Budget-conscious buyers often look to Google's A-series lineup of Pixel phones for a great deal instead of buying a standard flagship model at full price. While that can be a sound strategy, it doesn't always get you the best value. There's no doubt the recently-released Google Pixel 9a is a solid smartphone for $500, but it can quickly become overshadowed by the regular Pixel 9 at the right price.
Now that early Memorial Day deals are here, the base-model Pixel 9 has finally hit the perfect price. It's 25% off at Amazon, bringing the cost under $600 and shaving nearly $200 off the usual sticker price.
I've tested the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9a side-by-side for weeks, and I'm absolutely certain it's worth paying an extra $100 for the full-fledged Pixel 9 instead of settling for the cheaper model.
✅Recommended if: you value increased performance and on-device AI capabilities; you want a stylish and premium design; you need excellent nighttime photography.
❌Skip this deal if: you're not willing to pay more than $500; you don't like an over-processed colors; you want the absolute best battery life.
It's easy to think that the Google Pixel 9a and the more-expensive Pixel 9 are too similar, as both have nearly-identical screens and the exact same Tensor G4 processor. However, there's more to the story. The budget Pixel 9a is the winner in battery capacity, but the more premium Pixel 9 takes the crown in just about every other area. For most people, it's absolutely worth paying only $100 more during this sale to upgrade to the standard Pixel 9.
Why the Google Pixel 9 runs laps around the Pixel 9a
There are subjective reasons you might want to pick the Pixel 9 over the Pixel 9a, like slimmer display bezels, a premium glass back, and the iconic Pixel camera bar. It's true that the Pixel 9 is the most premium-feeling Pixel generation I've ever used, but design differences are easy to overlook if you're trying to save a few dollars.
Putting those aside, the concerning part about buying a Pixel 9a for $500 is the phone's longevity. Google equipped the Pixel 9a with just 8GB of RAM, while the rest of the Pixel 9 series gets 12GB of memory. This decision inherently limits the Pixel 9a's potential. While it is guaranteed to get seven years of software support, it's reasonable to expect the cheaper model to miss out on new features due to hardware limitations.
In fact, the Pixel 9a is more limited than the Pixel 9 straight out of the box. The phone's smaller available memory means that it can only run the Gemini Nano XXS model instead of the Gemini Nano XS model the Pixel 9 can handle. This has real-world consequences: you won't be able to use handy features like Pixel Screenshots or Call Notes on the Pixel 9a.
These are just the feature omissions on day one, and there will be likely more to follow as Google ships more updates for Pixel phones. AI tasks specifically require a lot of memory for on-device processing, and the Pixel 9a can't handle these as well as the Pixel 9. By paying only $100 more for the Pixel 9 today, you're not just buying the features available today — you're future-proofing your device for all the ones guaranteed to arrive in future Android OS upgrades.
Other benefits, like a 50MP main camera sensor that's significantly larger the one offered on the Pixel 9a, make the Pixel 9 a slam-dunk purchase at this price point. Keep in mind, the Pixel 9 costs around $800 at full price. When the smartphone is available at its full retail price, it's completely reasonable to save $300 to buy the Pixel 9a instead.
However, when the difference in price between the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9a is only $100, it's a no-brainer. The flagship Pixel 9 is the better phone today, and it'll almost certainly last longer and get more new features, too.
Covering all the basics
Want to get a flagship phone at midrange prices? The Google Pixel 9 is the device for you, as it's available for under $600 for a limited time. It's still the latest and greatest Pixel, and is sure to get better with the release of Android 16 soon. There has never been a better time to jump into the Pixel 9 lineup.
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