Google Pixel 9a phone review: Is this better than getting the Pixel 9 instead?

Note: This review was first published on 23 May 2025.

Bringing in the A-team

Google finally completed its Pixel 9 lineup with introducing the midrange Pixel 9a to Singapore in April 2025. While its mainline Pixel 9 phones were rather pricey, the Pixel 9a looks ready to defy that with similar specs at a lower price tag of S$799.

Google trimmed some fat to keep its prices under control, such as using a plastic back with older protective glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 3 instead of Victus 2) and different cameras. However, most of what makes a Pixel phone, like Android 15's Material You, remains. It also sees some upgrades from the Pixel 8a to sweeten the deal.

TL;DR version:

If you feel that the best that Google Pixel phones have to offer is their software, the Google Pixel 9a puts a strong case forward.



Note: You can buy the phones at the Google Store, Amazon SG, Challenger, Courts, Singtel, Lazada, Shopee, and SprintCass (Airport). 

Similar to the AMOLED-using Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, the Pixel 9a has a 6.3-inch P-OLED panel that supports up to 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,700 nits. Inside, the phone is equipped with the same Google Tensor G4 processor found on its Pixel 9 flagship units, alongside 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM. In Singapore, Pixel 9a has 128GB or 256GB variants (UFS 3.1 storage).

The Pixel 9a is IP69 dust and water resistant (read what it means here). To make it more attractive, Google offered a larger 5,100mAh battery that supports 23W wired and 7.5W wireless charging.

While it's a niche fan-favourite, we still want to see if Pixel 9a provides a compelling alternative in this competitive midrange market, and whether it's a worthy upgrade from an older A-series handset.

• Design
• Android 15 and AI
• Imaging performance
• Benchmark performance
• Battery life
• Conclusion

Actual changes, design improvements

In the previous Pixel 8a, its design was in line with its flagship models. This time, Google decided not to wait and improved its design sense with its midrange Pixel 9a. Google has gotten rid of the camera bar look since its flagship Pixel 9 series, opting for a sleeker look by swapping it out for a flush, pill-shaped camera bump. This elevates its clean design and fuss-free language.

Like its mainline versions, the Pixel 9a has flat, satin-finished sides that mitigate greasy fingerprints. The rounded edges make the phone comfortable to hold, and it is also relatively lightweight at 186g.

In our tests, we found that Pixel 9a has fairly loud, clicky buttons. The volume controls are most prominent. It’s not an issue with the build quality, but it might quickly become annoying for some users.

The 24-bit colour and HDR-capable display is surprisingly bright, which is a pity since it has limited 60 to 120Hz refresh rates (lower refresh rates might translate to better battery efficiency, but that's not guaranteed either).

Generally, scrolling, app animations and content consumption are smooth and jitter-free. If we had one gripe, we'd have preferred that Google made the bezels narrower for a more refined look. At least it’s symmetrical primarily all around. 

Best choice for stock Android

There’s little to add for the Pixel 9a since it’s running on the same operating system with the same AI features seen in our Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro reviews, replete with regular firmware updates and security patches. It comes with Android 15 out of the box, and returns to form with Material You as its UI.

The good news is that Google kept to its strengths of delivering a clean Android experience, so the midrange Pixel 9a delivers on this front.

Even better news is the improved AI features, although that's not unique to the phone. We tested the same questions used in our Google Pixel 9 Pro review. Gemini now provides a more comprehensive (and accurate) answer when asked if Singaporeans have ever been in a K-Pop group, with both Tasha Low and Ferlyn Wong listed. 

Politics seems to be back on the menu as well, with Google providing answers for both the most recent Singapore election and the last US election.

Additionally, Google offers some of the best support for Android phones, with seven years of OS and security updates for the Pixel 9a. This certainly makes a lot of sense for midrange device owners since they’ll get to keep their phones for a longer period. 

Imaging performance

Pixel 9a rear camera specs:

• 48MP main camera (f/1.7 aperture, 8x Super Res Zoom, OIS+EIS, AutoFocus)
• 13MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 120° FOV) 

The main 48MP camera is new this year, despite the fact that A-series camera hardware is one of Pixel's key differentiators in its phone lineup. While its megapixels can't rival the Pixel 9's higher 50MP and 48MP for main and ultrawide respectively, the Pixel 9a shares the same 8x digital zoom function.

As you can see below, Pixel 9a still has comparable imaging quality to the Pixel 9 despite their hardware differences.

Photos from the main camera are bright and detailed, with consistent colours that are accurate to the eye. There’s no telephoto camera, so there’s only a 2x digital zoom shortcut, but images are useable with decent sharpness.

While Google doesn’t advertise macro capabilities, it’s surprising that the Pixel 9a can output such decent images without a macro or telephoto lens. 

The ultrawide camera also performs well in good light, although we see some sharpness fall-off near the edges. Distortion is handled well, however, thanks to Google’s processing.

As always, low-light images are excellent. Google’s Night Sight night mode does a fantastic job of brightening up dark situations while keeping noise to a minimum.

Short of mild colourisation preferences, Pixel 9a's camera prowess is competitive since it's similar to its more expensive flagship counterpart, while still being a viable shooter among other S$800 to S$1,000 handsets.

Benchmark performance

The Pixel 9a is equipped with the same Google Tensor G4 inside the rest of Google's high-end and premium Pixel 9 series. Google claimed it has 20% faster web browsing and 17% quicker app launches than the Tensor G3 with better power efficiency.

We’ll compare it to other midrange models around the same price tag and to last year’s Google Pixel 8a.

Putting it to the test

To find out how the competitors line up specs and price-wise, check them out in this link.

To find out more about the tests we conduct and what they relate to, we've jotted them down here.

Benchmark Performance remarks

The Google Pixel 9a's chipset offers great value if you are looking within its own products (Pixel 9, Pixel 8a), but it's not as clear when you look across other devices in the same price range.

In day-to-day use, the phone is able to hold up well even under load. While playing more demanding games like Wuthering Waves, the phone does heat up considerably if max settings are selected, but runs perfectly fine on balanced settings. 

Battery Life

Our battery benchmark uses PCMark for Android’s Work 3.0 Battery Life test to determine a modern Android-based smartphone's battery uptime in minutes. This controlled benchmark simulates real-world usage with a combination of both web and social media browsing, video and photo editing, parsing data with various file formats, writing (on documents), and more.

The 5,100mAh battery inside the Pixel 9a is the largest to date in a Pixel phone. It results in better battery life compared to the Pixel 8a while staying almost on par with the base Pixel 9. Despite the phone's slim size, it’s surprising how long the battery can last.

While it’s not quite on par with extremely optimised phones like the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro, Pixel 9a's still offers more than enough for a day of moderate use.

Unfortunately, Google isn't as attentive to its charging speeds. The new 23W wired charging is faster than before but still slower than most other competing alternatives. It took 37 minutes to charge from 0-50%, but it slows down to a dramatic 101 minutes as we approached full charge.

Other options like the Xiaomi 14T Pro retails at the same price while offering a 140W wired charging speed, it’s hard to come up with an excuse for Google.

However, there is 7.5W wireless Qi charging. Even though that’s a slow charging speed, wireless charging is still considered a luxury in some midrange devices we see today.

Unadulterated Android

Our opinions remain mostly unchanged from last year. The Google Pixel 9a is an excellent option if you’re looking for an unadulterated, stock Android experience paired with decent hardware and fewer of the “fluff” features that you get with the rest of the more expensive Pixel 9 series.

Pixel 9a versus Pixel 9: which is better?

The S$400 you save on opting for a Pixel 9a over a Pixel 9 can be used towards accompanying accessories like the Pixel Buds Pro 2 or even a Pixel Watch 3, which will certainly offer more value for money.

We say that because the only real Pixel 9a trade-offs lie in its OLED panel and cameras, and even then, it's not distinguishable unless you have powerful eyesight and colour sensitivity. Its processor, software, IP68-rated resistances, and even battery life are similar across the board, and the advantage of the Pixel 9a is its better rear camera design.

This is on top of the long seven years of updates, which arguably have more value for budget-conscious users who need functional and affordable phones and don't chase the latest devices all year round.

If you must decide strictly between Pixel 9a and Pixel 9, the midrange handset is the smarter pick.

However...

Sadly, the S$799 Pixel 9a is among plenty of alternatives that are just as affordable while offering more enticing performance.

For example, the Xiaomi 14T Pro is also S$799 and offers much faster charging (both wired and wireless) and a faster processor. Hovering around that price point, you have the Poco F7 Pro (S$669) and Poco F7 Ultra (S$869), which collectively have mind-blowing specs, display, battery uptime, and a decent Xiaomi-based Android UI.

The only real advantage Pixel 9a has it the software and AI smarts, but even then, Google has partnered with all its titanic tech friends to ensure that the experience is largely consistent across modern Android handset you can by today.

The midrange segment has extremely tough competition. Google gets our professional respect for entering the ring to fight. It still has strong AI features, the cleanest form of Android, and extended support, seeping out of Pixel 9a. Unfortunately, its amazing A-series approach cannibalised its high-end Pixel 9 and stands shakily in a sea of high-powered rivals.

The Google Pixel 9a is officially available in Singapore in either the 128GB or 256GB configuration, priced at S$799 and S$939, respectively. There are four colours to choose from: Obsidian, Porcelain, Peony and Iris. You can buy it online from Google Store, Amazon SG, Challenger, Courts, Singtel, Lazada, Shopee, and SprintCass (Airport). 

It is also available in physical stores at Challenger, Courts, Singtel, and SprintCass.

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