The latest Google Pixel 9a launches price, specs and all the new features are highlighted by its fresh style and AI functions. The competition among the top low-cost phones is getting greater, with companies as big as Samsung and as young as Nothing trying to develop the best phone under $500.
However, at that price, it’s difficult to overlook Google and its Pixel A series, particularly in light of the recent announcement of a new model.
Google’s Pixel 9a, a replacement for the Pixel 8a, was released today, March 19, and it promises to deliver on all of Google’s midrange promises.
The same AI-powered features are now available in a far more affordable phone because the new model uses the same chipset that was first unveiled with the Pixel 9 series last autumn.
This includes photo-editing features, and the best camera phone under $500 also adds a new macro feature.
A less expected update is a new appearance for Google’s phones, which replaces the horizontal camera bar that defines current Google phones. A larger battery aims at solving one of the most common complaints about Google’s phones since the switch to Tensor chips: their ability to last long on a charge.
We’ve got a Google Pixel 9a hands-on based on our experience with the phone, but here’s an overview of the new specs and features Google is introducing with the Pixel 9a.
Google Pixel 9a specs
Starting price | $499 / £499 / AU$849 |
Screen size | 6.3-inch Actua pOLED (2424 x 1080) |
Refresh rate | 60-120Hz |
Chipset | Tensor G4 |
RAM | 8GB |
Storage | 128GB, 256GB |
Rear cameras | 48MP (f/1.7) main, 13MP (f/2.2) ultrawide |
Front camera | 13MP (f/2.2) |
Battery size | 5,100 mAh |
Charging speed | 23W, wired; 7.5W wireless |
Size | 6.1 x 2.9 x 0.4 inches / 154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9mm |
Weight | 6.6 ounces / 185.9 grams |
Colors | Obsidian, Porcelain, Peony, Iris |
Google Pixel 9a price and availability
Phone prices have been steadily rising, and Google has been no exception. The starting price for the company’s flagship phone increased by $100 last fall, and the Pixel 9 currently costs $799. The Pixel 9a’s adoption of many of the Pixel 9’s features has raised concerns that the midrange phone’s pricing will rise as well.
Those worries were not realized. In the United States, the Pixel 9a starts at $499, the same price as the Pixel 8a, which has 128GB of storage. Google also sells a 256GB model for $599.
The Pixel 9a will be priced at £499 in the United Kingdom and AU$849 in Australia. The prices remain same from the Pixel 8a.
Unlike before releases, the Pixel 9a is not available for pre-order. Google said the phone will go on sale in April.
Google Pixel 9a design and display
When you flip the Pixel 9a around, you will notice the most visible difference. The camera bar that you may have got used to on recent models has been removed, and the rear cameras have been placed in a pill-shaped array on the left side of the phone. More importantly, Google attempted to make the lenses as flush with the back of the phone as possible.
Google also promises other design changes for the Pixel 9a. The phone now offers IP68 water resistance, an upgrade from the IP67 rating on the Pixel 8a, which means the new phone can survive a deeper dive into water.
There’s also a focus on sustainability. According to Google, the Pixel 9a contains 81% recycled plastic, the highest percentage ever found on an A Series phone. The frame is composed completely of recyclable aluminum.
The 6.3-inch display is slightly larger than the Pixel 8a’s 6.1-inch touchscreen. Google promises 2,700 nits of peak brightness. The Pixel 8a achieved a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits.
The Pixel 9a comes in four colors: Obsidian (black), Porcelain (white), Peony, and Iris. The former is a pink tint that debuted with the Pixel 9, whilst the latter is a more purple shade.
Google Pixel 9a AI features
If you followed the Pixel 9 launch last fall, you’ll be familiar with the new AI capabilities introduced to the Pixel 9a with the addition of the Tensor G4 system-on-chip. If you aren’t, you can look forward to a slew of new features, many of which are aimed at image creation and editing.
Another Pixel 9 feature, Pixel Studio, is also available on the Pixel 9a. This is Google’s image creation tool, and you can use text prompts to make an illustration. A recent Pixel feature update added the ability to create images with people, and the Pixel 9a now supports it as well.
Google Gemini, as you might expect, is among the AI features available on the Pixel 9a. The chatbot is present throughout the phone, whether it’s retrieving event details from a Gmail message or taking action based on what’s on your screen, such as texting restaurant information to a contact.
The Pixel 9a also supports Gemini Live, which allows for more natural conversations with the assistant. Unlike the Pixel 9 Pro models, no Gemini Advanced subscription is included with your Pixel 9a purchase.
Another AI-powered feature on the Pixel 9a is worth highlighting. Call Notes takes advantage of the Pixel’s ability to record and transcribe phone calls. The feature will then generate an auto-generated summary of the call, which can be useful to review talking points from a conference call with colleagues or details from a conversation with a service provider.
Google Pixel 9a cameras
The Pixel 9a’s main camera will use a 48MP sensor instead of the Pixel 8a’s 64MP. But don’t consider this a downgrade because the new main camera has a wider aperture, allowing in more light. This should improve photos, especially when the lighting is low. As with previous Pixel phones, the Pixel 9a’s rear camera setup will include a 13MP ultrawide lens.
Google is also making other improvements. After previous Pixel A series models did not include a macro feature, the Pixel 9a now does; you can also record 4K video in Macro Focus. The Pixel 9a now supports astrophotography as well.
The camera is completed by a front-facing 13MP selfie camera setup on the Pixel 9a.
Google Pixel 9a performance and battery life
As previously stated, the Pixel 9a uses Google’s Tensor G4 chipset. We’ll need to test the new phone to see how it performs, but we expect the results to be similar to those from the Pixel 9. That won’t compete with flagship phones powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite or Apple A18 silicon, but it should outperform the Pixel 8a’s Tensor G3 performance. This should also hold up well against midrange phones powered by less powerful silicon.
A more significant performance change involves the battery inside the Pixel 9a. Google says it has switched to a 5,100 mAh power pack, which is a significant upgrade from the 4,492 mAh cell inside the Pixel 8a.
The Pixel 8a performed admirably on our custom battery test, in which phones browse the internet using a cellular connection until they run out of power. When we tested the Pixel 8a last year, it outperformed the average smartphone by a little over an hour. We expect greater gains from the Pixel 9a, thanks to the larger battery and improved power efficiency of the Tensor G4 chip.
The Pixel 9a supports 23W wired charging, according to Google, but only when used with a Google 45W USB-C charger. Wireless charging remains at 7.5 watts.
Google Pixel 9a software support
As with the Pixel 8a, Google will provide seven years of software support for the Pixel 9a, which will include Pixel feature updates as well as security patches. That means your sub-$500 phone will continue to get the latest Google features until 2032.
Google continues to set the standard for supporting low-cost Android devices. Samsung’s midrange Galaxy A phones, including the $499 Galaxy A56, now support six generations of Android updates and six years of security releases. Nothing’s latest Nothing Phone 3a receives six years of security updates but only three years of Android support.
Pixel 9a outlook
Google has built a solid reputation for providing a lot of value in its Pixel A phones, particularly in terms of AI features and camera performance. We’re excited to see if the Pixel 9a continues the tradition of delivering more for less.