Technologies

Score the Google Pixel 9A for Just $449, Back to Its All-Time Low

Grab one of our favorite budget-friendly phones at an even better price this Prime Day.

Ready to upgrade to a new phone? Now is the perfect time to take the leap. The Google Pixel 9A just dropped back down to its all-time lowest price. It has a lot to offer, which is why it’s among the best Pixel phones on the market and our favorite Android phone for the value.

If you’re looking for a Pixel 9A deals to save you some cash on your upgrade, there are several options out there. But for an unlocked model that doesn’t lock you into a multi-year contract Amazon has a Prime Day deal you won’t want to miss. Right now the already-affordable Pixel 9A has been slashed to just $449. That’s a $50 savings and a return to the lowest price we’ve seen on this model. Not a fan of Amazon? This deal is also available at Best Buy and directly from the Google Store.

There have been some design changes with the Pixel 9A, but change doesn’t have to be bad. Some highlights are its bright screen and solid camera performance. It has a lower RAM than the baseline Pixel 9, but it has the same display size, processor and AI features. It’s also worth noting that this particular phone lacks Satellite SOS connectivity, which is available on the rest of the Pixel 9 lineup. We have a breakdown to help you compare the 9A with the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro.

CNET expert Patrick Holland also found the Pixel 9A cameras to be the clear winner against Apple’s budget phone, the iPhone 16E, in large part to its three camera setup featuring a wide, ultrawide and selfie cam. He noted that, «the Pixel 9A really pushes the dynamic range in its images. The phone captures more details in the shadows but really aggressively brightens them too.»

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

In his review, Patrick Holland also observed that, «the Pixel 9A’s 5,100-mAh battery is the largest on any Pixel phone. But compared with the Pixel 8A, it also has a bigger screen that maxes out at 2,700-nits brightness, a more powerful processor and onboard AI processing. The result is just an OK battery life that was almost the same as last year’s Pixel 8A. Typically, I got around a single day’s use on a charge.»

That probably works for a lot of buyers, but you can decide which specs are the most important to splurge on. That said, at under $500 you’ll get a lot of value for the price — especially in the age of impending tariffs.

MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Samsung Galaxy A36 5G 128GB Unlocked Phone (Awesome Black):

$350 (save $50)
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE 128GB Unlocked AI Phone (Gray):

$525 (save $125)
Moto G Stylus 5G 256GB Unlocked Phone(2024 Model, Caramel Latte):

$300 (save $100)
Apple iPhone 14 128GB Unlocked Phone (Refurbished, Midnight):

$334 (save $295)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

For a budget-friendly phone, Google’s Pixel 9A has a lot to offer. We love the phone at full price, so nabbing it for under $450 is a great deal. It’s currently back down to the lowest price we’ve found on this model so far, and we don’t anticipate it will drop lower any time soon. With AI features, solid camera performance and plenty of other goodies, this phone is packed with value. But this deal could end at any time, so we recommend making your purchase soon to lock in this low price.

Technologies

Facebook Brings Back Local Job Listings: How to Apply

One of Facebook’s most practical features from 2022 is being revived by Meta.

On the hunt for work? A Local Jobs search is being rolled out by Meta to make it easier for people in the US to discover and apply for nearby work directly on Facebook. The feature is inside Facebook Marketplace, Groups and Pages, Meta said last week, letting employers post openings and job seekers filter roles by distance, category or employment type.

You can apply or message employers directly through Facebook Messenger, while employers can publish job listings with just a few taps — similar to how you would post items for sale on Marketplace.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Facebook offered a Jobs feature before discontinuing it in 2022, pushing business hiring toward its other platforms. Its return suggests Meta is attempting to expand Facebook’s usefulness beyond social networking and to position it once again as a hub for community-driven opportunities.

«We’ve always been about connecting with people, whether through shared interests or key life events,» the press release states. «Now, if you’re looking for entry-level, trade and service industry employment in your community, Facebook can help you connect with local people and small businesses who are hiring.»

How to get started with Local Jobs on Facebook

According to Meta, Local Jobs will appear as a dedicated section in Facebook Marketplace starting this week. If you’re 18 or older, you can:

Tap the Marketplace tab on the Facebook app or website.
Select Jobs to browse available positions nearby.
Use filters for job type, category and distance.
Tap Apply or message the employer directly via Messenger.

Businesses and page admins can post jobs by creating a new listing in Marketplace or from their Facebook Page. Listings can include job details, pay range, and scheduling information and will appear in local searches automatically.

The Local Jobs feature is rolling out across the US now, with Meta saying it plans to expand it in the months ahead.

Technologies

Tesla Has a New Range of Affordable Electric Cars: How Much They Cost

The new, stripped-back versions of the Model Y and Model 3 have a more affordable starting price.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 22 #598

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 22, No. 598.

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

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a fun one — I definitely have at least two of these in my house. Some of the answers are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Catch all.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: A mess of items.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

BATE, LICE, SLUM, CAPE, HOLE, CARE, BARE, THEN, SLAM, SAMBA, BACK

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

TAPE, COIN, PENCIL, BATTERY, SHOELACE, THUMBTACK

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is JUNKDRAWER. To find it, look for the J that’s five letters down on the far-left row, and wind down, over and then up.

Quick tips for Strands

#1: To get more clue words, see if you can tweak the words you’ve already found, by adding an «S» or other variants. And if you find a word like WILL, see if other letters are close enough to help you make SILL, or BILL.

#2: Once you get one theme word, look at the puzzle to see if you can spot other related words.

#3: If you’ve been given the letters for a theme word, but can’t figure it out, guess three more clue words, and the puzzle will light up each letter in order, revealing the word.