Pixel 9a hands-on: Google's $499 is direct shot at the high iPhone 16e price
It also makes Pixel's AI features more accessible to users on a budget
I got to go hands-on with the new $499 Google Pixel 9a, and although a full review will have to wait for another day, I can already tell you two things it accomplishes.
The $499 Pixel 9a takes a direct shot at Apple’s $599 iPhone 16e – costing $100 less by not resorting to a year-over-year price increase. This keeps Google users on a budget in the Android ecosystem.
The price point offers an easy way to access Gemini AI on a new Pixel phone without buying the more expensive $799 Google Pixel 9, $999 Pixel 9 Pro, or, my favorites, the $1,099 Pixel 9 Pro XL and $1,799 Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
The Pixel 9a has some trickle-down benefits from the pricier Pixel 9 series, making it an easy recommendation over last year’s Pixel 8a. Namely, you’re getting Add Me, a favorite feature that combines AI and the camera to make composite group photos.
The Pixel 9a design is a bit different from its other siblings. Gone is the Pixel Camera Bar – that funny-looking visor on the rear camera. The dual rear camera module is flat. People who type away on their phone while it rests on a table will love this.
It also feels more durable and is a bit thicker than the normal Pixel 8a (although the same depth as the Pixel 8a), with the benefit being it fits in a larger 5,100mAh battery for all-day battery life. Plus, it’s the “most durable A-series phone yet,” according to Google.
Our full Google Pixel 9a review (coming soon) will test out the camera, battery, durability and AI software features. For now, this is what the phone actually looks like.
Google Pixel 9a specs
📆 Release date: April 2025
💰 Price: $499
📺 Screen size: 6.3-inch OLED
🖥️ Resolution: 2424 x 1080
🏃♂️ Refresh rate: 60-120Hz
💡 Brightness: 2,700 nits
📸 Main camera: 48MP
📸 Ultra-wide camera: 13MP with 120–degree field of view
🤳 Selfie camera: 13MP with autofocus
⚙️ Chipset: Google Tensor G4
🐏 RAM: 8GB
🗄️ Storage: 128GB/256GB
🔈 Speakers: stereo (and no headphone jack)
🔋 Battery: 5,100 mAh
🔌 Wired Charging: 23W
⚡ Wireless Charging: Yes, 7.5W (no magnets, though)
📶 Connectivity: 5G sub6 and mmWave, WiFi 7
👁️ Biometrics: Under-display fingerprint reader
⚖️ Weight: 186 g
🌈 Colors: Obsidian, Porcelain, Iris, Peony
🤖 OS: Android 15 (seven years of software upgrades)
🪨 Durability: Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on front, plastic back
💦 Waterproof: IP68
9 things to know about Pixel 9a
💰 The price is right. Even with the threat of tariffs on tech, the year-over-year price of the Pixel A-series hasn’t increased. It’s $499, and that’s before trade-in incentives and bonuses. Best Buy is offering a $100 Best Buy gift card if you upgrade to Pixel 9a.
🤼 It has strong rivals. It’s not just the $599 iPhone 16e that Google is going up against. Other Android rivals like the $499 Samsung Galaxy A56 and the $499 OnePlus 13R are trying to offer more bang for your buck in 2025.
📸 Cameras are key. Pixel phones have a strong camera game, and Google usually doesn’t weaken its photo and video capabilities in the A-series. Pixel 9a has a 48MP main, a 13MP ultra-wide, and a 13MP selfie camera. More than the specs, Google’s post-processing software makes this a camera phone to consider.
🤳 Add Me is the reason to buy it. I can’t demo Pixel 9a’s Add Me feature until the full review, but it made its way into the $499 phone. This is all I cared about when I heard Google was making the Pixel 9a. The camera uses AI to create a composite group photo out of two snapshots, letting everyone get in the final shot. We demoed this in our Pixel 9 Pro XL review and Pixel 9 Pro Fold review, and it even became the hero shot of our IFA 2024 Awards when we wanted a three-person group photo. No tripod and no asking a stranger to take a photo. We did it ourselves.
🔋 Bigger battery. I’m excited about testing the Pixel 9a battery life because Google squeezed in a 5,100mAh battery. Last year’s phone was 4,492mAh, so the capacity has increased and the efficiency with the Tesnor G4 should increase the longevity of the Pixel 9a beyond “all-day” battery life.
🧲 No magnets for Qi charging. Pixel 9a does have wireless charging, but like many Android phones – and the iPhone 16e – there are no built-in magnets. Q2 MagSafe-like capabilities are what I’m hoping to see from the Google Pixel 10 Pro series.
🪄 Editing photos with AI. Best Take (head swapping in group shots), Magic Editor, Auto Frame, Reimagine, and Photo Unblur are some of the AI camera tools you can use after taking photos with the Pixel 9a. Best Take has family photos for me, and I’m glad it has become a staple that other manufacturers want to copy.
🎨 Four Pixel 9a colors. The best Pixel 9a color is Iris, a fetching light blue-violet color. But it’s a tough decision between that and pink-ish Peony. Obsidian (black) and Porcelain (white) are here in case you’re the type of person who likes to have less fun in life.
👴 7 years of Android updates. The type of person who wants a $499 Google Pixel 9a isn’t likely to be upgrading every year. Google says, “We got you,” with a promise to offer Android updates for seven years. Considering the 9a is more durable than any other Google A-series phone, this may come in handy in 2032.
Google Pixel 9a review coming soon
This is merely a hands-on preview of the Google Pixel 9a, with a full review to come in the near future. The Pixel 9a is available through the Google Store, with retailers ready to deliver shipments in April.
I’ll be back to test things that I wasn’t able to demo for you, like Add Me, the cameras, the battery life and how it holds up during testing. Stay tuned for updates.