The best mid-range phone yet

After a rather odd review unit delay that resulted in me receiving my Pixel 9a, only for Google to ask for it to be shipped back a few days later due to a “component quality issue,” I finally got my hands on the tech giant’s mid-range powerhouse roughly a week ago.

Like in years past, the Pixel 9a is a lesser version of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. It features the same Tensor G4 chip as other Pixel 9 devices, a 48-megapixel wide and 13-megapixel ultrawide camera pair with a surprisingly understated bump that I’m very fond of, and an impressive display with a 60-120Hz refresh rate — all for a very reasonable $500. As far as upper mid-range Android devices go, the Pixel 9a is the best deal out there on paper.

Even when you compare it directly to Apple’s $600 iPhone 16e, it offers better value thanks to its higher refresh rate display, and, depending on your taste, more modern-looking design. At this point, most people are firmly planted in either iOS’ or Android’s world and probably aren’t looking to jump ship, but it’s still worth mentioning how the Pixel 9a stacks up to the iPhone 16e for those considering taking the Google plunge.

After using the Pixel 9a for the past few weeks, I can confirm that it’s an all-around solid package and offers the best phone value we’ve seen in 2025 so far.

Recommended

Pixel 9a

Google’s mid-range Pixel 9a offers impressive high-end features like a 48-megapixel main shooter, a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera with macro, its Tensor G4 chip, and 8GB of RAM, all in a cost-effective $500 package.

Pros & Cons

• Price is great
• 60-120Hz OLED display is impressive
• Stellar Looking design

• Camera performance isn’t as great as the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro
• Sizable bezels
• Not every Gemini AI feature is available

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Price, availability, and specs

Google’s Pixel 9a is available from Google and several other retailers for $500. The smartphone features a 6.3-inch display compared to last year’s 6.1-inch 60-120Hz OLED panel. Brightness has also increased this year, hitting 2,700 nits compared to 2,000 nits. However, the resolution is still 1080 x 2424 pixels (1080p).

The Pixel 9a features the same Tensor G4 chip as the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. RAM comes in at 8GB, with 128GB/256GB storage options (it would have been great to see the base storage increased to 256GB with a more expensive 512GB option). The smartphone’s battery is 5,100mAh compared to the Pixel 8a’s 4,492mAh cell, giving it the largest battery in the Pixel 9 lineup. On the camera side, the smartphone features a f/1.7 48-megapixel main shooter and a f/2.2 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera on its rear (with support for macro shots for the first time). The front of the phone includes an f/2.2 13-megapixel camera.

The Pixel 9a doesn’t have a specific release date, but Google says it will be available starting in April (likely late April, is my best guess). Other notable specs include IP68 water and dust resistance, over last year’s IP67 (it can now handle being submerged in 20 feet (6 metres) for 30 minutes. This year’s colors include iris, peony, porcelain, and obsidian. Pink (peony) is featured in this review — it’s not entirely my taste, but I love how much it pops. And finally, Google says that the Pixel 9a will receive seven years of operating system and security updates.

What I liked about the Pixel 9a

Impressive power and solid camera performance galore

The first thing I noted about the Pixel 9a is how great it feels in my hand. Similar to the iPhone 16e, despite the mid-range price, the Pixel 9a feels very premium, down to its unique camera bump. Instead of the recognizable Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro camera array visor, the Pixel 9a features a recessed dual camera bump.

As a side note, this allows the Pixel 9a to sit flat on a desk, which I appreciated far more than I expected. In an industry full of massive camera arrays, a slimmed-down camera bump is refreshing and something I hope makes its way to the Pixel 10 line. I also like the smudge-resistant matte rear and its smooth aluminum sides. Despite its mid-range label, the Pixel 9a feels decidedly high-end.

Like last year’s Pixel 8a, the Pixel 9a’s OLED screen looks great. It might not be as bright as the Pixel 9’s and the Pixel 9 Pro’s screen, but it still looks stellar thanks to its 60-120Hz refresh rate, a feature the iPhone 16e sorely lacks. The phone also snaps excellent photos, though low-light performance lags behind the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. Images tend to be slightly less sharp and a little noisier, too, compared to the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and even Apple’s mid-range competitor, the iPhone 16e. That said, the Pixel 9a snaps great photos most people will be happy with, especially in the context of a mid-range smartphone.

Oddly, the new macro mode doesn’t use the Pixel 9a’s ultra-wide shooter like most smartphones; instead, it opts for the main camera. The macro is pretty good for a mid-range phone and snaps decent close-up photos, though I can’t always get as close to subjects as I want to compared to the Pixel 9 Pro’s macro mode. On the plus side, the odd distortion that happens with macro ultrawide lenses isn’t a thing with the Pixel 9a. Like with all phones that don’t feature a dedicated optical zoom lens, I miss getting a bit closer to whatever I’m shooting (though there is decent-looking 2x sensor crop zoom).

Thanks to the Tensor G4 chip and 8GB of RAM, performance has been smooth, whether I’m playing games, trying to find a post in my T̶w̶i̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ X feed that isn’t offensive, or testing Gemini features like Magic Editor’s Auto Frame, Circle to Search, Best Take and Add Me, which all work great on the Pixel 9a. While useful Gemini functionality like Pixel Screenshots app and Call Notes isn’t part of the Pixel 9a’s array of AI features, I found I didn’t miss them very much. For those that care about benchmarks, the Pixel 9a’s Tensor G4 hits 1,721 for single-core and 4,425 for multi-core performance in Geekbench 6.

Battery life has been solid, with the Pixel 9a pushing well into the evening as long as my usage remains moderate. This includes a bit of doomscrolling, playing the occasional game, sending texts, and snapping a few photos. This is likely due to the smartphone’s bigger battery, but I also didn’t experience battery life issues with the Pixel 8a despite its smaller cell.

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What I didn’t like about the Pixel 9a

Those are some massive bezels

While I like the slight camera bump and high-quality display, the Pixel 9a’s display bezels are pretty big. Just like with the iPhone 16e, this is disappointing, but I don’t think it’s something the average person interested in Google’s mid-range phone will care about. Still, it’s worth noting if you’re coming to the Pixel 9a from a higher-end smartphone.

Like I mentioned before, I wish the Pixel 9a featured an ultrawide lens and not a zoom lens, though this is common with entry-level-to-mid-range smartphones. 8x digital SuperRes zoom is an okay substitute, but I found the image quality somewhat disappointing.

There’s also only 8GB of RAM in the Pixel 9a compared to the Pixel 9’s 12GB, but in my experience, the smartphone’s performance is still solid. Another downside is that only the Pixel 9a’s front screen features Gorilla Glass, its rear is plastic. With long-term use, this could result in durability issues. The Pixel 9a also only supports 23W wired charging, a step above the 18W the Pixel 8a offered. That said, it’s still behind the Pixel 9 series’ ability to charge at 27W. This means it will take a little longer to juice up your phone if you’re looking for a quick charge. Thankfully, the Pixel 9a supports Qi wireless charging, though.

Related

5 reasons why I recommend the Pixel 9a over the Pixel 9 to most people

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Should you buy the Pixel 9a?

If you’re looking for an upper mid-range phone, the Pixel 9a is the best available

If you’re interested in a Pixel 9a, you need to decide if the upgrade to the pricier Pixel 9 is worth it for you. Given the minimal feature differences and the fact that the $500 Pixel 9a costs $300 less than the $800 Pixel 9, you’d need to really care about optical zoom, a few extra Gemini features, and a slightly nicer display to justify that cost. For most people, the answer is simple — save a bit of money and buy the Pixel 9a instead.

If you’re an Android user, the Pixel 9a currently offers the best value out there. Even in the context of Apple’s ecosystem, the Pixel 9a bests the iPhone 16e in nearly every category. As literally everything gets increasingly expensive, many people are likely looking for ways to cut costs. If picking up a cheaper smartphone is something you’re thinking about doing, the Pixel 9a is a feature-rich alternative to far more expensive high-end devices. It’s an all-around solid smartphone with very few downsides when its reasonable $500 price is considered.

Recommended

Google Pixel 9a

Google’s mid-range Pixel 9a offers impressive high-end features like a 48-megapixel main shooter, a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera with macro, its Tensor G4 chip, and 8GB of RAM, all in a cost-effective $500 package.