The 5 best upgrades on Google’s newest budget phone, the Pixel 9a

In some areas, the budget version is even better than the flagship Pixel 9 series

Pauline Vu
·Senior Reporter
·3 min read
13
Google's Pixel 9a smartphone comes in four colors: Obsidian, Porcelain, Peony and Iris. (Google)

Google recently unveiled the newest version of its budget smartphone, the Google Pixel 9a, which is part of the tech giant's wallet-friendly A-series lineup.

Starting at $499 for 128GB, the 9a is $300 less than a comparable baseline Pixel 9 and the same price as its predecessor, the Pixel 8a. Apple's budget iPhone 16e starts at $599, a $170 increase over its previous budget model (although that one was released in 2022).

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So how does the Pixel 9a compare to the Pixel 8a and the rest of the Pixel 9 series lineup, which includes the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL? So far, tech experts are impressed. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the Pixel 9a’s best upgrades.

The Pixel 9a’s battery life got a huge improvement, offering over 30 hours of battery life and lasting 25% longer than the Pixel 8a.

In fact, it’s even better than all the other phones in the Pixel 9 lineup, with a 5,100mAh battery compared to the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s 5,060-mAh battery and Pixel 9 and 9 Pro’s 4,700-mAh. Not bad for the lineup’s budget phone.

The Google Pixel 9a encases its cameras in a small pill-shaped bump in the phone’s left corner.
The Google Pixel 9a encases its cameras in a small pill-shaped bump in the phone’s left corner. (Google)

The Pixel 9a’s biggest design change is that it got rid of the Pixel’s signature camera bar that encases the rear cameras in a horizontal line. Even the Pixel 9 kept its camera bar. Instead, the Pixel 9a's cameras are housed in a small pill-shaped bump in its left corner, giving the Pixel 9a a nearly flat back — and a sleeker aesthetic.

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Google also significantly bumped up the brightness for the 9a. Its peak of 2,700 nits equals the Pixel 9’s max brightness and blows away the Pixel 8a’s 2,000 nits.

One area where the Pixel 9a trails the regular Pixel 9 is the materials used in its build. While both have an aluminum frame, the Pixel 9a has a plastic back compared to the Pixel 9’s glass body.

The Pixel 9a is powered by the Tensor G4 chip, the same chip as the rest of the Pixel 9 lineup and an upgrade from the Pixel 8a’s previous-generation Tensor G3.

Additionally, the Pixel 9a, like all the phones in the Pixel 9 lineup, comes with seven years of software updates, including all the latest Android features, security patches and new Pixel tools.

The Google Pixel 9a went on sale in the U.S. on April 10.
The Google Pixel 9a went on sale in the U.S. on April 10. (Google)

The Pixel 9a comes with a 48MP main camera, which seems to be a downgrade from the Pixel 8a’s 64MP camera. However, the 9a also comes with a 48MP sensor comparable to the one in Google’s 9 Pro Fold, which has a bigger aperture for capturing more light and should result in sharper photos.

Thanks to its Tensor G4 chip, the Pixel 9a offers the same Google AI tools as the rest of the Pixel 9 lineup, which will also allow for better photos. In addition to older AI photo editing tools like Magic Editor, Night Sight, Photo Unblur and Magic Eraser, the Pixel 9a is the first in the A-series to offer Macro Focus and a tool called “Add Me,” which allows the user to insert people into group photos or combine two group pics into one.

Pixel 9a users will also get access to Google’s Gemini AI features.

The information included within this article was produced in part with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The statements in this article do not necessarily reflect the positions, strategies or opinions of AT&T.