The Pixel 9a makes me feel weird, in a good way

I'm what some would call a "specs snob." Meaning that I want the latest, greatest, and most powerful device that I can get my hands on. After years of reviewing phones and devices that nobody should use but everyone bought, I (mostly) decided that enough was enough. It also doesn't help that around the time I made that personal decision, I got my hands on the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

So when I saw that Google announced the Pixel 9a, I just read the headlines and just kept it moving. It wasn't until I read the excellent hands-on from Android Central's very own Michael Hicks that I started to look a bit deeper into what the 9a had to offer.

To get this out of the way, I don't like Google's decision to remove the camera bar. It's been a staple of the Pixel lineup since the Pixel 6, and while I haven't said this out loud, I was also disappointed when it was removed from the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Now, colors notwithstanding, the Pixel 9a just blends in with the sea of rectangles that everyone uses.

Anyways, on paper, the Pixel 9a is practically the perfect phone for the majority of people. Do you need an all-day battery life? The 9a delivers a 5,100mAh battery, paired with a larger vapor chamber for better cooling, which, in turn, should mean the Tensor G4 has a bit more room to breathe. Oh, and by the way, Google claims these two changes are the reasons why the camera bar was sliced off.

Speaking of performance, the Tensor G4 is in the cockpit, with 8GB of LPDDR5X riding shotgun. That sounds great, right? Actually, yeah, I think it sounds pretty darn good. What's that? You don't get Pixel Screenshots or Call Notes? Oh well.

Apparently, this is because Google is using an "extra extra small" Gemini Nano model. According to Ars Technica, Google confirmed that this model has other limitations, such as "the lack of multimodality—Gemini Nano 1.0 XXS is text-only."

Normally, I would put on my Jerry hat and be irritated that Google didn't figure out a way to include features that should be staples across the entire lineup. So why am I sitting here feeling the complete opposite?

Because this is the exact problem that Google needed to solve.

Flashback to last year's Pixel 8a release, and you would have a hard time convincing me that the Pixel 8 was actually the better phone. With the exception of the camera hardware and camera features, the Pixel 8a offered practically the same experience while costing $200 less.

With the Pixel 9a, there are quite a few differences, but Google managed to drop the less important features while providing some sound reasoning as to why.

The Pixel 9a still lets you enjoy the fruits of Gemini's labor, but it just might not be as fast and can't handle anything other than text. It's not equipped with the best camera that Google offers, but the 48MP main lens still sounds pretty darn good, and you aren't losing out on Google's image processing.

Sure, it has a larger screen and bigger battery than its brethren, but the camera bar is gone, and the bezels are massive. On top of that, the Pixel 9 features an ultrasonic fingerprint reader, but some would argue that an optical sensor is better anyway. Personally, I just think Google needs to embed it in the power button, but what do I know?

So, instead of getting 95% of what the more expensive version has, you get something closer to 85% or maybe 90%. All while paying $200 less and coming in a dollar short of the $500 imaginary line in the sand.

But what about the iPhone 16e? Yeah? What about it? Apple might have beaten both Google and Samsung to the punch with a new mid-range phone, but the iPhone 16e also costs $100 more and falls short in a lot of ways.

If you don't believe me, just check this out:

Which reminds me, if you're feeling sour or betrayed by Google leaving out some Gemini features, just remember that Siri can't even tell you what month it is. No, I'm not kidding.

For years, if someone asked me to recommend the best phone for $500, I'd probably have told them to either wait for a deal or just get an iPhone. Even if that meant getting the last-gen iPhone SE, which still had the physical home button. That's no longer the case, as Apple continues to stumble and fall harder and harder while Google keeps mosying on along. As such, if you asked me that same question today, I'd tell you to quit talking to me and pre-order one already.

There's just something about the Pixel 9a that feels comfortable, and that's coming from someone who hasn't actually used one yet. Not only that, but the Pixel 9a might be the first Android phone that I would feel good about giving to an older family member. The peace of mind of being able to hand someone a phone and absolve yourself from being the dedicated tech support rep makes the Pixel 9a worth every penny and probably more.