Google pixel 9a Review

 

Introduction

The Google Pixel 9a is the company's newest mid-range Android smartphone. Part of the A-series, the Pixel 9a continues the tradition of being the most affordable offering in the latest generation Pixel lineup, starting at a relatively modest $499.

The Pixel 9a features several changes over last year's Pixel 8a. There is an updated design, which is more in line with the other Pixel 9 devices. The chipset has been updated to the latest generation Tensor G4. The main rear camera has been upgraded and there is now a larger battery, the biggest on any Pixel smartphone.

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Google Pixel 9a specs at a glance:

• Body: 154.7x73.3x8.9mm, 186g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass), aluminum frame, plastic back; IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.30" P-OLED, HDR, 120Hz, 1800 nits (HBM), 2700 nits (peak), 1080x2424px resolution, 20.2:9 aspect ratio, 422ppi; Always-on display.
• Chipset: Google Tensor G4 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x2.6 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A520); Mali-G715 MP7.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• OS/Software: Android 15, up to 7 major Android upgrades.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.7, 25mm, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 1/3.1", 1.12µm.
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS, OIS; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5100mAh; 23W wired, PD3.0, 7.5W wireless, Bypass charging (w/ "Limit to 80%" option enabled).
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi region; BT 5.3; NFC.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; Circle to Search.

As we have seen with previous A-series devices, Google does not push the boat out on the Pixel 9a in terms of features and specifications. Instead, the focus is squarely on providing the core Pixel experience, whether it is in the form of the camera performance or the software suite. But with rising competition, it remains to be seen whether this once-winning formula continues to be effective.

Design

The Pixel 9a follows the strategy of its predecessors in emulating the design blueprint of the more expensive Pixel models of that generation. However, in this generation, there is an added twist that was missing in the previous models.

Starting with the basic shape, the Pixel 9a follows the more expensive Pixel 9 to a T. The front glass, which used to be ever so slightly curved at one point, is now completely flat. The aluminum frame meets the glass at sharp right angles while also being uniformly flat. Similarly, the back panel has been ironed out to complete the look.

The twist comes in the form of the missing visor, which has been a mainstay of the Pixel design since the Pixel 6 generation. While the design was streamlined considerably for the Pixel 9 generation, the Pixel 9a does away with it completely in favor of a nearly flush camera glass that only vaguely resembles the look of the more expensive models.

The result is a design that is somewhat bland and unexciting. The camera glass, in its bid to reference the other Pixel 9 devices, looks awkward without the accompanying frame. The upside to this blandness is that the back of the phone is also almost completely flat. This is rare to see on phones these days as even phones with a single camera on the back tend to have a camera bump for some reason. The tiny lip on the camera glass doesn't register when you place the phone on its back and it lies completely flat with no tilt or wobble.

Going around the design, there is yet another interesting design choice for the Pixel 9a, which is unconventional for Google. The bottom loudspeaker is placed on the right instead of the left, which is how Google usually tends to do things. This means when you hold the phone in landscape mode, you don't cover the speaker with your right hand.

Display

The Pixel 9a has a 6.3-inch, 2424x1080 resolution pOLED display. This panel has nearly identical specs to the one on the Pixel 9 but it's not clear if the two panels are actually the same. Compared to the Pixel 8a, the Pixel 9a display is bigger, brighter, and slightly higher resolution.

Charging speed

The Pixel 9a supports up to 23W USB-PD fast charging and up to 7.5W Qi-wireless charging. Since the phone doesn't come with a charger, we had to source one ourselves for testing. We used a mostly overkill 65W unit that we had lying around but you can easily go with a 30W or even a 20W unit and not see much difference in charging speed.

Speakers

The Pixel 9a has a set of stereo speakers on either side. In terms of sheer volume, the speakers get reasonably loud. As usual, Google uses a weirdly exponential volume control, which barely makes a difference in the first 70-odd percent of its length and then suddenly makes massive leaps in volume in the remaining 30 percent. It's the same as the display brightness slider and it's not clear why the company does things this way when everyone else uses a linear slider.

Camera

The Pixel 9a has a dual camera system on the back, which consists of a 48MP main camera and a 13MP fixed-focus ultra-wide camera. On the front is a 13MP fixed-focus unit. While the main camera is new this year, the ultra-wide and front cameras have been borrowed from last year's Pixel 8a.

In terms of video, the main camera can record video in 4K up to 60fps but the ultra-wide and front cameras can only do 4K at up to 30fps. If you want 60fps, you will have to drop down to 1080p on them.

video link : https://youtu.be/oJEb8Uq_ae0

Conclusion

We have been using the Pixel 9a on and off for close to a month now due to all the delays this phone has seen since its announcement. Over that period, the phone has cemented itself as a perfectly usable, workhorse of a smartphone that does all of the basic tasks and does them well.

If that's all you require from your phone then you are going to be happy with it. But one can't help but want more at this point in time, especially when looking at the competition. A more premium design with a glass back, a display that doesn't have a moat around it, a feature-complete set of cameras with modern sensors, and a battery that doesn't take longer to charge than a modern electric car are table stakes now at this price range but Google remains willfully oblivious to it.

So no, this is not an especially good value proposition and not for people who want to stretch every last dollar. But it has mastered the art of being 'just enough' and for some people that's all it takes.