Google Pixel 9a: Price, specs, and everything you need to know

As expected, the Google Pixel 9a made its debut before Google's I/O event in May. Launched on March 19, the Pixel 9a has a flatter new design without the signature Pixel camera bar that we've come to love over the years. This marks the first time Google has deviated from the standard Pixel-esque design in years, hinting at a similar shift in design in the Pixel 10 series as well.

Much like the Pixel 8a, the 9a is also priced at $499. It is powered by the capable AI-focused Tensor G4 chipset and comes with Gemini features baked in. This could possibly make the Pixel 9a one of the most impressive mid-rangers of the year.

The mid-March launch and April release for the Pixel 9a is slightly ahead of schedule; after all, the Pixel 8a was revealed in May 2024. However, Google has been inching Pixel release dates forward and making Google I/O a developer-focused software event rather than a Pixel hardware one. As such, the string of rumors pointing to a March 2025 launch for the Pixel 9a ended up being correct.

If you're not planning on buying the more expensive Pixel 10 series later this year, the Pixel 9a could be a great alternative to settle for.

Aside from the refreshed design, the Google Pixel 9a adds a bigger battery, a larger display, and a new rear camera system. Plus, there are new Gemini tools, like Gemini Live with support for video live streaming and screen sharing. To find out everything there is to know about Google's latest midranger, read on.

Google Pixel 9a: Price and availability

Google revealed the Pixel 9a for the first time on March 19 with a starting price of $499. The phone will become officially available for purchase in April from the Google Store, cellular carriers, and third-party retailers. The Pixel 9a is available in four colors: Porcelain, Obsidian, Iris, and Peony. It starts with 128GB of storage and can be upgraded to 256GB at an additional cost.

For the first time, you can get the Google Pixel 9a in any color and storage configuration you'd like. Previously, if you wanted to get a Pixel A-series phone with 256GB of storage, you had to choose the black (Obsidian) option.

Plus, new Pixel 9a buyers will get six months of Fitbit Premium, three months of YouTube Premium, and three months of Google One for free. That would add up to about $100 in value, assuming you don't have them already. If you pre-order a Pixel 9a with Google Fi Wireless, you can get it for free with $499 of monthly bill credits returned to you over 24 months.

Google Pixel 9a: Design and display

Historically, the Pixel A series has used a design similar to that of the main series but with a few tweaks. In the Pixel 8a's case, the corners had a slightly wider curve than the Pixel 8 series, making it even more of a squircle. Google made a massive design shift with the Pixel 9 series, dropping the friendly curves of the last four Pixel releases and going for a much more industrial design.

Google is changing things up once again, keeping the flat side rails of the Pixel 9 series and further flattening the overall design by removing the trademark Pixel camera bar on the back.

While prior leaks suggested the camera cutout on the back of the Pixel 9a would be flush or recessed, that isn't actually the case. The lens cover for the Pixel 9a's two rear cameras protrudes from the back of the phone slightly, so there's a small bump. The back cover of the device is made out of polycarbonate plastic, and the side rails have a satin metal finish. On the front, there's Gorilla Glass 3.

The Pixel 9a comes in Peony, Obsidian, and Porcelain — all Pixel 9 colors — and a fourth Iris color instead of Wintergreen. Google will sell official color-matched cases, too.

The Pixel 9a has a pOLED panel that measures 6.3 inches and comes with a FHD+ resolution, 1,800 nits of HDR brightness, 2,700 nits at peak brightness, and a 120Hz refresh rate. Compared to the Pixel 8a, the Pixel 9a display will be distinctly larger. It's also 400 to 700 nits brighter depending on the context, but otherwise match it for smoothness, resolution, and durability.

Fans of small phones may be disappointed, but there's good news: the 6.3-inch Pixel 9a weighs about 2g less than the 6.1-inch 8a. Even if it doesn't look as striking from the back, you may appreciate the extra visual space in front.

The Google Pixel 9a measures 154.7mm x 73.3mm x 8.9mm, which is just as thick as the Pixel 8a but wider and taller. It'll feel different in the hand since the thickness of the Pixel 9a is more uniform than its predecessor. At 185.9 grams, the Pixel 9a is heavy for a smartphone of its size but remains lighter than the Pixel 8a.

Google Pixel 9a: Cameras

The Google Pixel 9a now features a 48MP main sensor, similar to the one found on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It's a 48MP GN8 Quad Dual Pixel primary camera with an f/1.7 aperture and a 1/2-inch image sensor size. It delivers optical quality at 0.5x and 1x when paired with the 13MP ultrawide lens, but there's still no telephoto or sensor crop offering here. Super Res Zoom, which is a digital zoom with enhancements, is available up to 8x.

The secondary ultrawide camera stays at 13MP and offers a 120-degree field of view, matching the Pixel 8a. The front-facing camera remains at 13MP, too.

In other words, only the main sensor is changed from what the 8a offered, at least for hardware. That doesn't include the full slate of new software tricks Google is bringing to the Pixel 9a for the first time. You get features like Add Me, Astrophotography mode, and Real Tone on the Google Pixel 9a as well.

Google Pixel 9a: Specs and performance

The Google Pixel 9a uses the same Google Tensor G4 processor as the Pixel 9, paired with a Titan M2 security processor. This was all but assured because Google has used Tensor in the last three generations of Pixel A series phones.

Tensor G4 is only a minor upgrade over the Tensor G3 in most respects, although it's capable of processing specific AI-related tasks faster than some other leading flagship processors. It also runs quite a bit cooler than the Tensor G3 but at the expense of being slower in gaming and other heavier graphics processing-based scenarios.

Google is not expected to deliver a massive upgrade to its Tensor line until Tensor G5, currently slated for the 2025 release of the Pixel 10 series — and then the Pixel 10a, in theory.

The Pixel 9a tech specs sheet provides other key details: 8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, Android 15 with seven years of updates, a 5,100mAh battery, 23W wired and 7.5W wireless charging, an under-display fingerprint sensor, and Wi-Fi 6E.

The Pixel 9a and Pixel 8a thus have comparable memory, storage, software support, security, and connectivity. The key differences are in battery and charging, as the newer model adds about 600mAh capacity and an additional 5W and 2.5W to its wired and wireless charging speed.

A small performance and battery boost, with comparable specs otherwise, seems reasonable given that Google made so many requested spec upgrades, like the display refresh rate, in the Pixel 8a. The redesign and larger display seem to be Google's focus with this generation.