Reviewers share their initial reactions to Google's announcement of the new budget-focused Pixel 9a. Along the way it covers Design & First Impressions, Display and Battery Life, and more. Final thoughts on whether the Pixel 9a stands out as a top budget smartphone choice.
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Reviewers share their initial reactions to Google's announcement of the new budget-focused Pixel 9a.
On screen: A hand holds two white Google Pixel phones, resembling the Pixel 7a and Pixel 8a, showcasing their rear designs against a leafy plant backdrop.
Exploration of the Pixel 9a flat back design without a camera bump, aluminum frame, and new color options.
On screen: A person's hands hold two pink Google Pixel smartphones side-by-side on a light wooden surface, with other blurred electronic devices in the background.
A breakdown of the 6.3-inch OLED display, refresh rate upgrades, peak brightness, and noticeable bezels.
On screen: A hand holds an Android smartphone displaying its app icons, with a blurry green bush in the background.
Discussion of the phone's 5,100 mAh battery capacity, charging speeds, and all-day endurance.
On screen: A split screen shows a purple Google Pixel phone with water droplets on the left, and a black panel with detailed technical specifications for the Google Pixel 9a on the right.
Analysis of the dual rear camera system, macro focus feature, image processing quality, and zoom limitations.
On screen: A close-up shot shows a person holding a light purple smartphone horizontally, with the Google logo visible on its back and a dual-camera setup, as they appear to be operating the camera.
Evaluation of the Tensor G4 processor, seven years of software support, and concerns around 8 GB of RAM for AI tasks.
On screen: A man with a beard and a white t-shirt is shown in a medium close-up, speaking directly to the camera, with a dark television screen and a white door visible in the background.
Comparison of the $499 price point against competing mid-range smartphones and discounted flagship models.
On screen: A person's hand holds a white Google Pixel phone, rotating it slowly to display its rear, sides, and briefly its front screen with app icons, against a blurred outdoor background of a green lawn and distant buildings.
Final thoughts on whether the Pixel 9a stands out as a top budget smartphone choice.
On screen: A man speaks to the camera while three smartphones in various colors (white, pink, and purple) rotate in the background, showing their rear designs and camera modules.
0:00 Speaker A: This is the brand new Google Pixel 9a. Speaker B: The leaks are true. Speaker C: A battery king Google might have messed up in terms of pricing. Speaker D: Welcome back to RE review where we watch all the reviews so you don't have to. Speaker D: Today we're diving deep into the Google Pixel 9a, Google's latest budget contender. Speaker D: Let's hear what the YouTubers have to say. Speaker B: The leaks are true. Speaker B: I feel like I could start every Pixel video this way because they're always true. Speaker B: But I just got some hands on time with Google's new budget phone, the Pixel 9a.
0:27 Speaker B: And right off the bat there are a few things that I'm really happy about. Speaker B: First of all, and most importantly, the price stays the same at $499 the. Speaker E: Cheaper version of the regular Pixel 9. Speaker E: And you probably could tell that right away from the get go. Speaker E: It is very much the same phone in a lot of ways. Speaker E: From head on, it does have thicker bezels that you'll notice if you're coming from those premium models, but I don't think many people will. Speaker A: Although mid range phones used to be boring, The Google Pixel 9a here is probably the second controversial mid range phone launching this year.
0:56 Speaker A: In a lot of ways this is really quite similar to to the iPhone 16e. Speaker B: You'll notice something. Speaker B: There is no camera bump on the back of this phone. Speaker B: Not just a little camera bump or a small set of rings. Speaker B: No, there's no camera bump, nothing. Speaker B: And how long have we been asking phone manufacturers to do this? Speaker B: Like you've seen the YouTube comments. Speaker B: Hey, I don't care about a thin phone. Speaker B: Just go right ahead and make the phone thicker.
1:21 Speaker B: Get rid of the camera bump and fill in that extra space with batteries. Speaker B: And that's literally exactly what they've done. Speaker F: You see design wise, right? Speaker C: Still very elegant. Speaker G: You have this aluminum frame. Speaker G: This is a polycarbonate plastic. Speaker C: Sure it doesn't have that camera bar. Speaker E: That the 9 and the 9 Pro. Speaker F: Has, but this is a very simplified design. Speaker E: The colors this time around consist of the regulars like obsidian, porcelain, peony or pink that returns from the Pixel 9 series.
1:46 Speaker E: It's definitely more salmon in tone than the pink Pixel 9, but there is that lovely iris or purple. Speaker E: This is the exclusive option for this device and it's a standout again this year. Speaker D: A seamless design that's turning heads. Speaker D: Let's check out the display. Speaker H: It's 1080p OLED display is surrounded by a very fat bezel. Speaker H: It's one of the fattest bezels found on any phones. Speaker H: Even when you compare with the phones available at much lower price points.
2:11 Speaker H: It doesn't hamper your usage in any way. Speaker H: I'm not saying it's it's a problem in terms of any functions. Speaker H: However, it doesn't look good. Speaker C: It has a slightly larger display 6.3 versus 6.1 inches, but in the hands the change in size is not very noticeable. Speaker C: While still Google's actua display, this time it runs at a smooth 60-120Hz range refresh rate, which is a nice upgrade from the fixed 120Hz.
2:36 Speaker C: On the Pixel 8a, it's 1080p or. Speaker E: Just a hair above 1080p. Speaker E: It's OLED, it's 422ppi and has a really impressive 1800 nitpick brightness with HDR content or a 2700nit total peak brightness. Speaker E: And despite those chunky bezels, I think it's a genuinely impressive screen. Speaker E: It's actually the only thing that lets the display down is that it's not offering great protection. Speaker E: Yes, it's Gorilla Glass 3, but it is worth noting that you'll need a screen protector that works with the optical fingerprint scanner node.
3:06 Speaker A: But the downside is that it doesn't really get that bright like if you're using it outside. Speaker A: As I was when I was filming this video, I found that sometimes it was a little difficult to see the. Speaker D: Display back to bigger bezels and not as great brightness. Speaker D: Onto battery Life. Speaker B: It's an 8.9 millimeter thick phone and we have now the largest battery that's ever been in a Pixel device. Speaker B: 5100 Milliamp hours. Speaker B: That's more than the 9 Pro XL just had.
3:32 Speaker B: So they did the thing. Speaker B: Sick. Speaker H: That's more than enough for a full day of use even if you are a heavy user. Speaker I: And according to them you can get over 30 hours on a single charge, which if true is really impressive. Speaker I: And people who are going to be picking up this phone care about two things. Speaker I: Cameras, which Google has already done a great job in, and battery life. Speaker C: The phone supports up to 23 watt wired charging and 7.5 watt Qi w charging.
3:59 Speaker D: Battery life is a highlight for sure. Speaker D: How's the camera? Speaker A: The downside is that There are only two lenses on the back. Speaker A: One of them is a 13 megapixel ultra wide lens. Speaker A: Okay, fair enough. Speaker A: And the other one is a 48 megapixel wide angle lens. Speaker A: Now that sounds like a fairly high megapixel count, but you can only zoom into 8x other phones around this price, like you know, the Nothing 3A Pro, like I said, have periscope lenses and can zoom in significantly further than that with significantly better quality.
4:26 Speaker C: While megapixel count doesn't always equate to better photos, we're also seeing seeing a smaller sensor size, which could explain why the camera bump isn't there anymore. Speaker H: Pixels are known for their amazing image processing, and the Pixel 9a here is no exception. Speaker H: You get wide dynamic range, so even in tough lighting your shadows and highlights look absolutely balanced. Speaker H: Perfect skin tones Seriously, Google does some of the best skin tone processing in the industry.
4:56 Speaker H: Natural colors meaning photos look real, not overly saturated or artificial. Speaker H: Excellent detail retention even in low light conditions. Speaker I: There is a brand new software change and this is called Macro Focus and it's not entirely new because we've seen this on the Pixel 9 series this year. Speaker I: But what happens here is that the Pixel 9a is going to use the main lens and it's going to use AI to automatically detect when it is close enough to a subject to enter that macro focus mode.
5:26 Speaker I: And because it's using that main lens, it means you're going to get a lot more better detail on the macro than when most cameras will use the ultra wide lens. Speaker I: And also you can actually record in 4K using macro focus. Speaker G: The Pixel 9a also has ADME, which uses AR and AI and lets a photographer add themselves to a group photo,. Speaker H: Even though zoom capabilities are a bit hampered and it lacks a very Zoom's. Speaker D: A weak spot, but Macro shines onto performance and Software.
5:53 Speaker G: The Pixel 9a runs on Google's Tensor G4 chip, the same one found in the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. Speaker G: And that means it can support Google AI features and Gemini, and that it will receive seven years of software and security updates. Speaker H: The Tensor chipset is fine for everyday tasks, but push it with demanding games and you'll see frame drops and stutters. Speaker H: Casual games, no problem, but intensive gaming sessions won't be satisfying for you on Pixel 9a.
6:18 Speaker F: And what lesson did we learn last year with the Pixel 8? Speaker F: That 8 gigs is not enough. Speaker F: Now it's just enough, but it's not quite enough. Speaker F: And we ran into problems with the Gemini Nano model. Speaker F: So Google's first AI model that's designed to be on the phone, it could not run it properly. Speaker E: This phone also still launches as Android 15. Speaker E: It doesn't launch with Android 16 as that's still in beta, but it will get that update on day one, like almost all pixels normally do.
6:47 Speaker E: To be honest, it is a by the number smartphone. Speaker E: At this stage you get some of what makes a flagship lineup so attractive to many of you out there, but plenty of compromises to differentiate. Speaker D: Software is a win, but RAM is a worry specifically for running the Gemini AI models on device. Speaker D: But how's the value? Speaker A: This phone is $499. Speaker A: That's the same price as the Galaxy A56 and it's actually a lot more expensive than the Nothing 3A Pro. Speaker C: I am tempted to say that Google might have messed up in terms of pricing, especially since deals on the Pixel 9 series abound.
7:19 Speaker C: For example, currently on Amazon and best buy the Pixel 9 is being sold for $649, bringing the difference between the the 9 to only $150 for me. Speaker F: Is a no go. Speaker F: It's too expensive. Speaker F: But the bad news, the thing I'm really concerned about is it looks like it's only going to have 8 gigabytes of RAM. Speaker G: Fortunately, Google did not follow Apple and kept the Pixel 9a's price at $499, which puts it more in reach for people who have a small budget.
7:49 Speaker E: Google has expanded the availability of the Pixel 9a though, so it will go on sale in 32 countries, which is the most of any A series phone today and does match the Pixel 9 global availability. Speaker H: So if you want a compact phone with amazing cameras alongside Pure Android with 7 years of updates and a solid battery life then this is one of the best budget phones out there. Speaker H: But if you need a high res display, flagship gaming performance, or the best low light video and zooming capabilities then you might want to look at other options.
8:21 Speaker D: Okay, let's wrap this up. Speaker D: The Google Pixel 9a brings a lot to the table. Speaker D: Stellar software with seven years of updates, a massive battery and a camera that holds its own for the price. Speaker D: But those chunky bezels and limited Zoom and just 8GB of RAM in 2025 have some YouTubers questioning its $499 price tag, especially with the Pixel 9 deals lurking around similar range. Speaker D: It's a great pick if you prioritize compactness and longevity over raw power or flashy design.
8:48 Speaker D: Gamers or spec hounds might look elsewhere. Speaker D: That's it for our ultimate roundup review of the Pixel 9a. Speaker D: Please find full videos down below and subscribe for more re reviews where we watch all the reviews so you don't have to.