At last, Google has unveiled the Pixel 9a, its next midrange phone. On paper, it seems like a heck of a deal: for $500, you have a Tensor G4 CPU, a rather large 5,100 mAh battery, and a decent plastic and metal construction.
Given all the advantages of the 9a, you may be asking why you would spend $300 extra for the regular Pixel 9. Still, Google’s 2024 flagships have certain capabilities you won’t find on the 9a. The Pixel 9 offers five features listed below that the 9a lacks.
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More premium build
Google’s midrange Pixel phones have always been plastic; the Pixel 9a is not changing that. While the regular Pixel 9 has a glossy glass back and stainless steel side rails, the 9a features a plastic back panel with aluminum side rails.
For the 9a, that’s not always negative. Stephen Radochia of AP had some hands-on experience with Google’s new midranger; he claims it feels really pleasant with a frosted texture on its plastic rear giving the device “a premium look and feel.”
Still, with its glass and stainless steel frame, the original Pixel 9 does come with a more upscale design than the new Pixel 9a. The normal Pixel 9 has the legendary pill-shaped camera hump, which gives it somewhat more personality than the 9a.
Better cameras
The cameras show the most noticeable visual variation between the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9a. Where the Pixel 9a’s cameras are nearly flush with the rear of the phone, the Pixel 9 has a large, thick, pill-shaped camera bar. The 9’s thick camera bar contains superior cameras to the 9a’s.
Paired with a 48 MP f/1.7 ultrawide, the Pixel 9 boasts a 50 MP f/1.7 main camera. The 13 MP f/2.2 ultrawide and 48 MP f/1.7 main shooter of the new Pixel 9a Those figures don’t tell the full tale; we’ll have to wait to see how the 9a’s cameras perform when we get to test them for ourselves. The ordinary Pixel 9 will undoubtedly have the advantage.
More RAM
Following four generations of Pixel phones that came with eight gigabytes, the Pixel 9 boasts 12 GB of RAM. The Pixel 9a, however, is remaining with 8 GB. For most people, that will still be plenty; nonetheless, the basic Pixel 9 clearly outperforms the 9a in RAM.
That variation in memory also affects on-device artificial intelligence capabilities. The Pixel 9a will run the Gemini Nano XXS variant instead of the Gemini Nano XS model already on the regular Pixel 9. While the 9a’s Gemini Nano XXS model can only handle text input, the Pixel 9’s more powerful on-device artificial intelligence can handle multimodal inputs.
Faster charging
None of Google’s phones charge especially quickly relative to other Android flagships, but the standard Pixel 9 has the edge over the Pixel 9a on that front. The Pixel 9 offers 27-watt wired charging and wireless charging up to 15 watts, depending on the charger you’re working with. The Pixel 9a, on the other hand, tops out at 23-watt wired charging, with a max wireless charging rate of 7.5 watts.
Ultrasonic fingerprint reader
Using sound waves, the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro’s ultrasonic fingerprint sensors scan the surface of your fingertip. The Pixel 9a has an optical fingerprint sensor that scans your fingertip’s surface by shining light on it. While Pixel phones’ optical sensors have always been _fine_, ultrasonic sensors are quicker and more accurate than optical ones. Although it’s a minor benefit, the standard Pixel 9’s ultrasonic sensor is still superior to the Pixel 9a.
We’ll see how much difference it makes
On paper, the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9a are quite close in a number of key areas, and the 9a even has some advantages over the regular 9. But the more expensive 9 does, of course, have a handful of features that the 9a doesn’t. We haven’t had the chance to put the 9a through its paces yet, so its too early to know how much these differences will matter to most users. We’ll have more to say about how the 9 and 9a compare in the weeks ahead.
Disclaimer :
This article is for informational purposes only and reflects personal opinions on Google’s Pixel 9 and Pixel 9a. We do not endorse or promote any specific product for financial gain. All product details are based on publicly available information at the time of writing. This site follows Google AdSense policies, and all content is intended to provide unbiased information for readers.