The Google Pixel 9a is my perfect entry-level phone

Introduction

Google’s Pixel A-series has long been the benchmark for brilliant mid-range phones. These phones pack loads of premium Pixel features – like clever AI tricks and best-in-class cameras – while quietly trimming away the bits you won’t miss. The Pixel 9a keeps that winning formula, but adds more than ever before.

This time, Google’s taken the best bits from the Pixel 9 and squeezed them into a cheaper body, without making it feel like a cut-price option. You get a sleek redesign, upgraded camera tech, and a healthy dose of Google AI — all powered by the new Tensor G4 chip.

There’s a brighter, smoother 120Hz display, IP68 water resistance, a larger battery, and a raft of clever tools like Magic Editor, Circle to Search, and even Gemini Live voice chat. And yes, it costs under $500 / £500.

So is the Pixel 9a the only phone you actually need? Let’s find out…

Design & build: sharp, premium and flatter

The Pixel 9a is flatter, sharper and feels more premium than any A-series Pixel before it. The curved back and camera bar are gone, replaced with clean lines and a svelte silhouette that slips into your pocket more easily. It’s very grown up.

The biggest design change is the new streamlined camera bump. It’s subtle, now less than a millimetre thick, and contains two lenses (more on those later). The camera bar of previous Pixel devices was an instantly recognisable feature, so I think by losing it, the Pixel 9a looks more generic, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay for a slimmer phone.

The edges are noticeably sharper, with a metal frame that gives the whole phone a much more high-end feel. Let’s not beat around the bush, it looks a lot like a modern iPhone (which is no bad thing).

It’s still lightweight at 186g – much lighter than my Pixel 9 Pro – but in the hand, it feels anything but cheap. The matte back adds grip, and the whole design feels tight, confident and grown-up.

At just 0.4in / 8.9mm, it feels impressively thin, as well.

This is also the toughest A-series Pixel yet, with IP68 water and dust resistance and a scratch-resistant Actua display up front. It’s built using recycled aluminium, plastic and glass – and it doesn’t just sound good on paper, it actually feels great to use day-to-day. It’s some of the least plastic-feeling plastic I’ve ever felt.

I’m testing the Pixel 9a in Obsidian (Black), but it also comes in Porcelain (White), Peony (a bright pink) and Iris, a fresh lilac blue exclusive to the 9a.

Face and fingerprint unlock both work quickly and reliably, though only your fingerprint can authorise payments and sensitive stuff.

Screen & sound: bigger and brighter

The Pixel 9a steps up with a 6.3-inch Actua display, offering a stunning 2700 nits peak brightness – that’s slightly larger and significantly brighter than its predecessor. You don’t have to worry about the size – thanks to slimmer bezels, I found the 9a remains comfortable and easy to use with just one hand. Small phone fans can breathe easy for another year.

The 2700 nits peak brightness is especially impressive, making it properly visible in direct sunlight. The 9a feels every bit as premium as its pricier siblings.

The 60-120Hz adaptive refresh rate is perfect for smooth scrolling and fluid animations, and it dynamically adjusts depending on what’s on-screen to save battery.

You’ll need to head into Settings to switch it on – it’s still off by default – and like before, you can’t lock it to 120Hz permanently. Still, once it’s on, the improvement is obvious.

The Gorilla Glass 3 cover glass adds durability while keeping things scratch-resistant.

Whether I’m browsing, gaming, or watching videos, I find the screen offers sharp details, vibrant colours, and deep blacks thanks to its OLED tech. By default, things lean a bit too vibrant for my taste, but you can switch to the Natural profile for a more balanced look.

Audio-wise, the Pixel 9a’s stereo speakers do the job. Dialogue comes through clearly, which is fine for podcasts or YouTube. There’s not much in the way of bass, and at louder volumes, things can sound a little thin – but for casual listening, it’s more than passable.

No headphone jack here, of course, so a decent pair of Bluetooth headphones are a must.

Cameras: powered by AI

The camera has always been a highlight of the Pixel range, and the budget-friendly Pixel 9a is no exception. Having tested it extensively, I’m honestly impressed. While the Pixel 9a is priced under $500 / £500, the performance of its camera system suggests it could easily hold its own against more expensive rivals. With a 48MP main camera and a 13MP ultrawide camera, this phone packs serious photo-taking power, and it’s clear that Google has made some smart upgrades to its A-series offering.

First off, the 48MP main sensor delivers crisp, detailed images with vibrant colours. I took it for a spin during a country walk, snapping shots of everything from sunlit trees to shadowy hedgerows, and I was consistently impressed by the clarity.

The dynamic range, especially in challenging lighting conditions, is excellent – shadows are well preserved without overexposing the highlights. The colours feel natural without leaning too heavily on oversaturation, something that’s often a problem with mid-range devices.

Just like the Pixel 8a, there is no dedicated telephoto lens, but Google’s Super Res zoom adds up to 8x magnification using software tricks. While these images don’t fare as well under close scrutiny, they remain perfectly usable between 2x and 4x zoom.

In low light, Night Sight works wonders, as expected from a Pixel. It picks up a surprising amount of detail, and the results are clean without a lot of noise creeping in. For instance, I took some photos in near darkness and found the Pixel 9a’s low-light performance rivalled that of flagship devices. There’s even the new Panorama with Night Sight, which is a game-changer for sweeping cityscape shots after dark.

One feature that I loved testing out for the first time on an A-series phone is Macro Focus. Previously, I’d only seen this on higher-end models, so I was keen to see how it held up. It did not disappoint. The level of detail captured in close-up shots is stunning. I took several close-up shots of flowers, textures, and even food, and the images were incredibly sharp, capturing minute details and fine textures, which are usually reserved for higher-tier phones. For anyone into macro photography, this is a huge bonus, especially considering the price.

The 13MP ultrawide camera deserves mention, too. In most mid-range devices, ultrawide sensors can feel like an afterthought, but the 9a delivers impressive performance. It’s sharp and does a great job of capturing wide landscapes, architecture, and group photos. In most situations, I did notice a little bit of distortion around the edges, but it’s not something that ruins the overall image. The quality still holds up compared to pricier phones in this range.

Then there’s the AI-driven features that Pixel phones are known for. Best Take and Add Me are both incredibly useful, especially when you’re trying to get that perfect group photo.

Best Take is almost like magic, blending together the best facial expressions from multiple shots. Add Me is an awesome feature as well, allowing me to put myself into the group photo by swapping in the photographer from another shot.

These features work almost seamlessly, although sometimes you’ll probably notice a bit of artifacting if you zoom in.

Finally, Magic Editor is something that really sets the Pixel 9a apart. I’ve never seen anything like it on a budget phone. The ability to reframe an image, add elements, and even use AI to suggest better crops is straight out of a photo-editing app. It’s all very impressive.

The Pixel 9a’s camera is an absolute winner for the price. It consistently delivers high-quality photos, with excellent low-light performance, impressive detail, and advanced AI features that make capturing great images fun and easy.

Performance and software: AI on a budget

The Pixel 9a continues the tradition of delivering a flagship-like software experience on a mid-range device, thanks to the Tensor G3 chip. This processor, shared with Google’s more expensive Pixel models, ensures smooth performance across apps, multitasking, and even demanding tasks. I found the device to be snappy and responsive in everyday use, from opening apps to browsing the web. Even with multiple apps open, the 8GB of RAM ensures there’s little to no lag or stutter when switching between tasks.

Google’s custom Titan M2 security chip adds a level of hardware security that’s typically reserved for premium devices, ensuring that your personal data stays safe without compromising on performance. While the benchmarks of the Pixel 9a may not stack up to flagship phones powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, I didn’t notice any significant slowdowns or performance dips in real-world usage. Unless you’re a power user or gaming enthusiast, the Pixel 9a handles everything with ease.

The Pixel 9a comes with 128GB of storage, which is par for the course when it comes to affordable phones and should be enough for most users. And for those who need more space, there’s a 256GB option available.

Plus, Google offers discounted cloud storage through Google One, which adds even more flexibility for those who need extra room for photos, videos, and apps.

The software experience is topped off by Android 15 out of the box, meaning the Pixel 9a will be among the first devices to receive future updates. With Google’s commitment to at least seven years of security patches, this phone is a solid investment if you plan to keep it long-term.

As with previous Pixels, the Pixel 9a comes free from any bloatware – just a clean, simple interface with all of Google’s core apps, which is something I really appreciate.

Where the Pixel 9a truly shines is in its AI-powered features, which are becoming a signature of the Pixel experience. The At a Glance widget, Circle, and smart assistants like Google Assistant continue to enhance the phone’s usability. I also find the Call Assist features like Call Screen, Direct My Call, and Hold for Me to be especially useful.

Audio Emojis, which add a fun audio element to your phone calls, are quirky but, ultimately, gimmicky.

In addition, Google has introduced the Gemini AI chatbot, a really powerful tool that is impressive at this price range.

Battery life: 30 hours

Pixel phones aren’t really known for their battery endurance, but Google has changed that with the Pixel 9a with a 5100 mAh cell. It actually stands out with a very impressive battery life, boasting over 30 hours of usage on a full charge, which is a significant improvement over its predecessors. Google claims it has the best battery life of any Pixel available today.

If you’re looking to stretch your battery even further, the Extreme Battery Saver mode can push the phone to up to 100 hours, making it the best-performing Pixel in terms of endurance.

I found this estimate to be pretty accurate – I can easily hit around 30 hours if you’re at home or in the office with light use (I’m far from a power user). However, if I’m streaming music, navigating with Google Maps, and scrolling through social media on a train, I’m more likely to get around 24 hours between charges and will charge up every night.

While the 9a doesn’t offer ultra-fast charging, it supports 23W wired charging with a compatible Google charger, and 7.5W wireless charging, which is decent for daily use but slower compared to many competitors. A full charge will take a couple of hours, so while it’s not groundbreaking, it’s sufficient for most users.

Google Pixel 9a verdict

The Google Pixel 9a brings impressive performance to the mid-range phone market with a more premium design, improved battery life, and an upgraded screen.

With a 6.3-inch Actua display, peak brightness of 2700 nits, and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, it stands out against its competition, and its design is sleeker, with sharper metal edges and a lighter, more pocketable than ever before.

Of course, the 9a camera delivers the signature high-quality Pixel photos we’ve come to expect from Google phones.

Software-wise, the Pixel 9a benefits from Android 14, AI features like Pixel Call Assist, and seven years of security updates. And, while Google’s Tensor G3 chip isn’t the last word in performance, the phone feels plenty fast enough.

The biggest win here is the battery, which offers up to 30 hours of use, or 100 hours with Extreme Battery Saver. Charging is somewhat slow, but the battery life makes up for it, making the 9a an excellent choice for a budget-friendly, premium-feeling phone.

Google Pixel 8a technical specifications