Google Pixel 9a vs. OnePlus 13R: Budget battle

If there's one phone that gives the Pixel 9a stiff competition, it's the OnePlus 13R. Even with a price increase of $100 in the U.S. over the 12R, it still represents amazing value for what it offers. In this Pixel 9a vs. OnePlus 13R comparison, one thing is obvious: the 9a is geared more toward AI, while the 13R is focused on performance.

There are a few other notable differences, too, like the more compact design and longer software support for the Pixel 9a, while the OnePlus 13R has a bigger battery and extra telephoto camera. With deals happening on both phones, you might find them at similar prices at some point, so which one do you pick?

Google Pixel 9a vs. OnePlus 13R: Design

Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

If you have small hands or have an affinity for compact phones, you'll be drawn to the Pixel 9a. Due to the smaller display, the phone is a lot more pocketable than the 13R. It's also noticeably lighter at 186 grams. The lightweight can be partly attributed to the polycarbonate back panel. The 9a also has more pronounced rounded edges in all four corners, which should make it easier to handle.

That said, both devices feature pretty flat designs, which is something we've seen with more smartphones recently.

The Pixel 9a comes in the standard colors of Obsidian and Porcelain, as well as Peony and Iris. The OnePlus 13R only comes in two colors: Nebula Noir (black) and Astral Trail (cream). At 206 grams, it's a lot heavier than the 9a and larger, too, due to the massive display.

The Pixel 9a finally gets upgraded to an IP68 rating for improved water resistance. The 13R is only IP65 rated, which means it has the same dust resistance, but ingress protection is limited to "low-pressure water jets" only.

Google Pixel 9a vs. OnePlus 13R: Display

The Pixel 9a has a 6.3-inch Actua pOLED display with a Full-HD Plus resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of up to 2,700 nits. The bezels around the display are fairly thick, which is a typical trait of budget phones. The 9a gets an outdated scratch protection of Gorilla Glass 3, which has been used for the past couple of generations of A series phones. The refresh rate can only vary between 60Hz to 120Hz, but nothing below.

The OnePlus 13R also has a flat display like the 9a, but it's proper flagship quality. It's a 6.78-inch screen with a higher 2,780 x 1,264 resolution, which pushes the pixel count to 450 ppi. It's also an LTPO AMOLED screen, which means the refresh rate can vary from 1Hz to 120Hz, thus helping save more power with features like always-on display. Scratch protection is also better with Gorilla Glass 7i, and it has a rated peak brightness of 4,500 nits.

Google Pixel 9a vs. OnePlus 13R: Hardware and battery

Google isn't increasing the price of the Pixel 9a, which means it starts at $499 for 128GB and $559 for 256GB. You still get 8GB RAM across variants, just like before. Plus, being a Google phone, you should be able to find good carrier deals, too, if you don't want to buy unlocked in the U.S..

The 9a uses the Tensor G4 SoC, along with the Titan M2 security chip. While it's not the most potent chip for heavy-duty tasks like gaming, it's more than capable of handling all the onboard AI features and casual gaming. It's certainly an improvement over the G3 that came before it.

For a small Pixel phone, the 9a will probably offer the best possible battery life. You get a pretty big 5,100mAh capacity, which Google says should last more than "30+ hours."

Fast charging is present, but it's not as quick compared to the 13R. The 9a can do up to 23W wired when using Google's 45W adapter. Wireless charging is capped at 7.5W with Qi-certified EPP chargers.

The OnePlus 13R is available in just a single variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage for $599.99. It's currently hard to get a hold of from online retailers as of writing, so your only option may be OnePlus.com. You'll also have to buy this unlocked only in the U.S., as none of the carriers offer any subsidies on it.

The hardware is solid, though. The 13R has the very powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 from Qualcomm, which can easily take on the most stressful apps and games without breaking a sweat. Unfortunately, eSIM is one feature we found missing from the 13R, but the SIM slot can accept two SIM cards.

Battery life is insane, thanks to the beastly 6,000mAh capacity. In our review, the OnePlus 13R easily lasted two full days on one charge, which is pretty awesome. It misses out on wireless charging, but I don't think anyone will miss it since the phone supports 80W charging. Plus, you get the compatible charger in the box, which is not the case with the 9a.

Google Pixel 9a vs. OnePlus 13R: Cameras

The OnePlus 13R has an improved 50MP main sensor, which does a stellar job of capturing rich details and low noise in still photos. We didn't find the secondary cameras to be too impressive, though. The telephoto, while nice to have, can only do 2x optical zoom, so anything beyond that is still digital. The 16MP selfie camera is also okay and gets the job done.

The Pixel 9a lacks a telephoto, but I don't think that's a huge loss since Google is pretty good with its AI-backed processing of digital zoom. The 9a has a 48MP main camera and 13MP ultrawide. The 9a still supports features like Macro Focus, Add Me, and Astrophotography, which is the first on an A series phone. Selfies are handled by a 10.5MP sensor, which I'm sure would do just fine.

The 9a and 13R can both shoot up to 4K 60fps video with the rear camera. In terms of actual video quality and stabilization performance, we'll have to spend more time testing the 9a, but that's coming soon.

Google Pixel 9a vs. OnePlus 13R: Software

The Pixel 9a supports seven years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates, which means you should be good until early 2032. This easily beats OnePlus' update commitment of four years. Thankfully, the phone launched in early 2025, so it comes with Android 15 from the get-go.

It's hard to choose between the Pixel's and OnePlus' interface since they are both really good. The 9a has a clean, bloat-free interface and will always be the first to get any new Android upgrade. OxygenOS 15 on the OnePlus 13R works pretty great, and there are many improvements that you'll love, especially if you're coming from an older OnePlus phone.

AI is not really the play for OnePlus, but there are a few useful AI features baked in, like AI Unblur and Reflection Eraser. Google is going all-in on AI, and the Pixel 9a supports nearly every AI feature found in the Pixel 9 series, including Reimagine and Add Me. Plus, with Google's Feature Drop updates, we could see more useful AI tools added in the future.

Google Pixel 9a vs. OnePlus 13R: Which should you pick?

For the majority of buyers in the U.S., the Pixel 9a is going to be the smarter choice. It should be more widely available, is cheaper, has longer software support, and is powerful enough to get by. The cameras, AI features, and wireless charging are also things that should swing votes in its favor.

The OnePlus 13R has undeniable value, but not in every country. In places like India, the 13R would probably be a better pick over the 9a, where Google's pricing strategy tends to be askew. Plus, if you want a phone for gaming, a larger and brighter screen, and insane battery life with equally insane charging speeds, the OnePlus 13R is the phone to buy.