Pixel 9a Finally Ditches the Camera Panel
Google’s next Pixel phone, the Pixel 9a, has finally been announced. And for the first time since the 2020 Pixel 5, the Pixel is missing a camera panel. It’s also, as expected, a little cheaper and includes a few extra AI tricks not available on the Pixel 8a, but really the biggest surprise here is the new look.
That’s because the 9a, unlike the previous 8a model, doesn’t actually look much like the Pixel 9 or 9 Pro. The dimensions are roughly equivalent to the standard Pixel 9 (though it’s slightly lighter: 6.6 ounces vs. 7 ounces) and the screen has nearly the same specs except for the contrast ratio halved, but people familiar with Pixel phones from the last half-decade may not initially realize that it’s even part of the same family.
Without the camera panel, the Pixel 9a looks more like an iPhone than perhaps even a Samsung Galaxy, with two rear lenses in the top left corner inside a small oval black bump next to the flash. This makes for a thinner and flatter profile overall, even if the body itself hasn’t changed much, and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on it and seeing how things turn out. I’ve never been a fan of the camera panel, but this got me thinking about the Pixel again.
As for the specs of these cameras, they are part of a trend of internal specs that don’t really compare to either the Pixel 9 or the Pixel 8a. The rear camera lenses are 48MP and 13MP respectively, while the front camera is 13MP, although various aperture details and field of view settings don’t quite match the existing Google phone. I’m also curious to see how the pictures turn out when I pick up this phone.
Likewise, another detail that doesn’t have a direct comparison to Google’s existing phone is battery life, which Google promises is over 30 hours on the Pixel 9a, which is slightly more than on the 8a or Pixel 9. RAM and storage are the same as the 8a with 8GB and a starting 128GB respectively, although the processor has been bumped up to Google Tensor G4, just like on the Pixel 9.
All of this combines to create a unique release that could have simply been a stripped-down Pixel 9, perhaps giving you more reasons to pass on its more expensive sibling than just saving a few bucks. However, even with the lower price, which is $500 compared to the Pixel 9’s $800, Google is promising more software here than on the Pixel 8a. These include a macro focus mode and unique Pixel AI features like Add Me (which can put you in shots you weren’t present in, although with mixed results).
While you’ll get the usual black, white, and pink color options, there’s also a new purple color that’s reminiscent of the light blue color of the Pixel 8 that I sorely missed on the base Pixel 9.
Overall, this will be a surprisingly exciting release for the A-series model, and I hope it’s a hint of more to come for the Pixel 10 when it inevitably launches later this fall. There is no official release date yet, so keep your eyes peeled for more details.