Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 9: Sibling rivalry

The Pixel A series has steadily been offering better value with each generation, thus blurring the line between it and the mainline Pixel phones more so than ever. Last year's Pixel 8a was a great example of this, and this continues as we compare the new Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 9.

We weren't too thrilled that the Pixel 9 received a $100 price bump over the Pixel 8, but the Pixel 9a coming in at the same price as the 8a poses an even bigger threat to the 9. For just a handful of features that remain exclusive to the 9, does it even make sense to buy it anymore now that the 9a is in town? Let's compare the main aspects of the two phones, starting with design.

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 9: Design

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Google is finally giving its A series phone its own identity by removing the rear camera bar. The Pixel 9a's rear camera module is just an island cutout surrounded by a flat polycarbonate surface. The design is said to be "inspired by water droplets," which is nothing new, to be honest. The camera bar has been a Pixel's identity for years, so this will take some getting used to.

The Pixel 9a comes in the standard colors of Obsidian and Porcelain, but also Peony (pink) like the 9 and a more subtle Iris (purple) shade. The 9a is a tad thicker than the 9 due to the larger battery, but it is quite a bit lighter at just 185.9 grams. The rest of the dimensions are nearly the same, so it should be as comfortable to hold and use as the Pixel 9.

The Pixel 9a finally gets upgraded to an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, putting it on par with the Pixel 9. Google says the aluminum used in the housing is 100% recycled and that the packaging is 100% free of plastics.

The Pixel 9 has a weightier body at 198g, probably due to the glass back panel. It too features recycled aluminum in the construction. The 9 has a more imposing look as well compared to the 9a, thanks to the prominent island camera bar on the back.

The flat sides and rear panel are also very comfortable to hold. In our review, we noted that there's a slight curve where the frame meets the front and rear glass so it doesn't dig into your pinky finger when using it with one hand.

The Pixel 9 also comes in four colors; Peony, Wintergreen, Porcelain, and Obsidian. It too has an IP68 rating and a USB 3.2 Type-C port

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 9: Display

The Pixel 9a and the Pixel 9 have nearly identical display specs, save for a few things. Both feature a 6.3-inch Actua display with a Full HD+ resolution, 60-120Hz variable refresh rate, and up to 2,700 nits of peak brightness.

To keep costs down, though, Google has used an older Gorilla Glass 3 protective glass for the 9a, compared to Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the 9. The 9a also has an inferior contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 vs. greater than 2,000,000:1 on the 9, on paper anyway. Finally, the 9a uses a pOLED panel compared to a regular OLED panel in the 9.

I would have liked to see Google step up the shatter protection for the glass on the 9a, as the 8a also had the same one. Given how similar the display specs of both the phones are, I imagine the usage experience should also be the same, which is to say, very good. Either way, you'll definitely want a screen protector for the Pixel 9a.

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 9: 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. It would have been nice to see 12GB, but it might be asking for too much at this price.

The Pixel 9a also uses the same Tensor G4 SoC as the Pixel 9, along with the Titan M2 security chip. This means you should expect the same level of performance in apps, games, and AI capabilities. The Tensor G4 is nowhere close to Qualcomm's flagship chips when it comes to raw performance, but it is more power-efficient than the G3 and can handle sustained workloads longer before it begins throttling.

Battery life is going to be the Pixel 9a's highlight as it has a considerably larger 5,100mAh capacity over the 4,700mAh battery in the Pixel 9. Google is touting "30+ hours" of battery life for the 9a, which is impressive. Fast charging is present, but it's not as quick as the Pixel 9. 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, but there don't seem to be faster speeds if you use the Pixel Stand.

The Pixel 9 is priced at $799 and $899 for 128GB and 256GB of storage, respectively. However, since it's been a few months since the phone is on sale, you can find it a little less online. The Pixel 9 has 12GB of RAM across both storage tiers. The phone also uses the Tensor G4 SoC, which is capable as long as you don't do anything too intensive on it.

Despite the smaller capacity, we're quite happy with the battery life of the Pixel 9, as it is able to last a full day on one charge in our daily use. Enabling Energy Saver can extend this even more, albeit at the cost of some performance. There's 27W wired charging here and 15W wireless charging (with Pixel Stand), but both are not exactly impressive numbers for an $800 phone.

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 9: Cameras

The camera sensors on the Pixel 9a are quite different from the Pixel 9. The 9a has a 48MP main camera, 13MP ultrawide, and a 13MP selfie camera. The main camera is optically stabilized and supports 8x Super Res Zoom, but the sensor itself is smaller than the 50MP sensor in the Pixel 9. The aperture is nearly the same (f/1.7 vs. f/1.68), but overall, the Pixel 9 should be able to capture clearer low-light photos and video with less noise. We'll know for sure once we've tested the 9a.

The ultrawide camera in the Pixel 9a lacks autofocus and also has an inferior aperture, sensor size, and field of view to the Pixel 9. However, the 9a still supports features like Macro Focus and Astrophotography, which is the first A series phone to do so, according to Google. Other Pixel 9 camera exclusives like Add Me are also supported.

Finally, the Pixel 9a has a slightly higher resolution selfie camera compared to the 10.5MP sensor on the Pixel 9. The 9a's camera even has a marginally wider field of view, but it lacks autofocus, so the depth of field behind your subject(s) might not be as shallow as what the 9 can deliver.

Video recording capabilities are similar on the Pixel 9a and Pixel 9, with 4K 60fps being the max. One thing worth noting is that the 9a can only do 4K 30fps with the front and not 60fps. Digital zoom is also better (7x) on the 9, compared to the 9a (5x).

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 9: Software

The Pixel 9a will receive seven years of OS, security, and Pixel Drop updates, which means you should be sorted until early 2032. The Pixel 9 also gets seven years, but because it launched in August 2024, its update cycle should end in 2031. That's still a long time, whichever way you slice it, and going by Google's Android release schedule, both phones may have the same Android version by the time support ends.

The Pixel 9a ships with Android 15 out of the box, which means you can start exploring all the great new features right away. Both phones will get Android 16 together later this year anyway, making them equal. The Pixel 9a should have all the great AI features that debuted with the Pixel 9 since they both share the same SoC.

There's not going to be any noticeable difference in the usage experience, either. The Pixel 9 could be slightly smoother to use due to more RAM, especially when using some of the AI features. We'll know for sure and report back in our Pixel 9a review.

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

If you're looking at it purely from a value proposition, the Pixel 9a easily beats the Pixel 9 and is the one I'd recommend to most buyers. Its biggest draw over the Pixel 9 would be the (mostly) superior battery life, lower price, lighter weight, and the same performance and AI features. This makes it a strong contender to be the best cheap phone in 2025.

The only thing you're losing out on would be faster charging speeds and stronger camera specs, which are not massive deal-breakers in my book. The Pixel 9's "quicker" charging isn't exactly something worth bragging about, and Google's camera post-processing algorithms are on another level altogether, so the 9a might not have to deal with that big of a quality loss anyway.

In my opinion, it only makes sense to get the Pixel 9 if you come across a good deal where it's under $600 or you hate the new design of the 9a. If you're going to be spending over $800, then you might as well get the Pixel 9 Pro.