I’ve been testing the Pixel 9a during the last week and my fears have been realised: the change in design does this cellphone no justice.
As we beforehand highlighted, the Pixel 9a is the closest-looking mannequin to an iPhone and never in a great way. Not in a great way in any respect.
For years, followers of the Pixel household have been in a position to level at Apple’s reasonably priced cellphone – the iPhone SE – and snort. The iPhone SE recycled a design that made consumers really feel like they had been getting outdated inventory repackaged. In the meantime, Google graced the Pixel A-Collection with a brand new design with every iteration – a refresh that displays its flagship cellphone namesake.
However the launch of the Pixel 9 fashions shook issues up. Whereas the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Professional took a step ahead, with a slick aesthetic, the Pixel 9a has dropped nearly each distinguishing characteristic from its design.
Chris Corridor / Foundry
The place the Pixel 9 has a digicam island – which I feel seems nice – the Pixel 9a has a featureless wasteland. The flush lens seems as generic as they arrive, missing even the slightest trace of pleasure. It’s flat, it’s boring, and it’s extra noticeably plastic than earlier than.
Sure, the Pixel 8a was additionally plastic, however having that digicam bar added a design flourish, one thing to catch the attention; it lent an edgy sense of pleasure to an reasonably priced cellphone. The digicam bar contrasted superbly with the remainder of the rear design. Now, it’s only a black oval with cameras in it.
I’ve obtained beef with the Pixel 9a design
The Google Pixel 9a is a beefier cellphone than the Pixel 8a. It has a 6.3-inch show, so it has expanded barely from the 6.1-inch of the Pixel 8a. That makes the cellphone a bit wider, however extra importantly, the shift in design strikes us from curved edges to a squared end.
Maintain each telephones in your palms and the Pixel 9a positively feels chunkier. It’s simply 0.6mm wider and the identical thickness at 8.9mm, nevertheless it feels a lot bigger, since you’re now gripping that squared body, as a substitute of the delicate curves of the Pixel 8a. The Pixel 9a is definitely lighter, which is a little bit of a shock.
Put these telephones collectively and the Pixel 8a stands out because the better-looking machine – and that’s a disgrace, as a result of the Pixel 9a has a lot going for it…
Don’t decide the Pixel 9a by its cowl
Whereas I mourn the lack of the Pixel 8a’s seems for the generic blandness of the Pixel 9a, that’s not true of the expertise you get from this cellphone.
The Pixel 9a show isn’t simply bigger, it’s additionally brighter, so it’s nice outside and when viewing HDR photographs. The show is definitely brighter than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely, which is a few going.
In some ways, it poses an issue for its sibling cellphone, because it’s way more reasonably priced
Positive, the Pixel 9a nonetheless has that massive bezel across the show which cheapens the general impact, however that doesn’t detract from the efficiency this show provides.
The Pixel A-Collection has all the time been notable for one factor: utilizing the identical core {hardware} as Google’s flagship telephones. A lot of the expertise from the Pixel 9 telephones could be discovered on this cheaper handset. In some ways, it poses an issue for its sibling cellphone, because it’s way more reasonably priced, and, in day-to-day use, a lot the identical.
Chris Corridor / Foundry
That comes all the way down to the clear Android expertise that the Pixel provides. Whereas many mid-range or extra reasonably priced units will use lower-grade {hardware}, Google doesn’t. I settle for the argument that Tensor doesn’t compete with flagship Snapdragon {hardware}, however you’re not paying flagship costs right here.
The clutter-free consumer interface, freed from bloatware, can also be vastly welcomed, whereas the seven years of software program help with common characteristic drops means you’ve obtained a cellphone that may give you a fantastic expertise for a few years to come back.
Better of all, you’ll be entrance of the queue for brand spanking new OS variations, not ready months like you’ll elsewhere.
The Pixel 9a cameras may look ugly, however the photographs don’t
What the Pixel A-Collection actually provides is the most affordable path to entry the Pixel digicam expertise.
For plenty of years, the Pixel A has been highlighted as one of the best mid-range cellphone for pictures. That comes all the way down to Google’s dependable level and shoot digicam {hardware} and software program combo. You’re not drawn into “professional” modes to tweak settings hoping you’ll get a end result.
You line up your shot, press the button, and nearly all the time get one thing usable. Evening Sight opens the door to low-light capturing. Whereas many rivals can now problem this expertise, few do it as properly.
Chris Corridor / Foundry
There’s additionally nice consistency between lenses, so that you’re not going to modify from the ultrawide to the principle digicam and discover the color tone utterly totally different. A lot of this comes all the way down to Google’s lengthy dedication to computational pictures.
From my testing, it’s a bit higher than the Pixel 8a, with that new lens giving it the sting in decrease gentle situations.
The Pixel 9a continues to supply that reasonably priced digicam expertise in a cellphone that now has a bigger show, an even bigger battery and a fantastic software program expertise. However I can’t love the design: it simply seems and seems like a downgrade, and that’s an actual disgrace.
Keep tuned for our full Pixel 9a evaluation, which is coming quickly.