The push for the most recent, biggest and most feature-packed devices usually leads to a lot stress that purchasing the rest can really feel like self-betrayal. And whereas the Pixel 9a is technically a brand new machine, its chip is six months outdated. The identical goes for its design, which is sort of a carbon copy of its older sibling. To make issues even worse, this cellphone is supposed to be a extra reasonably priced entry into the Pixel cellphone household, which seems like a demise sentence for anybody who cares about maintaining with the Joneses (or simply probably the most up-to-date specs). However you realize what? That's okay, as a result of beginning at $500, the Pixel 9a presents the very best worth of any Android cellphone right this moment.
Design and show: Easy however sturdy
The Pixel 9a seems to be so just like the usual mannequin — particularly from the entrance — that it's exhausting to inform them aside till you place them facet by facet. When you do, you'll discover the 9a options barely thicker bezels. However other than that, there aren't a ton of variations. You continue to get a comparatively compact 6.3-inch OLED show with a 120Hz refresh charge and a peak brightness of two,700 nits, identical to on the common Pixel 9. It's sharp, it's colourful and it's merely probably the greatest shows on this worth vary.
In the event you choose each of them up, you might also discover that the 9a can also be a contact lighter (6.56 ounces vs 6.98 ounces). That discrepancy is because of Google forgoing Gorilla Glass 3 for the backpanel in favor of recycled polycarbonate (aka plastic). That mentioned, you continue to get a sturdy aluminum body (additionally produced from recycled supplies) and an IP68 score for mud and water resistance.
The 9a's greatest departure by far is that not like each different Pixel courting again to the Pixel 6, it doesn't have a big bar or visor housing its cameras. As an alternative, you get a small teardrop-shaped protrusion that homes the principle and ultra-wide shooters. The module is so shallow it virtually sits flush towards the cellphone, which makes this one of many few handsets in current reminiscence that truly sits flat on a desk. Granted, it is a actually minor design tweak, however as somebody who doesn't like circumstances, I believe it's a pleasant contact.
Efficiency: Ok pace
Similar to the remainder of the Pixel 9 household, the 9a is powered by Google's Tensor G4 chip. The most important change is that as a substitute of that includes 12GB of RAM, you solely get 8GB. That mentioned, except you're steadily switching between apps or doing extra intense issues like gaming or video enhancing, you aren't actually going to note an enormous distinction. In Geekbench 6, each telephones posted very related outcomes with a multi-core rating of 4,294 for the 9a and 4,360 for the usual Pixel 9. The largest potential impression of this for most individuals is that you just gained't be capable of have fairly as many apps operating within the background, and in the event you change between them usually, you might spend some additional time reloading.
The Pixel 9a additionally helps almost all of Google's AI-powered instruments together with useful stuff like automotive crash detection and Name Help. You even have entry to extra superior instruments like Gemini Stay (together with digital camera and display sharing) and Pixel Studio (now with the power to generate photographs of individuals), the latter of which could be a enjoyable means of making foolish customized photographs to troll your folks. Nicely, at the very least that's what I take advantage of it for.
Nonetheless, software program help isn't fairly the identical as you get on costlier fashions. That's as a result of one app that I've grown fairly keen on on current Pixels — Google's Screenshots app — isn't accessible on the Pixel 9a. That is undoubtedly a bummer, as a result of I discovered the power to make use of AI to rapidly search via all of the screencaps I've taken is means higher than doing it manually. I'm not totally certain why it's not accessible contemplating among the different machine learning-based options that do work. However when requested, a Google consultant advised me that so as to "preserve a $499 beginning worth, the corporate did must make some trade-offs. In consequence, some [of the standard Pixel 9's] options gained't be accessible on the Pixel 9a."
Cameras: Higher picture high quality than telephones twice its worth
When it was first introduced, Google claimed the 9a would have the very best cameras of any cellphone underneath $500. And after contemplating the Pixel household's pedigree for wonderful picture high quality, I pitted the cellphone's 48-MP major digital camera and 13-MP ultra-wide cam up towards the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely to offer it an actual problem. And regardless of costing $800 much less, it acquitted itself with aplomb.
In a daytime picture of a comfortable espresso store, the Pixel 9a preserved extra particulars and produced a usually higher trying picture than an identical pic taken by the S25U (although a part of that is because of Samsung's tendency to oversharpen). However maybe a good higher instance of this was once I took photographs of a croquette. Not solely did the Pixel 9a's shot look extra correct, it featured higher colours and was usually way more appetizing. And in low gentle, I acquired related outcomes with the 9a doing an important job with white steadiness whereas capturing sharp, detailed photographs regardless of the powerful circumstances.
Whereas the Pixel 9a doesn't have a devoted telephoto lens, Google tries to make up for that with Tremendous Res Zoom, which makes use of AI to help as much as 8x digital zoom. On high of that, the cellphone has a macro focus mode. That mentioned, you gained't discover a particular setting for it within the Digicam app, as a result of it prompts routinely everytime you get actually near one thing. You'll understand it's working once you see a tiny flower icon pop up within the nook of the display. I discovered this mode provides you a technique to seize a bit extra element, however nailing focus could be a bit finicky. I usually needed to regulate the cellphone a tiny bit ahead or backward to seek out the digital camera's candy spot.
Battery Life: One of the best but from any Pixel
Geared up with a 5,100 mAh energy pack, the Pixel 9a simply barely beats out its greatest sibling — the Pixel 9 Professional XL (5,060 mAh) — for probably the most battery capability amongst Google's telephones. What's extra, the corporate claims the 9a has the very best runtime of any of its handsets, which primarily based on my testing, isn't simply sizzling air. On our commonplace native video rundown check, the Pixel 9a lasted simply over 28 hours on a single cost (28:04). That's half an hour higher than what I acquired from an everyday Pixel 9. Not too shabby.
The draw back is that the cellphone's charging speeds haven't improved since final 12 months, so you continue to get lackluster charges when utilizing both wired (23 watts) or Qi wi-fi (7.5 watts) energy adapters. That's notably slower than what you get from an ordinary Pixel 9 (27 watts wired and 15 watts wi-fi), which might be one of the vital compelling causes you'd need to improve to the 9a's costlier siblings. To higher spotlight the cellphone's torpid charging speeds, I put it on a appropriate pad at 25 % battery and after 10 minutes, it solely sucked down an additional 5 %. On the 9a, wi-fi charging is unquestionably one thing you employ extra for comfort than pace.
Wrap-up
Look, the Pixel 9a won’t be jam-packed with fancy options and its uncooked specs aren't tremendous spectacular. I might like to see Google add a real telephoto lens and its charging speeds (each wired and wi-fi) might be higher. However for $500, Google's most budget-friendly cellphone covers all of the bases after which some.
The 9a’s digital camera high quality can grasp with flagships twice its worth and it has greater than sufficient efficiency for all however probably the most demanding players or multitaskers. While you add in help for nearly all of Google's software program just like the Recorder app, Pixel Studio and extra, you get a extremely compelling package deal. Plus, the shortage of a giant digital camera bump means this factor is surprisingly glossy. If my youngsters have been sufficiently old to wish a mobile phone, that is what I might purchase. For everybody who says that every one they need is a straightforward, strong handset with a pleasant display that may take high-quality photographs, this factor is fundamental in all the very best methods.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cellular/smartphones/google-pixel-9a-review-basic-in-just-the-right-way-130050005.html?src=rss
