Weekly poll: what do you think of the Google Pixel 9a?

We were going to poll this sooner, but Google took over a week to decide when the Pixel 9a will be available – April 10 is the date (Thursday next week) for the US, Canada and the UK. Then the mid-ranger will expand to 23 more countries in Europe on April 14, followed by an Asia-Pacific rollout on April 16.

First, let’s talk about the price – the base 8/128GB model will match the launch price of last year’s Pixel 8a (pricing info on the 8/256GB upgrade is yet to be revealed). This means $500 in the US, €550 in Europe and ₹53,000 in India.

Google Pixel 9a

We have a Pixel 9a in for review, so expect a detailed report soon. Compared to its predecessor, the major upgrades are the newer chipset (Tensor G4 vs. G3), larger 1080p+ 120Hz display (6.3” vs. 6.1”), larger battery (5,100mAh vs. 4,492mAh) with slightly faster wired charging (23W vs. 18W, wireless is the same at 7.5W) and upgraded water resistance (IP68 vs. IP67).

The main camera is new and features a 48MP 1/2.0” sensor and f/1.7 aperture, while the 2024 Pixel had a 64MP 1/1.73” sensor with f/1.9 aperture. The question of whether there is an appreciable change in image and video quality will have to wait for the review.

We do appreciate that Google removed the chunky visor and created an almost flush design. This combined with the aluminum frame feels good in the hand, but the thick bezels around the screen make it clear this isn’t a premium product.

Google Pixel 9a

Anyway, let’s have a quick look at potential competitors to the Pixel 9a. The Galaxy A56 still isn’t available in the US, but in Europe and India, it’s already under €500 and ₹50,000, respectively. You may be better off with the Galaxy S24 FE, though, which costs about the same.

Samsung Galaxy A56 • Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro is also cheaper than the Pixel and while it won’t get as many OS updates as the Pixel and Galaxy models (just three), it does have a 50MP 3x periscope, which is rare in this price range.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro • Apple iPhone 16e

The Apple iPhone 16e doesn’t even have an ultra-wide camera (and let’s not talk about its 60Hz display with a notch), but it costs even more - $600/€700/₹60,000.

You can probably think of other alternatives too, we will be thinking about that too as we work on the review. But let’s talk about the elephant in the room – Google’s own Pixel 9.

It’s currently $630, but we’ve seen it as low as $600. Yes, that’s $100 more than the Pixel 9a, but you get more RAM (12GB vs. 8GB), small display upgrades (HDR10+, GG Victus 2), a much better main camera (50MP 1/1.31” sensor) and a smaller battery with faster charging (4,700mAh with 27W wired, 15W wireless).

Are you considering the Google Pixel 9a as your next phone or do you have your eye on another model?