Pixel 9a review: Google’s cut-price Android winner

Class-leading camera, top-tier chip, very long battery life, AI and quality software dominate mid-range rivals

Google's latest cut-price Pixel offers the best bang for your buck in Android phones and is arguably better in many areas than some models costing twice the price.

The Pixel 9a starts at the same 499 (549/$499/A$849) as last year's equally good value model. That makes it 300 or so less than Google's regular Pixel 9 and places it up against mid-rangers such as Nothing's Phone 3a Pro and Samsung's Galaxy A56.

Screen: 6.3in 120Hz FHD+ OLED (422ppi)

Processor: Google Tensor G4

RAM: 8GB

Storage: 128 or 256GB

Operating system: Android 15

Camera: 48MP + 13MP ultrawide, 13MP selfie

Connectivity: 5G, Sim/eSim, wifi 6E, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 and GNSS

Water resistance: IP68 (1m for 30 minutes)

Dimensions: 157.7 x 73.3 x 8.9mm

Weight: 185.9g