The Pixel 9a offers 95% of what makes Google’s high-end phones great but at a more wallet-friendly price, dominating mid-range rivals with its class-leading camera, top-tier chip, and very long battery life.
The Pixel 9a offers 95% of what makes Google’s high-end phones great but at a more wallet-friendly price. With its class-leading camera, top-tier chip, and very long battery life, the phone dominates mid-range rivals.
The Pixel 9a is a premium Android smartphone developed by Google.
It features a 6.7-inch OLED display, an octa-core processor, up to 12GB of RAM, and a quad-camera setup with a 50MP primary sensor.
The device runs on Android 13 and supports wireless charging.
Its battery life is estimated to last around 24 hours with moderate usage.
Design
The Pixel 9a starts at the same £499 as last year’s equally good value model, making it £300 or so less than Google’s regular ‘Pixel 9’ and places it up against mid-rangers such as Nothing’s Phone 3a Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy A56. The phone looks just like the regular ‘Pixel 9’ from the front, with an optical fingerprint reader under the screen and facial recognition for unlocking the phone and apps.
The 6.3in OLED screen is crisp, smooth, and bright, looking better than many rivals costing far more. It has slightly thicker bezels around the edge than the Pixel 9 but keeps the premium-feeling aluminium band around the outside. The back is high-quality plastic rather than glass, but it’s difficult to tell unless you know.
Specifications
The phone features a Google Tensor G4 chip with 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of storage. It runs on ‘Android 15‘ and has a camera system consisting of a 48MP main sensor, a 13MP ultrawide lens, and a 13MP selfie camera.
Performance
The phone’s battery lasts up to 57 hours between charges with general light use, including actively using the screen for nine hours and spending five hours on 5G. The chip is fast and performance is snappy, making it markedly faster than most mid-range chips.
However, the smaller amount of RAM compared with the Pixel 9 may limit some of the potential for running Google’s AI systems locally on the phone. The 9a has to make do with a smaller version of ‘Google’s Gemini AI tools’ that can only process text on-device.
Camera
The Pixel camera app offers most of the tools you’ll need and makes it easy to shoot great photos with very little effort. The main camera is capable of shooting better photos than many full-price flagship phones, and its 48MP sensor produces excellent results across a range of lighting conditions.
A new macrophotography mode allows for some great shots, though sometimes it struggles to focus and is only sharp in the centre of the image. The selfie camera is solid on the front, while video capture is equally good.
Sustainability
The Pixel 9a has a number of eco-friendly features, including a back made from recycled plastic with a smooth mat finish. ‘Google says’ the battery should last about 1,000 full charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity.
Verdict
The Pixel 9a shows that Google knows how to make a cut-price flagship phone at a mid-range price better than any other. The combination of top-tier chip, long battery life, great screen, and a class-leading camera beats phones costing a lot more.
The Google Pixel 9a boasts a 6.7-inch OLED display, offering vibrant colors and crisp visuals.
Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, it delivers seamless performance.
The device features a quad-camera setup with a 50MP primary sensor, capable of capturing stunning images in various lighting conditions.
With up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, users can enjoy lag-free multitasking and ample storage space.
The Pixel 9a also supports fast charging and wireless charging capabilities.
While some corners have been cut to bring the price down, they aren’t noticeable in day-to-day usage. Missing things such as wifi 7, satellite messaging, or spatial audio can be forgiven at this price.
Overall, the Pixel 9a is the best mid-range phone by a wide margin and is the handset to buy for anyone looking for a quality experience that goes the distance for less.
The mid-range phone market offers a sweet spot between budget-friendly options and high-end flagships.
Brands like Samsung, Google, and OnePlus provide devices with impressive specs, cameras, and battery life at affordable prices.
Key features include large displays, fast processors, and advanced camera capabilities.
For example, the 'exceptional camera performance' of the Google Pixel 4a offers timely software updates at an accessible price point.
When choosing a mid-range phone, consider your specific needs and prioritize features accordingly.
- theguardian.com | Pixel 9a review: Google’s cut price Android winner
