Summary
- Google Pixel 9a was just announced, but its release is being delayed due to component quality issues.
- Google is not accepting pre-orders yet, and there is no commitment to specific release dates either.
- The spec sheet reveals that the Pixel 9a features a pOLED display, Tensor G4 SoC, and Android 15.
The Google Pixel lineup just welcomed its latest addition — the new Pixel 9a. The launch follows several premature leaks, full reviews, and online listings for the phone as well as its cases. Understandably, customers are eager to put down money for pre-orders right away, but Google just pushed back the dates for retail availability at the last minute, citing concerns about component quality.
Google’s Pixel 9a is here, and it’s what the iPhone 16e could never be
Everything you need, nothing you don’t
When Google launches a new phone, the official announcement usually lines up with the commencement of pre-orders for the device, and the units start shipping right around when the new launch reaches store shelves. The new Pixel 9a is breaking the norm, though, because Google still isn’t accepting pre-orders, even though the device launched earlier today.
In a statement to Android Police about the situation, a Google representative told us the device will be available “at the Google Store and through our retail partners beginning in April. We’ll follow-up in the coming weeks with an update on the status of pre-orders.” The company isn’t committing to any dates yet, but it is also withholding review units we were meant to receive. In a separate statement to Android Authority, the search titan attributed the sudden delay to “a component quality issue that’s affecting a small number of Pixel 9a devices.”
Google isn’t pointing to the exact cause or retail launch dates
A spur of the moment decision
While that leaves ample room for speculation, we hope the issue is fixable. Nonetheless, the decision to push the street date seems like a last-minute call. Google responded to our Phones Editor Will Sattelberg’s question about release dates at 5:52 PM on March 19, then followed up with the delay information not even three hours later, at 8:47 PM on the same day.
That said, the spec sheet is out in the open now, and potential buyers can at least make an informed decision about whether the Pixel 9a is poised to become one of the best budget Android devices of the year. The device packs a 6.3-inch pOLED display capped at 120Hz. The Tensor G4 SoC is paired with 8GB of RAM and 128 or 2566GB of onboard storage. The phone boots Android 15 out of the box and Google promises seven years of software support, but you’ll have to put up with 23W wired and wireless charging for all those years.
