Google pixel 9a launch live blog: review, reaction, everything you need to know

Google swapped out the 64MP main camera from the Pixel 8a and replaced it with a 48MP camera on the Pixel 9a. While this sounds like a downgrade on paper, the 9a actually improves quality over the 8a in some scenarios. Brady Snyder conducted a full Pixel 9a camera review for us, which breaks down all of the differences.

Here’s the TLDR version for now if you don’t have to time to look at the longer article. The Pixel 9a noticeably improves color science over the Pixel 8a, delivering some of the most accurate colors from a Pixel camera in years. Daytime shots look incredible as a result, and you’ll enjoy great AI features like Best Take any time of the day. Plus, the new Macro Mode turns out jaw-dropping macro shots.

In low light, there is a slight drop in sharpness and detail versus the Pixel 8a but, as Brady points out, you’d need to zoom in a lot to notice anything different. All in all, this is the Pixel camera you’re looking for, and it’s guaranteed to outperform anything in this price segment. 

(Image credit: Magdalena Motha / Techkip)

Alright, let’s talk about that big design change first. There’s no shortage of controversy around Google removing the camera bar on the Pixel 9A, but Google says the change was made to prioritize function over form. The phone is thicker than the Pixel 8A and looks a lot less unique, but it comes with several advantages because of the change.

Google broke the Pixel 9A down to its base components, added a huge vapor chamber to keep the Tensor G4 extra cool, then slapped a giant battery on top. That meant adding the camera bar would have made the phone unacceptably thick, by Google’s standards, so the bar had to go. Thankfully, the left-aligned camera module didn’t result in a wobbly phone despite the camera bar removal, which is a big sigh of relief. 

(Image credit: Janet Catherine / Techkip)

If you’re not an AT&T customer or don’t want to switch to AT&T for some reason, other carriers have good deals worth taking a look at, too. T-Mobile is also offering a free pair of Pixel Buds A-Series deal when you get a Pixel 9a through the Uncarrier. Plus, the Pixel 9a is free when you add a new line with T-Mobile, which might be even more cost-effective than AT&T’s deal, depending on your plan with the company.

US Mobile is offering a $799 bundle deal that includes a regular Pixel 9 PLUS a Pixel 9a. You’ll need to opt for an Annual Starter or Premium plan through US Mobile to get the deal, but it’s pretty slick being able to get two amazing Pixel 9 phones for this price.

Lastly, Verizon is offering the Pixel 9a for free to all new customers. Existing customers won’t get the deal, which is always sad, but Verizon does offer a rather excellent Google One AI Premium add-on for $10 a month, which includes all the amazing features of Google’s $20 plan — like full access to Gemini Live and tons of cloud storage — for half the price.   

(Image credit: Michael Motha / Techkip)

If you live in the U.S. and are looking for a great Google Pixel 9a deal, all the major carriers (and even some smaller carriers) are running great launch-day sales. THE MOST RIDICULOUS deal is from AT&T, which is selling the Pixel 9a for just $2.99 a month with any unlimited plan. That’s on a 36-month payment plan, but that only brings the TOTAL cost to $107. Keep in mind the Pixel 9a retails for $499, and you think you’ve gotten the deal of a lifetime, but AT&T isn’t done.

Grab a Pixel 9a today from AT&T, and they’ll also toss in a pair of Pixel Buds A-Series for free. That gets you a pair of legit fully wireless earbuds plus Google’s best A-series phone yet for roughly $500 less than you’d pay if you bought them outright. It’s impossible to find a better deal than this!   

(Image credit: Michael Motha / Techkip)

Before we dive into some of the phone’s features, let’s talk pricing. The Pixel A-series has long prided itself on delivering extreme value at a mid-range price. That means renowned Pixel camera quality, one of the fastest processors for the price, and seven years of software updates that keep it feeling fresh for a long time.

You can grab the phone unlocked from Google for $499 / £499 / €549 / CA$679 / Rs 49,999, which nets you 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Roughly $100 more will double your storage, which could be helpful if you’re planning on keeping it the full seven years. That’s 2032, to put things in full perspective!

But if you don’t want to buy it straight from Google for some reason, that’s no big deal. You can also find the phone unlocked at Amazon, unlocked or with a carrier deal at Best Buy, or elsewhere in four excellent colors. 

(Image credit: Michael Motha / Techkip)

After a few weeks’ delay, the Google Pixel 9a is finally here! We’ve loved the Pixel A-series for years, but this year gave us reason to worry. In addition to that “component quality issue” that caused the delay, there has been concern about performance issues, limited RAM, and the controversial new design language.

Thankfully, our reviewer, Michael Hicks, reports that Google’s latest budget flagship was worth the wait. With the best battery life of any Pixel to date — yes, better than all the more expensive models — plus the same Tensor G4 processor as the more expensive Pixel 9 phones, it’s hard to say no to the Pixel 9a.