The Google Pixel 9a might be the new midrange smartphone king

A couple of weeks ago, Apple released a more affordable take on its flagship handsets with the iPhone 16e. But now Google is hitting back with the Pixel 9a and from what I've seen, it looks like a way better deal.

From the front, the 9a looks a lot like the standard Pixel 9. Its screen is the same size at 6.3 inches across, while also offering a 120Hz refresh rate and a surprisingly strong 2,700 nits of peak brightness. On the inside, the 9a packs a Tensor G4 chip, just like you get on its more expensive siblings, along with other handy features including an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and Google’s standard seven years of OS updates, feature drops and security patches.

But Google did something a bit surprising by giving the 9a a 5,100mAh battery, which is technically the biggest power pack in any member of the Pixel 9 family. That includes the Pixel 9 Pro XL (5,060mAh), though only by just a tiny bit. Regardless, Google says this gives the 9a the best longevity of any Pixel on sale today.

If you flip the phone around, there are some other changes such as a new iris purple hue, which joins the existing peony, porcelain and obsidian color options. But the thing that jumps out the most is the lack of a camera bar, which has been present on practically all of Google’s phones dating back to the Pixel 6. Instead, you get a simple window that sits almost flush against the back of the device — a window which Google says was inspired by the shape of a water drop.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Unfortunately, you don’t get a dedicated optical zoom (though it does support up to 8x digital SuperRes zoom). There is a 48MP main sensor that is similar, but slightly different to the one used on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and a 13MP sensor for its ultra-wide cam. The 9a also includes a built-in AI macro focus feature so you can get really close to things, on top of support for tons of Pixel-specific camera tools like Add Me, Best Take, Magic Editor and more.

Notably, because it's powered by the Tensor G4, the 9a has access to all of the same AI features available on the rest of the Pixel 9 line. This includes Gemini Live Video, the Pixel Recorder app, and Pixel Studio not to mention security and safety offerings like Google VPN, car crash detection and so on. Sadly, I only had a brief time with the phone so we weren't able to test out many of its new features.

Google seems to be feeling pretty confident about this phone, with the company saying that it will have the best cameras on any handset under $500. That's a pretty big claim, but it’s not entirely outlandish as Google's camera processing has been top-notch for quite some time. And with a starting price of $499, the Pixel 9a is skating in right under that line.

So what's the catch — all this for $300 less than a regular Pixel 9? From what I've seen so far, the biggest differences between the standard Pixel 9 and the 9a are that Google hasn't improved the latter's 23-watt wired or 7.5-watt wireless charging speeds, both of which are rather slow compared to a full-priced flagship. You also get less RAM, with the 9a featuring 8GB instead of 12GB. And while the 9a has Gorilla Glass covering its screen in front, around back there's a plastic panel made from around 85 percent recycled materials. But again, for three Benjamins less than the standard model, those are compromises I'm mostly willing to put up with.

The Google Pixel 9a will be available sometime in April starting at $499 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (the 256GB model is an optional upgrade). Purchases include free three-month subscriptions for Google One and YouTube Premium along with a six-month trial for Fitbit Premium.

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