the same size either; it sports the same FHD+ resolution, dynamic 120Hz refresh rate (LTPO tech is exclusive to the Pixel 9 Pro models), 2700nit peak brightness and support for HDR10+. In fact, the only visible difference between the two is the thickness of the bezels, and there isn’t really that much in it. 

It’s a similar story when turning our attention to the cameras, and the primary camera in particular. While it might look like a downgrade compared to the 64MP snapper of its predecessor, it’s actually an upgraded lens that almost exactly mirrors that of the Pixel 9.

It might not be the full 50MP of the Pixel 9, but at 48MP, it’s not too far off. Besides, all the crucial specs, including a 1/2-inch sensor, f/1.8 aperture, OIS and PDAF autofocus, are identical, so it’s safe to assume that performance will be on par with the flagship where the main lens is concerned. 

And, as always, the ‘a’ series smartphone gets the same Tensor chipset as the flagship alternative, in this case, the Tensor G4. It’ll likely be slightly underpowered compared to that of the flagship to give it the edge in performance, but largely speaking, you can expect similar levels of performance.

That also applies to the all-important AI smarts of the device, thanks to the Tensor G4’s focus on AI performance. This means that the Pixel 9a sports many, if not all, of the same AI features as the Pixel 9, including the new Screenshots app, a smarter Gemini experience and photo editing tools like Best Take and Add Me.

In fact, with the same seven-year OS promise as the flagship Pixel 9, the Pixel 9a should get more software updates, stretching to 2032 instead of 2031. 

Ironically, the Pixel 9a offers a bigger battery than the flagship alternative, 5100mAh compared to 4700mAh. That might not sound like a big difference, but Google claims the Pixel 9a can last 30 hours on a charge, while the Pixel 9 can last around 24 hours. 

When you consider all of this, Google’s decision to branch off from the flagship Pixel design with the 9a makes a lot more sense. If the Pixel 9a also featured the redesigned camera bar present on the Pixel 9, it’d make the two phones almost identical at a glance despite that not-insignificant difference in price. 

The Pixel 9 is technically better, but is it £300/$300 better?

It’s safe to say that the two smartphones are pretty similar, but of course, the Pixel 9 is the more capable of the two. The Pixel 9, for example, offers an upgraded glass rear in place of the plastic composite alternative on offer from the Pixel 9a, which adds to the flagship’s overall premium feel. 

It also boasts improved durability on the front and rear compared to the Pixel 9a. Where the Pixel 9a offers the aged Gorilla Glass 3 screen protection, the Pixel 9 offers the high-end Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the screen and glass rear. 

And, while the primary cameras might be similar, the two differ wildly when it comes to the accompanying ultrawide. 

The Pixel 9 boasts a capable 48MP autofocus-enabled ultrawide with a surprisingly wide f/1.7 aperture for an ultrawide lens. Despite Google claiming improvements have been made with the Pixel 9a, it still offers a comparatively basic fixed focus 13MP f/2.2 ultrawide that’s similar to that of the Pixel 8a. 

The Pixel 9 also comes with a boosted 12GB of RAM to better handle the most demanding AI tasks compared to the 9a’s 8GB, and with 27W wired and 12.5W wireless charging, it charges faster than the Pixel 9a’s 23W and 7.5W – though there isn’t much in it.

The big question is, are all these niceties enough to justify a £799/$799 price tag when you can buy what looks to be a fantastic mid-range phone that’s very similar, or in some cases better, for £300/$300 less? I know which I’d recommend to friends and family, and let’s just say it’s not looking good for the Google Pixel 9…  

We’ve also compared the Pixel 9a to the Pixel 8a, Pixel 7a and even the iPhone 16e if you’re curious about how it stacks up to the competition.

We’ve got loads more coverage of the Pixel 9a, so check out:

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