Google’s finally taken the wraps off the Pixel 9a, its next midrange smartphone. On paper, it looks like a hell of a bargain: for $500, you get a Tensor G4 chipset, a comparatively huge 5,100 mAh battery, and a quality plastic and aluminum build.
With so much going for the 9a, you might be wondering why you’d shell out $300 more for the standard Pixel 9. But Google’s 2024 flagships do still offer a number of features you won’t get on the 9a. Here are five features you’ll get with the Pixel 9, but not the 9a.
1
More premium build
Google’s midrange Pixel phones have always been made of plastic, and Google’s not deviating from that with the Pixel 9a. The 9a’s got a plastic back panel with aluminum side rails, while the standard Pixel 9 comes with a glossy glass back and stainless steel side rails.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing for the 9a, though. AP’s Stephen Radochia got some hands-on time with Google’s new midranger, and he says that it feels quite nice, with a frosted texture on that plastic back that gives the phone “a premium look and feel.”
Still, with its glass and stainless steel construction, the standard Pixel 9 does come with a higher-end build than the new Pixel 9a. The regular Pixel 9 also comes with the iconic pill-shaped camera bump, which gives it a bit more character than the 9a.
2
Better cameras
The biggest visual difference between the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9a is in the cameras. The Pixel 9’s got a big, thick, pill-shaped camera bar, where the Pixel 9a’s cameras are almost flush with the back of the phone. The 9’s chunky camera bar houses better cameras than the 9a has.
The Pixel 9 has a 50 MP f/1.7 primary camera paired with a 48 MP f/1.7 ultrawide. The new Pixel 9a has a 48 MP f/1.7 primary shooter and a 13 MP f/2.2 ultrawide. Those numbers don’t tell the whole story, and we’ll have to wait to see how the 9a’s cameras hold up when we get to test them for ourselves, but the standard Pixel 9 will surely have the edge.
3
More RAM
The Pixel 9 has 12 GB of RAM, following four generations of Pixel phones that came with eight gigs. The Pixel 9a, on the other hand, is sticking with 8 GB. That’ll still be plenty for most users, but the standard Pixel 9 has the 9a beat on RAM, hands down.
That difference in memory has implications for on-device AI abilities, too. The Pixel 9a will use the Gemini Nano XXS model rather than the Gemini Nano XS model that’s on the standard Pixel 9. The Pixel 9’s more capable on-device AI can process multimodal inputs, while the 9a’s Gemini Nano XXS model can only process text input.
4
Faster charging
None of Google’s phones charge especially quickly relative to other Android flagships, but the standard Pixel 9 has the edge over the Pixel 9a on that front. The Pixel 9 offers 27-watt wired charging and wireless charging up to 15 watts, depending on the charger you’re working with. The Pixel 9a, on the other hand, tops out at 23-watt wired charging, with a max wireless charging rate of 7.5 watts.
5
Ultrasonic fingerprint reader
The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro have ultrasonic fingerprint sensors that read the surface of your fingertip using sound waves. The Pixel 9a comes with an optical fingerprint sensor that shines light onto your fingertip to scan its surface optically. Pixel phones’ optical sensors have always been _fine_, but ultrasonic sensors are faster and more accurate than optical ones. It’s a small advantage, but the standard Pixel 9’s ultrasonic sensor is still an advantage over the Pixel 9a nonetheless.
We’ll see how much difference it makes
On paper, the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9a are quite close in a number of key areas, and the 9a even has some advantages over the regular 9. But the more expensive 9 does, of course, have a handful of features that the 9a doesn’t. We haven’t had the chance to put the 9a through its paces yet, so its too early to know how much these differences will matter to most users. We’ll have more to say about how the 9 and 9a compare in the weeks ahead.
