A clean look, water resistance, and a price aimed squarely at the iPhone 16e could make the Pixel 9a this year’s compelling mid-range entry.
High-end phones may well be where most of the cool new features are, but when it comes to saving money, scouting for a pick in the mid-range is where phone buyers need to go. That’s been the case for several years now, and in the current crop of phones, it’s evident now more than ever.
The assortment of mobiles priced between $499 and $999 really shows that off: from big screened devices matched with equally big batteries, with lots of cameras and even that fandangled AI thing people keep talking about, the mid-range is seeing some of the great tech from the high-end trickle down nicely.
And in Google’s latest Pixel “a” series device, that continues, even if it is a little earlier this year.
A slightly earlier Pixel ready to take on a refreshed iPhone 16e
The Pixel “a” series phones have long been about getting the cost down on Pixel’s feature set, essentially squeezing it through a press and making it work for less money, but May is usually when we expect them. March is therefore a tad early.
We’re pretty sure we know why Google is earlier than normal, though: Apple’s iPhone 16e. It’s what happens when a premium iPhone finds a way to be sold for less than the cost of a regular iPhone, the $999 iPhone 16e brings one camera to the iPhone 14 experience with an iPhone 16 chip inside, and for many, that might be enough.
However, Google is also ready with its own take on the mid-range, and it’ll arrive with a more interesting price and just as interesting a feature set.
Sized at 6.3 inches with the brightest screen for any Pixel a-series model yet, the Pixel 9a takes the look of the Pixel 9 range and makes it that little bit more affordable overall.
Designed to be more durable and armed with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 on the front as well as a recycled aluminium frame around the phone, athe Pixel 9a also comes with IP68 water resistance, making it able to survive the elements, just like its Pixel 8a predecessor.
New Pixel, similar hardware
The hardware is basically a slightly cut back Pixel 9, with the Google Tensor G4 chip, 8GB RAM, and either 128 or 256GB storage. The screen is a Full HD+ 2424×1080 resolution on a pOLED display, and it’ll run between 60 and 120Hz, giving you a little bit of slick animation depending on when you use it.
There’s also face security, fingerprint security, and even car crash detection, too, plus the obligatory WiFi (6E), Bluetooth (5.3), NFC (primarily for Google Pay), and 5G.
On the back, you’ll find two cameras, edging out the one on the iPhone 16e: a single 48 megapixel camera is the main camera, accompanied by a 13 megapixel ultra-wide complete with macro support.
Perhaps most interesting is that camera is flat against the body, giving the Pixel 9a something its premium Pixel parents don’t have: the camera bar that’s extruded from the body.
This camera setup also comes with some of the Google AI features that help its Pixel camera stand out, including the magic editor, magic eraser, photo unblurring, and portrait lighting.
A slightly different experience
What you won’t get, however, is the Pixel’s screenshots AI feature, something that can turn random screenshots you might be capturing into an organisation system of sorts.
However, you will get much of the AI functionality Google likes talking about, such as its Gemini assistant built in, as well as the transcription feature directly found in the voice recorder.
In short, it’s like the Pixel 9 experience, but also not exactly the same, and that’s evident from the change to the price.
A more wallet-friendly Pixel
As it is, the Pixel 9 costs $1349 for a 6.3 inch phone with slightly more grunt in its camera arsenal, while the 6.3 inch Pixel 9 Pro starts at $1699 and the 6.8 inch Pixel 9 Pro XL we reviewed with three cameras starts at $1849.
By comparison, the 6.3 inch Pixel 9a is much more affordable, striking a balance of features and price from $849.
It’s clearly not the same as the Pixel 9 Pro, but the handset is roughly half the price, making for a more economical take on the Pixel range.
And that’s without losing the long-term support, either: the Pixel 9a will come with the same seven years of updates Google promises for its other Pixel phones.
In terms of when you’ll be able to find the new phone, Google says that the beginning of April is when that will happen, with the pricing landing at $849 for the 128GB model or $999 for a 256GB Pixel 9a.
