Google’s Pixel 9a Could Be One of the Best Deals in Smartphones

For some people around the humans , it may find like spring . For us in Gadget Land , it ’s “ low-cost ” earpiece season . Last calendar month , we hadApple ’s iPhone 16emake a grand entrance with its $ 600 offering of all the best parts of theiPhone 16for a less eye - bulge out price . This calendar month , it ’s Google ’s spell with the Pixel 9a . For $ 500 , you get a Google machine with all the good parts of the Pixel 9 ( plus all thatGemini stuffGoogle wants you to employ ) . It should rest be one of the best deals in Android Din Land , especially if you ’re after a cheaper phone with more - than - decent camera capabilities .

The Pixel 9a attend a trivial different from last year’sPixel 8a . The corners are n’t as rounded and instead equalize that iPhone - alike flair the rest of thePixel 9family take on . It ’s deadening until you deal the Pixel 9a shines in design in all the places Apple ’s diehard fans wish the iPhone 16e did . The Pixel 9a comes in four colorways , two more than the iPhone 16e . The colors include black , white , a stark pink called Peony , and a super gorgeous purple tad — my pet — called Iris . The rest of the phone flesh matches the color of the backside . There are also jibe cases to keep the colorway integral , though Google lauds this as the “ most durable A - series phone yet . ” The Pixel 9a is also IP68 - rated for rubble and water resistance .

The showing on the Pixel 9a is the same size as the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro . It ’s a 6.3 - inchActuadisplay with a 20:9 aspect proportion . There ’s still a 120Hz show to vaunt here , like last year ’s Pixel 8a , with up to 2,700 nits top brightness if you ask it in direct sunlight . It ’s nice to see that Google can use such a good show in a mid - range telephone . antecedently , the good was Samsung with itsmid - range A - series . I still favor the cryptic Shirley Temple Black of Samsung ’s AMOLED , but Google ’s Actua displays have importantly meliorate — and impressed .

The Pixel 9a is here and it’s almost a better deal than the iPhone 16e (as long as you don’t consider the whole Walled Garden thing).© Florence Ion / Gizmodo

The Pixel 9a ’s internal hardware continue a solid mass for its cost . It ’s powered by the same Google Tensor G4 central processing unit inside the rest of the Pixel 9 series and 8 GB of RAM . There ’s a hefty 5,000 mAh battery in there , which seems to be the received oblation among mid - range Android devices trying to offer an edge . Google promise up to 30 hour of battery life on a charge , a little more than Apple promises with the iPhone 16e . It ’ll be interesting to see which one lasts the tenacious .

Google says the Pixel 9a ’s camera conception was cheer by “ nature ” and “ pee droplets . ” I do n’t see it . Instead , what I see is a rear - facing camera configuration that ’s quite like to the iPhone 16e . face at the back ! They ’re both single cameras staring you on . The photographic camera on the Pixel 9a is a 48 - MP detector — like on the iPhone 16e!—with macro centering capableness . But it also has the Pixel ’s tv camera algorithm magic , include AI - lead features like Add Me , which I still have n’t successfully used to add up myself to a photograph .

It ’s interesting to compare the abilities of the Google Pixel 9a and what Apple is volunteer with the iPhone 16e this class . Each is offering a less - pricey smartphone bundle with each blade ’s good features — camera algorithm for Google and a slate to get to the walled garden for Apple . The Leontyne Price difference of opinion between the two devices is about $ 100 , with the iPhone 16e requiring that “ Apple revenue enhancement . ” Only you may decide if it ’s deserving the supernumerary cash .

© Florence Ion / Gizmodo

But you should waitress for the inspection of the Pixel 9a first . Google did not let us paw with the software on the phone I got hand - on with . However , I was able-bodied to take a depiction of some grape on a plate with the 9a ’s novel tv camera . The photographic camera app felt just as responsive as the Pixel 9 Pro , my day-after-day driver , but all smartphones feel awful within the first few moments of care them . It ’s after you bog them down with apps , data point , and dramatic event that it truly show up its colors . If you want to take a spin , the Pixel 9a will be uncommitted in April at $ 500 from the Google Store and other retail merchant . stick tuned for our inspection .

Google Pixel

Get the good tech , science , and acculturation news in your inbox daily .

News from the time to come , delivered to your present .