Google Pixel 9a review live — test results, camera samples and iPhone 16e comparisons

Unbeatable pricing makes it irresistible

Let me start off by talking about my absolute part my Pixel 9a review: its price. In a time when pricing is a hot topic, I cannot stress enough how Google's decision to keep the Pixel 9a at $499 is a welcome relief.

That's the same pricing the company's stood with for its Pixel A-series phones for the last few generations, going back to the Pixel 7a back in 2023. Before that, the Pixel 6a was at $449 and the Pixel 4a going for $349 at launch.

Compared to its biggest rival, the $599 iPhone 16e, the Pixel 9a saves you money while offering better value in my opinion.

Pixel A-series pricing over the years

Like I said, the $499 pricing is hard to beat and central to the Pixel 9a's success. Take a look at the pricing of the A-series over the years, spanning back to the Pixel 3a. That phone launched at $399 in 2019, yet it's only increased by $100 to today.

The only anomaly is the Pixel 4a, which was at a lower $349 cost. Still, given the time that has passed since the first one, I think a $100 increase isn't too shabby. That's why I keep on going back to price as a huge selling point in my Pixel 9a review, especially when today's best phones easily exceed $1,000.

Should you buy or skip the Pixel 9a?

Pixel 9a FULL Review: NOT EVEN CLOSE vs. iPhone 16e - YouTube

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Everyone knows I've a fan of budget phones and the Pixel 9a is no exception with its $499 starting cost. In my Pixel 9a video above, I go into detail about some of the reasons why you should buy the Pixel 9a — and it's not just because of its price.

On the flip side, there are a couple of reasons why to not consider it. For example, the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL offer a full year's worth of Gemini Advanced, whereas you only get a month of it with the Pixel 9a.

Is the Pixel 9a redesign good or bad?

This one's tough because on one hand, I've missed the flush camera designs that were prevalent a long while back. But at the same time, I miss the camera bar design of the Pixel 8a. In my Pixel 9a review, I say how this change is tough because it makes the phone look a bit boring and bland.

Yes, I like the uniformity of the back and how it's much more subdued, but that Pixel identity is gone with the new design. And with its flat edges and rounded corners, it looks more iPhone than before.

Google brought back something phone cameras haven't done in over a decade

Flush camera designs are rare. Take a look at what's out there and I bet you won't find many that come close to matching the Pixel 9a's nearly flush camera design. My colleague, Tom Pritchard, was really surprised by how Google achieved this considering that we haven't seen flush camera designs in over a decade.

Sure, it could've been done at the expense of its thinness, but at 0.4-inches, it's still incredibly svelte. I've said how this new camera design makes it look boring in my Pixel 9a review, but others feel differently about it.

Low light camera performance is convincing against iPhone 16e

With its new 48MP main camera, the Pixel 9a shows why it continues to be a low light beast when it comes to the best cheap phones. My go-to test for this is my backyard and the tree right in the middle, which I always shoot for all of my review. That way, I can inspect how each new phone I review performs.

Against the iPhone 16e, which has a tremendous boost over the previous iPhone SE 2022, the Pixel 9a manages to better expose the shot evenly. The shadows, in particular, seem to get boosted more because those areas look a bit dark with the iPhone 16e. However, closer inspection reveals that the iPhone 16e captures a little more definition around the tree and its branches.

What do you think?

New Pixel 9a macro mode captures stunning closeups — better than iPhone 16e

I took a bunch of photos with the new cameras for my Pixel 9a review. One area in particular where I see a huge improvement is macro photography. There's now a dedicated macro mode for the first time with the A-series, and I can't tell you enough about how it makes a diference.

Just take a look at the comparison shot I captured above between the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e. There's a lot more fine detail with — whereas the Pixel 9a was much closer. It's also worth pointing out that the macro photos is captured with the main cameras, as opposed to the ultrawide that traditionally has done it with other phones.

Tensor G4 excels in a $499 phone, but still trails rivals

For a phone that costs a fraction of what you'll find some of the best phones go for, I really like you get the flagship caliber Tensor G4 chip with the Pixel 9a. This is the same chipset in the pricier Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

In my Pixel 9a review, I mention how the Tensor G4 handles every day tasks without showing any evidence of struggle, but the Pixel 9a performance test scores above show only a modest improvement over last year's Tensor G3 chip. While it beats the Pixel 8a with its GeekBench 6 scores, it's nowhere close to matching the A18 chip of the iPhone 16e.

Pixel 9a zoom performance underperforms against iPhone 16e

I've said how I prefer the extra utility that the Pixel 9a offers over the iPhone 16e because of its dual-camera setup, which pairs a 48MP main camera with a 13MP ultrawide. The iPhone 16e only has a single camera.

However, it looks like it does a better job of processing images from its 48MP camera. I captured the sign above with both phones set at 8x zoom, and from what I can see (along with other zoom shots I captured), it's apparent that the iPhone 16e does a much better job of delivering more detail and definition.

Pixel 9a unboxing — here's what you get

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♬ original sound - Tom’s Guide

In my years of unboxing videos, phone makers have gone with a minimalist approach — only giving you the bare necessities. It's no different with the Pixel 9a, which comes with the usual set of manuals and a USB-C cable.

There's no power adapter in the box, so you'll have to either use an existing one you might have, or buy a new one that will better support the Pixel 9a's 23W wired charging speed.

Pixel 9a has the brightest screen in a sub-$500 phone

Our labs tested the Pixel 9a's new 6.3-inch Actua Display and it doesn't disappoint. Usually, budget phones don't get this kind of attention, often appearing really dim, like many of the options in our best cheap phones guide.

Yet, the Pixel 9a sets the bar for all budget phones because this new display reaches an astounding peak brightness of 2,076 nits. This puts it well ahead of the Pixel 8a and iPhone 16e, which both reached 1,378 and 1,028 nits respectively. You can check my Pixel 9a review to see how it also compares against the Nothing Phone 3a Pro and OnePlus 13R, including how color accurate it is compared to them.

New design brings rounded corners and flat edges

The Pixel 9a introduces a substantially different design this time around. Apart from the new camera design on the back of the phone, the Pixel 9a also gets treated to flat edged and rounded corners.

Yes, I draw comparisons to the iPhone 16e, but Google does this intentionally to unify the design language of its Pixel 9 series. In fact, it looks a lot like the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL from the front. Flat edges to me usually make phones feel a bit sharp to the touch, but this aluminum frame has a subtle, curved bevel that makes it feel much easier to hold in the hand.

What do you think? Is this design change good or bad?

Pixel 9a Call Screen is still one of the smartest AI features around

Just like the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL, I've been enjoying the Pixel 9a's Call Screen feature. It's one of the many AI features it shares with its siblings and it's one of those practical features that makes a big impact. It's one of the many Pixel 9a AI features you can tap into.

Compared to other phones similar to its price, nothing else comes close to matching what the Pixel 9a offers. Call Screen lets me take phone calls without speaking to the person on the other end. Instead, Google Assistant 'screens' the calls and listens to what they're saying — which it then provides me with contextual responses I can choose on the phone.

Best of all, Google Assistant's conversational skills are pretty convincing.

Pixel 9a battery life — it's a solid improvement

You could say how a larger battery can deliver longer battery life to a phone, but you also have to look at the power efficiency of its chipset. In my Pixel 9a review, the new budget phone lasted 13 hours and 8 minutes in Tom's Guide's battery benchmark test. That's almost 2 hours longer than how the Pixel 8a lasted running on the same test.

If that's not enough, it also beats its closest rival in the iPhone 16e by 27 minutes. Although, it still trails the impressive timing achieved by the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, which at 14 hours and 33 minutes, is easily one of the longest lasting phones under $500.

From my experience using the Pixel 9a, it manages to get me through a solid work day without worry. However, power users might have to recharge at some point. Thankfully, its 23W wired charging speed gets it to a decent battery level.

Peony and Iris add a bit of charm to an otherwise standard design

Budget phones aren't given the same privilege as other flagship phones when it comes to color options. Yet, the Pixel 9a colors show how Google is doing better than other phone makers when it comes to this.

I've been testing the Pixel 9a in peony for the last week, but my colleague Mark Spoonauer has been using the new Iris one. Both colors add a bit of charm to an otherwise cookie cutter phone design. Not only do they pop, but they have this matte-like finish that does a better job at preventing smudges and fingerprints.

Then again, I'm likely to get a Pixel 9a case for the added protection and utility.

Pixel 9a selfie camera is so much better than the iPhone 16e

I took more than a dozen selfies at this point with the Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e. From what I've encountered, it's clear that the 13MP selfie camera of the Pixel 9a is better.

Just take a peek at the two side-by-side comparisons above to see the difference. For me, the biggest thing is how the Pixel 9a deals with my skin tone. The iPhone 16e lacks more muted in my opinion, whereas the Pixel 9a has better contrast and saturation.

Of course, I plan to do my in-depth Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e photo shootout to definitely say which is the better camera phone.

Pixel 9a vs. iPhone 16e: this is the one I'd get

@tomsguide

♬ Vlog Hip-Hop Urban - Vladislav Kurnikov

If you watch the TikTok video above, I explain why I'd get the Pixel 9a over the iPhone 16e. I also explain everything in great detail with my Pixel 9a review, but the biggest reason I'll share right now is because of the incredible value you get from it.

Like I mentioned at the start of this Pixel 9a review live blog, Google keeps its price firmly at $499. This is still a savings of $100 over the iPhone 16e's starting cost of $599. Not to mention, the Pixel 9a AI features are light years ahead of the Apple Intelligence features I've checked out so far with the iPhone.

Pixel 9a deals discount the phone even more

It won't be the last time I mention how I love the Pixel 9a's price, but what's even better are all the Pixel 9a deals my colleagues and I have uncovered.

At $499, you can get an unlocked Pixel 9a directly from Google or Amazon. However, carrier and retailer deals shave off even more. For example, AT&T is offering its customers the Pixel 9a for $2.99/month with any unlimited plan and without the need for a trade-in. On top of this, the carrier is also throwing in a free pair of Pixel Buds A-series through April 24 when they buy the phone online.

7 years of software support keeps the Pixel 9a fresh for longer

Google gives the Pixel 9a the same software support as its other Pixel 9 phones, but considering how the 9a fetches for hundreds of dollars less, it's a testament to how committed the company is at keeping its phones up to date.

Seven years of major Android and security updates is a big deal, more so when other budget phones like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro only get 3 years of major Android updates. Likewise, this also beats the 6 years of software updates with the iPhone 16e.

120Hz display refresh rate continues to be a big selling point

One of the things that annoyed me in my iPhone 16e review was how Apple kept its display refresh rate to 60Hz. In 2025, that just doesn't cut it anymore, which is why the Pixel 9a continues to prove how it offers more value.

Its dynamic 120Hz refresh rate is noticeable whenever I scroll around the interface, and it's even more prevalent when I play my games. From the way it fluidly scrolls, to how animations have that exaggerated motion, the 120Hz refresh rate is even more rewarding knowing that you're spending $499 on it.

Slick looking 4K video recording, even better audio

Pixel 9a - 4K 30fps - YouTube

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I recorded the clip above right by Bryant Park on a sunny day with some normal traffic going by on the street. When I look at the 4K 30fps clip I shot, I really like how it deals with the sudden contrast of lighting in the scene when I pan up the building.

Nothing is too underexposed or overblown when I pan around the buildings, which goes to show the wide dynamic range performance of the Pixel 9a. At the same time, I enabled speech enhancement mode to better capture my voice in the audio against some of the ambient noise around.

New astrophotography mode adds a neat animation clip

Along with a dedicated macro mode, another new feature introduced to the Pixel A-series is astrophotography. After capturing astrophotography images of galaxies, nebulas, star clusters, and planets with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, I was excited to try it out with the Pixel 9a.

Before I tell you exactly how it performs, which I will in a separate photo shootout, I will say that I like how the Pixel 9a also produces a short video time lapse with my astrophotography sessions. Take a look at the clip above.

Flush camera or camera bar?

For the last few generations now, Google has gone with a camera bar design with its A-series phones, but the Pixel 9a is a radical departure. I think it loses much of its identity with this new design, since it looks a bit plain and boring.

On the flip side, though, this new dual-camera system is definitely an upgrade because I've seen marked improvements in nearly every aspect.