Technologies

Battery, Bump and Budget: Comparing Google Pixel 9A to Pixel 9, 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL

Google’s newest budget phone packs surprises that stack up well against the rest of the nines.

With the Pixel 9A about to land on April 10, you may be looking at whether Google’s budget phone is the right choice for you — and if it’s wise to pick up a new phone before expected tariffs push up prices. Even as the low-cost offering in the Pixel 9 series, the Pixel 9A exceeds some specs found in its pricier siblings. Let’s look at how it compares to the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL.

With budget phones, the question is always, «What’s missing?» For example, Apple ditched MagSafe and stuck with a single camera for the iPhone 16E — which still comes in at $599. With the new Pixel 9A, what is Google giving up to hit a friendlier $499 price?

Hey, better battery

People consistently rate battery power as the most important consideration for a new phone, and here Google delivered. The Pixel 9A has a higher-powered battery than any of the other Pixel 9 phones. With a capacity of 5,100mAh, that’s more than the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s 5,060-mAh battery and a nice jump over the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro that each have a 4,700-mAh one.

The Pixel 9A is pokey about replenishing the battery, with a fast-charge rate at 23 watts instead of 45 watts on the other phones (and, of course, a charger is not included). Wireless Qi charging maxes out at 7.5 watts compared with 15 watts on the others.

A larger battery capacity in the Pixel 9A should support more intense computational work, along with the same Google Tensor G4 chipset as the other models. It will run the same Gemini AI features, although with less headroom: Its 8GB of RAM is generally considered the minimum amount of memory to run the algorithms and on-device processing used by AI. The Pixel 9 has 12GB of RAM, while the 9 Pro configurations have 16GB of RAM. For storage, the Pixel 9A comes in just 128GB or 256GB capacities.

The Pixel 9A’s Design: Google Takes Minimalism to the Extreme

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Shaving costs with competent cameras

Not surprisingly, the cameras are a step down from the other Pixel 9 phones, reinforcing that mobile photography is an area people are willing to pay more for. The main wide camera captures 48-megapixel photos, compared with the 50-megapixel wide cameras on the others — which isn’t a significant difference. It is a drop from the 64-megapixel main camera on last year’s Pixel 8A but does support macro focus to ensure close-up photos are in focus.

The ultrawide camera, however, records just 13-megapixel images, compared with the 48-megapixel ultrawide cameras on each of the other models. Still, ultrawide cameras at 12- or 13-megapixel resolutions are still more common on phones from other companies, and they create good wide-angle images. Selfies via the front-facing camera are also 13-megapixel resolution, which is a step up from the 10-megapixel camera on the Pixel 9 but dwarfed by the 42-megapixel cameras on the 9 Pros.

A return to flatness

We all play along when phone companies reveal the thickness of their phones, which is measured by the depth of the bodies and usually doesn’t include the now-ubiquitous camera bumps. As long as most of a phone is svelte, it’s easy to overlook the extra few millimeters dedicated to the camera assembly — and the wobble when placed on a flat surface for some phones.

Why? Because the cameras are some of the most important features of a modern phone. We’ll accept a little cantilevering in exchange for 10x optical zoom.

Someone forgot to remind the Pixel 9A designers, though, because its dual camera lenses are nearly flush with the rest of the phone’s back. There’s still a tiny elevation, which CNET’s Patrick Holland described as «enough to catch your nail on it,» but compared with the pronounced camera ledge on the other Pixel 9 models, the Pixel 9A rests nearly flat.

The opposite side of the body has the same 6.3-inch OLED screen as the Pixel 9, measuring 2,424×1,080 pixels for a 422 pixels-per-inch density and a 60Hz to 120Hz variable refresh rate. It even maxes out at 2,700 nits like the Pixel 9.

The phone’s dimensions, however, are slightly larger than the Pixel 9, being 1.9mm taller, 1.3mm wider and 0.4mm deeper. Even so, the Pixel 9A is the lightest of the phones at 186g (6.6 ounces).

To compare the specs between all Pixel 9-series phones, dig into the details below:

Pixel 9A specs vs. Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL

	Google Pixel 9A	Google Pixel 9	Google Pixel 9 Pro	Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,424×1,080 pixels; 60-120 Hz variable refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,424×1,080 pixels; 60-120 Hz variable refresh rate	6.3-inch LTPO OLED; 2,856×1,280 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.8-inch LTPO OLED; 2,992×1,344 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate
Pixel density	422 ppi	422 ppi	495 ppi	486 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	6.1 x 2.9 x 0.4 in	6×2.8×0.3 inches	6×2.8×0.3 inches	6.4x3x0.3 inches
Dimensions (millimeters)	154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm	152.8x72x8.5 mm	152.8x72x8.5 mm	162.8×76.6×8.5 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	186g (6.6 oz)	198g (7 oz.)	199g (7 oz.)	221g (7.8 oz)
Mobile software	Android 15	Android 14	Android 14	Android 14
Camera	48-megapixel (wide), 13-megapixel (ultrawide)	50-megapixel (wide), 48-megapixel (ultrawide)	50-megapixel (wide), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 48-megapixel (5x telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 48-megapixel (ultrawide), 48-megapixel (5x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	13-megapixel	10.5-megapixel	42-megapixel	42-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Google Tensor G4	Google Tensor G4	Google Tensor G4	Google Tensor G4
RAM/storage	8GB + 128GB, 256GB	12GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB	16GB + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	16GB + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	None	None	None	None
Battery	5,100 mAh	4,700 mAh	4,700 mAh	5,060 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Under display	Under display	Under display	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None
Special features	7 years of OS, security and Pixel feature drops; Gorilla Glass 3 cover glass; IP68 dust and water resistance; 2,700-nit peak brightness; 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio; 23W fast charging (charger not included); 7.5W wireless charging Qi certified; Wi-Fi 6E; NFC; Bluetooth 5.3; dual-SIM (nano SIM + eSIM); Add Me; Best Take; Magic Eraser; Magic Editor; Photo Unblur; Super Res Zoom; Circle To Search	Satellite SOS; 7 years of OS, security and Pixel feature drops; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass; IP68 dust and water resistance; 2,700-nit peak brightness; 45W fast charging (charger not included); 15W wireless charging with Google Pixel Stand (second gen); 12W wireless Qi-charging; Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7; NFC; Bluetooth 5.3; dual-SIM (eSIM + nano SIM); Add Me; Best Take; Magic Eraser; Magic Editor	Satellite SOS; 7 years of OS, security and Pixel feature drops; IP68 dust and water resistance; Video Boost with 8K Upscaling; Macro Focus on ultrawide; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass; 3,000-nit peak brightness; 45W fast charging (charger not included); 15W wireless charging with Google Pixel Stand (second gen); 12W wireless Qi-charging; Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7; NFC; Bluetooth 5.3; dual-SIM (eSIM + nano SIM); Add Me; Best Take; Magic Eraser; Magic Editor	Satellite SOS; 7 years of OS, security and Pixel feature drops; IP68 dust and water resistance; Video Boost with 8K Upscaling; Macro Focus on ultrawide; Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass; 3,000-nit peak brightness; 45W fast charging (charger not included); 15W wireless charging with Google Pixel Stand (second gen); 12W wireless Qi-charging; Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7; NFC; Bluetooth 5.3; dual-SIM (eSIM + nano SIM); Add Me; Best Take; Magic Eraser; Magic Editor
US price starts at	$499 (128GB)	$799 (128GB)	$999 (128GB)	$1,099 (128GB)
UK price starts at	Converts to £385 (128GB)	Converts to £640 (128GB)	Converts to £780 (128GB)	Converts to £860 (128GB)
Australia price starts at	Converts to AU$780 (128GB)	Converts to AU$1,210 (128GB)	Converts to AU$1,510 (128GB)	Converts to AU$1,670 (128GB)

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, April 9

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 9.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword could be tricky. I’d never heard that 1-Down Confucius quote before, but once I figured it out, it’s pretty witty. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Word after «cheap as» or «old as»
Answer: DIRT

5A clue: Sean ___, director who won four Oscars for «Anora»
Answer: BAKER

6A clue: «It’s the Hard-Knock Life» musical
Answer: ANNIE

7A clue: Pastry at a tea shop
Answer: SCONE

8A clue: Works on a quilt, perhaps
Answer: SEWS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: «Never give a sword to a man who can’t ___»: Confucius
Answer: DANCE

2D clue: «You don’t need to tell me!»
Answer: IKNOW

3D clue: Straps for a horseback rider
Answer: REINS

4D clue: One might be shady
Answer: TREE

5D clue: Big Mouth Billy ___ (singing animatronic fish)
Answer: BASS

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

Technologies

Loss-of-Pulse Detection Alerts on the Pixel Watch 3 Are Finally Here

The potentially life-saving feature that detects if your pulse stops is officially rolling out on the latest gen Pixel Watches in the US.

The US rollout for the Loss-of-Pulse detection feature on the Google Pixel 3 starts today. The feature identifies when your pulse is lost and can automatically call emergency services if you’re unresponsive. You can expect a prompt will pop up on your watch to enable it. Don’t worry if it hasn’t happened just yet — the roll-out is estimated to last a few weeks.

Google announced the Loss of Pulse Detection feature in 2024 for select EU countries and received FDA clearance in the US in February.

The watch uses an AI-based algorithm and signals from the existing multipath heart rate sensor (the flashing green light on the back of the watch) to monitor your pulse. If it suspects your pulse was lost, additional sensor signals will be activated to search for the pulse or identify movement.

When nothing is detected, the watch prompts you with an initial check-in. If you don’t respond to the message on the watch and no motion is detected, a loud alarm will play, and a countdown will appear on the screen. Then, an emergency services call is placed on your LTE smartwatch or phone. An automated message about the loss of pulse and your location will be shared with emergency operators.

While the Loss of Pulse Detection feature wasn’t made for any one specific health condition, this is another feature added to the Pixel 3’s impressive catalog of safety and health features, such as fall detection and irregular heart rhythm notifications. As a Google Pixel user, I’m happy to see another feature in the medical safety space, especially for one in which immediate intervention is necessary.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for April 9, #1390

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle No. 1,390 for Wednesday, April 9.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle refers to a substance used in many foods. It’s also a hilarious punchline in my favorite Super Bowl commercial (outside of the Budweiser Clydesdales ads). If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.