I tested the Pixel 9a in the last week and my fears were made: the design change is not justice.
As we have already pointed out, the Pixel 9a is the model closest to an iPhone and not in the right direction. Not at all at all.
For years, fans of the Pixel family have been able to point to the affordable Apple phone – the iPhone SE – and laugh. The iPhone has recycled a design that made buyers feel like they become an old refurbished stock. Meanwhile, Google honored the A Pixel A series with a new design with each iteration – a refreshment that reflects its flagship phone name.
But the launch of the Pixel 9 models made things tremble. While the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro took a step forward, with a smooth aesthetic, the Pixel 9a has dropped almost all the distinctive characteristics of its design.
Chris Hall / Foundry
Where the Pixel 9 has an island of the camera – which, I think, looks great – the Pixel 9a has a desert without business. The fluffy objective looks as generic as possible, even missing the slightest suspicion of excitement. It's flat, it's boring, and it's more significantly plastic than before.
Yes, the Pixel 8A was also made of plastic, but having this camera bar added a design, something to attract attention; He lent a daring feeling of an affordable phone. The camera bar contrasts beautifully with the rest of the rear design. Now it's just a black oval with cameras.
I have beef with the Pixel 9a design
Google Pixel 9a is a more robust phone than Pixel 8A. It has a 6.3 -inch screen, so it developed slightly from the 6.1 inch of the 8A Pixel. This makes the phone a little wider, but more importantly, the design change makes us go from curved edges to a square finish.
Hold the two phones in your hands and the Pixel 9a feels larger. It is just 0.6 mm wider and the same thickness at 8.9 mm, but it is much larger, because you now grasp this square in the square, instead of the subtle curves of the 8a pixel. The Pixel 9a is actually lighter, which is a bit of a surprise.
Put these phones together and the Pixel 8a stands out as the most beautiful device – and it's a shame, because the Pixel 9a has a lot to do …
Do not judge the 9a pixel by its coverage
Although I cry the loss of the Pixel 8A looks for the generic blandness of the Pixel 9a, this is not true for the experience you get from this phone.
The Pixel 9a display is not only larger, it is also brighter, so it's super outside and when visualizing HDR photos. The display is actually brighter than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which is in progress.
In many ways, he poses a problem for his brother phone, because he is much more affordable
Of course, the Pixel 9a always has this huge telescope around the screen that exceeds the global effect, but that does not harm the performance that this display offers.
The A Pixel series has always been notable for one thing: using the same basic equipment as Google flagship phones. Much of the Pixel 9 phones experience can be found in this cheaper handset. In many ways, he poses a problem for his brother phone, because he is much more affordable and, in daily use, in the same way.
Chris Hall / Foundry
This comes back to the clean Android experience that the Pixel offers. While many mid -range or more affordable devices will use lower quality equipment, Google does not do so. I accept the argument that Tensor does not compete with the flagship equipment of Snapdragon, but you do not pay for flagship prices here.
The unemployed user interface, without Bloatware, is also extremely well received, while the seven years of software support with decreases of regular features mean that you have a phone that will offer you a great experience for many years to come.
Better yet, you will be in front of the queue for the new versions of the operating system, not waiting for months as you will do elsewhere.
Pixel 9a cameras can look ugly, but the photos are not
What the A Pixel series really offers is the cheapest route to access the Pixel camera experience.
For several years, Pixel has been highlighted as the best mid -range phone for photography. This comes back to the reliable combo and the shooting of Google's camera and software. You are not drawn into “pro” modes to modify the parameters hoping to obtain a result.
You align your photo, press the button and almost always get something use. Night Sight opens the door to the shot in low light. Although many competitors can now question this technology, few do it too.
Chris Hall / Foundry
There is also a great coherence between the lenses, so you are not going to go from ultrairs to the main camera and find the color of color completely different. This goes largely to Google's long commitment to computer photography.
From my tests, it's a little better than the Pixel 8A, with this new lens giving it the edge in lower light conditions.
The Pixel 9a continues to offer this affordable camera experience in a phone that now has a larger display, a larger battery and excellent software experience. But I cannot like design: it looks like and feels like a degradation, and it is real damage.
Stay listening for our review Full Pixel 9a, which is coming soon.
