Google Pixel 9a leak spills specs early — 5 biggest changes that may be coming to the phone

All the Google Pixel 9a specs we could ask for have now been leaked in a new report from Android Headlines, seemingly telling us exactly how next year's cheaper Pixel will differ from the current Pixel 8a.

We've put the full specs sheet, sourced from a wireless carrier as well as an unknown second source, in the table below for easy viewing. But we’ll discuss how that compares to the Pixel 8a and more after that.

First off, the all-important pricing info. AH claims Google will keep the Pixel 9a at the same cost as the Pixel 8a, which translates to a $499 basic price.

At 6.3 inches, the Pixel 9a would have a little more screen space than the 6.1-inch Pixel 8a.

But with the whole phone measuring 154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9mm and weighing 185.9 grams, the 9a won't actually be that much larger than the 8a, and slightly lighter too.

The 9a's display will keep the Gorilla Glass 3 material in place for scratch and drop resistance, and offer an impressive-sounding 2,700 nits peak brightness via Google's Actua OLED tech. That would be nearly double the figures we measured in our own testing of the Pixel 8a if those numbers are replicable in real life.

The battery could be one of the biggest overall upgrades to the Pixel 9a. It’ll use a sizeable 5,100 mAh cell, a 13% increase compared to the 8a's 4,492 mAh battery, which will hopefully translate to impressive battery life gains. Chariging will supposedly get a boost to

23W wired, but wireless will stick with a 7.5W rating. No Qi2 compatability to be seen here sadly, fitting in with Google's previous attitude around the Pixel 9's launch.

It’s no surprise to see the Pixel 9a apparently use the same Tensor G4 chip as the regular and Pro Pixel 9s. But the 9a will lag behind in RAM, getting only 8GB rather than 12GB. Storage options will remain the same as previous Pixel a-Series models, with 128GB or 256GB versions on offer.

Google could be technically downgrading the Pixel 9a's main camera from the Pixel 8a, swapping from a 64MP sensor to a new 48MP, f/1.7 one. That's obviously lower resolution but there is more to life than megapixels, so hopefully Google's improved the camera output in other areas.

Don't expect any changes to the ultrawide and front cameras though. Those will be sticking with the same 13MP resolution as before.

The last critical pieces of information about the Pixel 9a are that it'll be rated IP68 like other Pixels, the typical water/dust resistance standard for premium phones. And for color choices, you'll have the option of Obsidian black, Porcelain white, Iris blue, or Peony pink.

The spec leaks don't have anything to say about the Pixel 9a's launch window. But with previous leaks in mind and some educated guessing, it's likely the 9a will debut by May 2025 at the latest, and possibly as early as March. And if or when it does, we'll be putting it through its paces to see if it means Google gets to keep its spot at the top of our best cheap phones guide.

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