Editor’s note: The Pixel 9A is now in stores. Make sure to read CNET’s Pixel 9A review. 

The newly announced Google Pixel 9A has big shoes to fill. The affordable phone is the follow-up to one of my favorite phones from 2024, the Pixel 8A, which earned a CNET Editors’ Choice Award. With the Pixel 8A, Google found a sweet spot in terms of features, battery life, long-term software support and overall value. Fortunately, on paper, the Pixel 9A seems like an upgrade in nearly every way to last year’s Pixel 8A.

But the Pixel 9A faces added pressure, as its launch comes on the heels of Apple’s «affordable» phone, the $599 iPhone 16E. The new iPhone, while being the cheapest one Apple sells, is still well beyond the $500 sweet spot that the best affordable phones manage to hit. Fortunately, Google didn’t follow Apple and kept the Pixel 9A’s price at $499 (£499, AU$849), which puts it more in reach for people with a tighter budget, especially as US tariffs take hold and drive the cost of goods higher.

I used the Pixel 9A for about half an hour and was impressed with its build (it feels incredibly solid) and aspects of its new design. I genuinely like that the Pixel 9A’s back is nearly completely flat. However, the phone lacks the distinctive camera bar found on the rest of the Pixel 9 series, diminishing some of the Pixel 9A’s Pixel-ness, at least in appearance. Otherwise, on the screen and under the hood, it’s as Pixel as they come.

The Pixel 9A will be available at the Google Store and at retailers beginning April 10.

Pixel 9A design

The Pixel 9A looks different from recent Pixel A models. Like the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, the Pixel 9A has flat sides instead of the curved ones on the Pixel 8A. But Google’s design approach to the Pixel 9A challenges the boundaries of minimalism. The back of the phone is almost completely flat, with the camera bump sticking out just a hair. When I run my fingertip across the back, my nail catches on the lip of the camera bump, but not by much.

The Pixel 9A is a rarity in 2025: It can lay completely flat on a table or desk. It doesn’t wobble, though the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro with a camera bar don’t wobble either. But the Pixel 9A’s flat design takes things to the next level. And I am all-in on the Pixel 9A’s flat design.

But the lack of a camera bar seems like a bit of a miss, as I had always found it visually striking on previous Google phones. The bar helped distinguish the Pixel from other brands’ handsets. And while most people will hardly ever see the Pixel 9A in its birthday suit, instead opting to clothe it in a case, the Pixel 9A looks more generic than eye-catching.

In the tug-of-war between form and function, Google went for function and, as a result, says the Pixel 9A is the most durable Pixel A device it has made. The back is made from 81% recycled plastic. I know some people will roll their eyes because of the plastic, but it looks good and still felt solid when I picked it up, and it likely helps keep the cost down. The phone has an IP68 rating for water dust resistance (compared with the Pixel 8A’s IP67 rating), meaning it can be submerged in water as deep as 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. 

The Pixel 9A is available in four colors: obsidian, porcelain, peony and iris. In person, I really liked the iris color.

The Pixel 9A has a 6.3-inch display encapsulated in a body nearly identical (it’s a skosh taller) to the Pixel 8A, which had a 6.1-inch display. The display’s peak brightness is 2,700 nits, which is nice step up from the 8A’s screen, which could hit 2,000 nits. So it’ll be interesting to see how its screen looks outdoors, especially under some bright California sunlight. On paper, the screen seems identical to the one on the regular Pixel 9.

Pixel 9A camera

In terms of photography, the Pixel 9A has a 48-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide. The new main camera supports Google’s Macro Focus, which means you can get close to your subject — think like a food photo — and have it be in focus. In fact, Google accomplishes this with the main camera instead of using the ultrawide camera like many other phones do.

As for resolution, the Pixel 9A’s 48-megapixel main camera is a step down from the 64-megapixel main camera on the Pixel 8A. But more megapixels isn’t necessarily better, as Google proved for years leaning on its software to boost its photography over other phones with higher-megapixel cameras.

Also, the Pixel 9A has a smorgasbord of AI goodies found on the more expensive Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, such as Best Take for better portraits, Photo Unblur, Magic Editor for removing distractions, Night Sight for low-light photos and more. The 9A even has Add Me, which uses AR and AI to let photographers add themselves to a group photo. I’ve used Add Me on my Pixel 9 Pro several times and am always impressed with the results.

Previous Pixel A phones have always had a solid B camera that exceeded its price. I don’t think the Pixel 9A’s shooters will be as good as the ones on the Pixel 9 or 9 Pro, but I’m excited to see how they hold up, especially with the new 48-megapixel sensor.

Pixel 9A performance and battery

The Pixel 9A runs on Google’s Tensor G4 chip, the same one found in the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. That means it can support Google AI features and Gemini. Notably, the Pixel 9A comes with 8GB of RAM instead of the 12GB found on the Pixel 9 and the 16GB on the 9 Pro. But even with less RAM, Google guarantees the Pixel 9A will receive seven years of major Android OS and security updates (it comes out of the box running Android 15).

While the Tensor G4 chip didn’t win any awards for its performance in benchmark tests for computations or graphics, we found it plenty capable when we tested it in the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. Whether it was playing games, mindlessly scrolling news and social feeds, or just editing a photo, the G4 chip consistently performed well in everyday use. I hope the same will be true when I get to test the Pixel 9A.

In terms of power, Google says that the Pixel 9A has the largest battery of any Pixel A device. When I saw the battery’s capacity listed as 5,100 mAh, I double-checked that I wasn’t reading the specs for Samsung’s new Galaxy A phones announced at MWC. Technically, the Pixel 9A’s battery is bigger than that of any in Samsung’s new phones, including the $1,300 Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Pixel 9A final thoughts for now

In terms of everything else, the Pixel 9A has all the Pixel features you’d expect: everything from theft protection and Family Link (for limiting access and sharing) to Google services like Gmail and Maps. Surprisingly, the new phone doesn’t get Satellite SOS connectivity like the rest of the Pixel 9 line, but compromises always have to be made to help keep the price down.

The Pixel 9A comes with either 128GB or 256GB of storage, three months of Google One, three months of YouTube Premium and six months of Fitbit Premium. I look forward to spending more time testing the Pixel 9A for a full review, once I can get my hands on it.