Though Google just announced the Pixel 9a, you can't buy the latest low-cost Pixel model just yet. Though based on the phone's specs and price, there's lots of reasons to be excited.
The Pixel 9a goes on sale at some point in April — Google will give a specific date later on. And the phone promises some notable changes, including a whole new design. And as you'd imagine, the improvements touch on camera performance and AI — two major reasons to pick up a Pixel phone.
We've only had some limited hands-on time with the Pixel 9a, but we have some first impressions about what might make this phone a good option to buy. But we also see a few reasons why you might want to look elsewhere — or at least wait our full Pixel 9a review to make your decision.
In the meantime, here's what's to like about the Pixel 9a and areas where the phone comes up short on paper.
Google Pixel 9a: Reasons to buy
The same great $499 price
Phones are getting more expensive. That goes for flagship models, including Google's own Pixel 9, which debuted last fall with a $100 price hike over its predecessor. Midrange phones are under pricing pressure as well, and you only have to look back to last month's iPhone 16e debut to see Apple's cheapest phone jump from a $429 starting price all the way up to $599.
The Pixel 9a bucks that trend. It's still $499, the same price as the Pixel 8a that came before it. And pricing in the U.K. and Australia — £499 and AU$849, respectively — has remained the same, too. Meanwhile, features have expanded over the Pixel 8a, raising the value that Google delivers in its midrange model.
Camera improvements
The Pixel 9a introduces some important camera changes. The main camera on the Pixel 9a uses a 48MP sensor, compared to the 64MP sensor previous Pixel A models have used recently.
The more significant spec is the aperture on the Pixel 9a's main camera. It's an f/1.7 aperture, compared to f/1.89 on the Pixel 8a camera. That should allow the Pixel 9a to capture more light, resulting in more detailed images particularly when the lights are low.
That's not the only improvement. The Pixel 9a adds a Macro mode and support for astrophotography — two first-time additions to the Pixel A series. Add it together, throw in some AI-powered photo editing features, and the Pixel 9a seems like it's on the path to rank among the best camera phones.
You get many of the Pixel 9's AI features
The Pixel 9a features a Tensor G4 chipset, just like the rest of the Pixel 9 lineup that debuted last year. And that means most — though not all — of the AI capabilities introduced with that chipset are available to Pixel 9a owners.
Some of the more compelling AI features include Add Me, for inserting yourself into group shots, and Pixel Studio, which uses text prompts to create images.
hanks to a Pixel feature drop, you'll be able to create images with people in them, too — a capability missing from the Pixel 9 when it first launched. Other tools like Reimagine for AI-powered photo edits and Gemini live are present and accounted for, too.
And all that's on top of the Magic Eraser editing features and Call Assist phone call management that have already been a part of past Pixel phones. All told, the Pixel 9a gives you an AI powerhouse for a fraction of the cost of a similarly-equipped flagship phone.
One of the missing features confirmed by Google is Pixel Screenshots, the Pixel 9 app that searches and manages any screen captures saved on your phone.
Bigger battery
If there's one thing we've knocked Pixel for phones in recent years, it's the battery life.
Google is taking advantage of the Pixel 9a's larger size to include a bigger battery with its new phone. The Pixel 9a features a 5,100 mAh power pack, which is nearly 14% larger than the one inside the Pixel 8a. Pair that with a more efficient Tensor G4 processor, and you should see improved battery life for the Pixel 9a.
That would be a welcome development. The Pixel 8a posted a result that was only an hour better than the average smartphone on our custom battery test. If the Pixel 9a can improve on that — and there's no reason to think it wont — it becomes an even more compelling option for bargain hunters who already benefit from the strong camera and AI features.
Lots of software support
Midrange phones have traditionally gotten short-changed when it comes to software support, with phone makers committing to more updates for their flagship devices. That's changing as midrange phones become more popular, and Google is primarily responsible for leading the way.
Like the Pixel 8a before it, the Pixel 9a comes with a guarantee of seven years for both software and security updates. That's a better offer than any phone in this price range, even after Samsung upped support for the Galaxy A56, Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A26 to six years. the new Nothing Phone 3a models — which we'll go back to in a moment — offer six years of security support but only three Android updates.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Starting price | Support |
Google Pixel 9a | $499 | 7 years of software and security |
Samsung Galaxy A56 / A36 / A26 | $499 / $399 / $299 | 6 years of software and security |
Nothing Phone 3a / 3a Pro | $379 / $459 | 3 years of Android, 6 years of security |
Motorola Moto G Power (2025) | $299 | 2 Android updates, 3 years of security |
iPhone 16e | $599 | No official support policy (typically 5 - 6 years |
OnePlus 13R | $599 | 4 years of Android, 6 years of security |
So not only will you get a full-featured phone for less than $500 with the Pixel 9a, you can also count on it still running the latest version of Android past the end of this current decade.
Google Pixel 9a: Reasons to skip
Tensor G4 is not a top-performing chipset
Google's move to its own Tensor silicon has been crucial to supporting all those AI-powered features available on the Pixel. But the Tensor doesn't offer a lot of performance muscle, and that's not likely to change with the Tensor G4 powering the Pixel 9a.
We know this because we've already benchmarked the Tensor G4 inside the Pixel 9 flagships. And it doesn't keep pace with the Snapdragon 8 Elite or Apple A18 silicon powering some of our top picks for the best phones. The Pixel 9a figures to also lag behind those phones.
If there's a silver lining it's that the Tensor G4 does figure to compare well against the chips found in many midrange phones, such as the Exynos 1580 inside the Galaxy A56. But slightly more expensive alternatives like the iPhone 16e and OnePlus 13R boast more powerful chips — the A18 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, respectively — and should handily outperform the Tensor G4.
The Pixel 9a figures to handle everyday tasks well. But if you depend on a lot of power-intensive apps, you're probably going to want to look elsewhere.
No telephoto lens
Normally, we wouldn't ding the Pixel 9a for offering just a dual-camera setup. After all, that's what you'll find on most phones in the price range.
But dedicated telephoto lenses are starting to find their way onto midrange models. And in some cases, those phones cost less than the Pixel 9a.
Both the Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro feature telephoto cameras — in the Pro's case, it's a periscope-style lens capable of a 3x optical zoom. While the Super Res Zoom feature on the Pixel 9a figures to remove a lot of fuzziness from close-ups, you'd have to think a dedicated telephoto lens is better suited to the task of zooming in.
We'll find out for certain when we compare the cameras on the Pixel 9a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro.
A potentially divisie design
I'm going to put my cards on the table here — I loved the look of recent Pixel phones that featured the horizontal camera bar. In a world of similar-looking smartphones, the camera bar added a touch of originality, and it also kept Pixels from wobbling when you set them down screen side up on a table.
The Pixel 9a ditches that distinctive look in favor of a more conventional camera array. It's not without its charms — the lens are pretty flush against the back of the Pixel 9a instead of jutting out like cameras do on other phones — but if you appreciate the design of recent Pixels, you may be disappointed by the Pixel 9a's new appearance.
Google Pixel 9a outlook
Though we still need to fully test the Pixel 9a, it's clear right off the bat that this phone has a lot going for it. There are some trade-offs that may prove to be sticking points for some would-be owners, but the Pixel 9a packs in a lot of features into a sub-$500 package. Stay tuned for our full assessment as we get closer to the phone's April release.
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