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I am inclined to assume that the oldsters behind the Google Pixel 9a are from the longer term as a result of if there’s one factor that the telephone will get proper, it is timing.
The most recent Pixel 9a retails for $499, making it a stellar telephone funding in immediately’s — and the foreseeable future’s — unpredictable financial system. After all, the latest tariff information I have been tiptoeing by way of has been in discussions since January.
However with the newest wave of bulletins, it is clear that the patron electronics market is about to enter a full-blown frenzy, as manufacturers brace for impression, costs teeter on the sting, and consumers rush to lock in worth earlier than the storm actually hits.
Meaning gadgets just like the Pixel 9a — ones that promise long-term advantages at a comparatively inexpensive value — matter greater than ever. The timing alone makes the Pixel 9a one of the crucial vital gadgets of 2025, even when it wasn’t meant to be when first unveiled.
Macroeconomics 101 apart, here is what you’ll want to know in regards to the Pixel 9a I have been driving day by day for just a few months now, together with who should purchase it and what makes it value upgrading to.
I am going to admit: initially, I wasn’t offered on the Pixel 9a’s new {hardware} and design. The bezels are noticeably thick by immediately’s requirements – even when in comparison with equally priced gadgets just like the $459 Nothing Cellphone 3a Professional and $399 Samsung Galaxy A36 5G – and eradicating the Pixel-famous digicam bar was a selection.
In principle, stripping down the again of the telephone makes the Pixel tougher to differentiate in a sea of glass sandwiches. In follow, this has two advantages: hand placement and lowered mud accumulation. Whereas I might beforehand tuck my index finger beneath the digicam bar to maintain the telephone upheld, not having the bodily obstruction now means I can maintain the telephone rather more freely.
Why is that this tech nerd geeking out about ergonomics? As a result of the Pixel 9a’s energy button is pretty excessive, hand placement is one facet you do not wish to restrict your self to.
That very same energy button prompts Gemini, which replaces Google Assistant on the Pixel 9a and might now fulfill extra advanced duties, together with multimodal, vision-based help.
If there’s one factor we are able to all agree on, it is that Pixel telephones are infamous for accumulating mud between the crevices of the digicam bar. That is very true if in case you have a case geared up, which additional traps particles and particles close to the digicam bar.
The Pixel 9a has none of these issues, sustaining a clear aesthetic after nearly a month of going out and in of jean pockets, my backpack, and a gadget-filled shoulder bag.
I am additionally a fan of the brighter show, which now ramps as much as 2,700 nits of peak brightness versus the Pixel 8a’s 2,000 nits. The improved luminance was noticeable once I put the 2 Pixel telephones by way of my notorious torture check — aka studying text-heavy webpages from the window seat of a bridge-crossing commuter bus. Very scientific, I do know.
However most finish customers will respect the practicality of such upgrades, and the Pixel 9a delivers in the case of consuming content material underneath the springtime solar.
The day-to-day advantages lengthen to the processing energy of the Pixel 9a, which options the identical Tensor G4 chipset because the soon-to-be-outdated Pixel 9 sequence fashions, together with the $1,099 Pixel 9 Professional XL and $1,799 Pixel 9 Professional Fold. Paired with 8GB of RAM, immediately’s minimal quantity of reminiscence to run hybrid AI options, you are taking a look at a telephone that handles most duties gracefully.
Google says switching to the Tensor G4 chip yields a 30% velocity bump in net searching over final 12 months’s Tensor G3, and I consider it. With the Pixel 9a and Pixel 8a in hand (and on the identical Wi-Fi community), the previous loaded up the varied picture carousels, net hyperlinks, and the story river on ZDNET’s homepage just a few seconds quicker. Save just a few seconds right here and there, and also you’re taking a look at an accumulatively snappier searching expertise.
The massive query is how the Tensor G4 holds up over time. By that, I imply mobile efficiency, energy effectivity, and reminiscence administration after 1-2 years, as these have all been points raised by actual prospects. In Google’s protection, the corporate would not essentially market its gadgets as multitasking powerhouses or ones that may spell the tip of gaming consoles. Regardless, I will be conserving tabs.
I am extra hopeful in regards to the Pixel 9a’s future due to its battery and endurance. Unsurprisingly, this is among the longest-lasting Pixel telephones I’ve examined, with a 5,100mAh capability that units a brand new file for Google.
The 1-2 additional hours I’ve squeezed out of the Pixel 9a in comparison with the Pixel 8a (4,492mAh) have been admirable, particularly with my camera-heavy workflow. In reality, my battery checks — which include 45 minutes of steady utilization, from searching social media feeds to streaming movies to creating calls — put the Pixel 9a in pole place above the Pixel 9 Professional XL. Now, if solely Google may enhance the wired charging velocity from the sluggish 23W ranking. Give me 65W! 45W! I am going to even take 30W.
(Whereas I am right here: the flush digicam design of the Pixel 9a additionally makes it rather more suitable with numerous wi-fi charging docks.)
On paper, the brand new 48-megapixel major digicam on the Pixel 9a seems to be like a downgrade from final 12 months’s 64MP shooter, however the bigger picture sensor on the previous does make a distinction.
I largely seen the efficiency hole when evaluating nighttime pictures and in environments with less-than-usual lighting. Pinching into pictures exhibits the Pixel 9a capturing extra element and vividness, naturally leading to higher distinction and colour accuracy. The Pixel 9a additionally nails pores and skin tones, which might be very troublesome when your surroundings’s colour temperature (learn: leaning extra orange or blue) is off.
What left me wanting extra was the zoom capabilities, as I felt the shortage of a devoted telephoto lens once I attended a New York Knicks recreation again in April and could not seize a top quality shot of the tip-off with the 8x (max) optical zoom — regardless that I sat only a few sections away from the courtroom. (A extra distant shot of the total area, taken with the 13MP ultrawide and pictured above, appeared unbelievable.)
Comparable feelings had been felt once I tried to seize the unshakable aura of turkeys crossing a avenue on Staten Island. The curiosity killed me, and one step nearer meant the birds bolting away.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
Cash is a delicate subject now greater than ever, so here is my shopping for recommendation after testing the Google Pixel 9a and each different A-series gadget since 2019.
That is essentially the most well-rounded telephone you should buy for underneath $500, and the intrinsic worth that comes with it — the seven years of software program help, the varied AI options which have trickled down from extra premium Pixel telephones, and many others. — makes it a extra cheap selection than its flashier opponents.
Whether or not you worth a superb show, dependable battery life, or a digicam that will get the pictures you need (simply do not be too bold), the Pixel 9a will serve you properly. It is one of many few greatest Android telephones I might suggest for its itemizing value and extra so if there is a provider deal that matches your plan.
However do you have to purchase one should you’re utilizing a 1-2 year-old handset? Most likely not. As a substitute, I recommend ready for the following huge gross sales occasion, because the $799 Pixel 9 will seemingly fall inside an analogous value vary — once more.
When you can wait it out, the Pixel 9, for round $50-$100 extra, is the higher smartphone deal, and it is a gadget we take into account the best choice for many customers proper now, together with energy customers and enterprise professionals. Regardless, your choices within the midrange market are promising proper now, and the timing could not be higher.
ZDNET’s evaluation crew spends upwards of a 12 months testing the ins and outs of each main telephone launch, evaluating the day-to-day efficiency, digicam high quality, battery life and endurance, and particular options. Here is a breakdown of each issue we take into account earlier than we make suggestions:
- Design and ergonomics: How good a telephone seems to be and feels performs a giant position in lots of customers’ shopping for journeys, so we take into account these points closely when testing.
- Efficiency: A number of elements have an effect on a telephone’s efficiency, together with LTE/5G sign, battery life, and background duties. Subsequently, we usually start our evaluations with a completely charged handset, all background duties closed, and as secure a cellular connection as attainable.
- Digital camera high quality: ZDNET checks telephone cameras by capturing a whole bunch of pictures and movies of varied topics and in numerous lighting circumstances. We additionally evaluate the output to that of older fashions.
- Battery life and charging: It is also vital for us to judge how lengthy telephones final underneath mild, reasonable, and heavy utilization, how lengthy they take to recharge, and the way they do it (wired, wi-fi, or each).
- Particular options: These options distinguish examined gadgets from a bustling smartphone market and hopefully convey added worth to customers, not the other.
- Pricing and availability: Past funds concerns, we additionally word if a telephone is obtainable within the US or solely internationally.
For a extra intensive breakdown, try our complete telephone testing methodology web page.
Present extra
This text was initially printed on April 10, 2025, and was up to date on August 16, 2025, to mirror the newest retailer offers and upcoming launch of the Pixel 10 sequence.
