Looking back, I was a bit critical of the Pixel 9a when Google announced its launch. After all, I had been using the Pixel 9 just months before, and the arrival of similarly-priced (albeit more powerful) handsets like the POCO F7 Pro and price cuts with last year’s Pixel 8a didn’t exactly help justify Google’s 500-dollar asking price for the 9a, which almost felt like an absolute downgrade in key areas.
In fact, I strongly believed that 2025 was the year that I’d finally move away from Pixels altogether. Google’s continued focus on AI features rather than improvements for performance and battery life on its latest models wasn’t exactly winning me over, and as a result I vowed to move over to other phone brands which offered larger batteries, fast charging, and more powerful hardware to name a few.
After a while using a bunch of different midrange phones however, it all felt “lacking” to put it nicely. I decided to move back to the Pixel 9a, and well, it’s actually… great?
It’s the Software
Let’s get one thing clear—if you’re a power user who focuses on playing graphics-intensive games and high benchmark scores, then this is obviously not the phone for you. However, if you’re someone like me who prefers a straightforward and refined software experience, then it’s in this area where the Pixel 9a manages to shine.
Coming back from other midrange phones like the OnePlus 13R and a handful of POCO F-series models for example, it’s nice to once again have a phone that actually gets software updates on time, without the added waiting period that’s often seen on other brands. The Pixel 9a (as with other Pixel models) also lacks bloatware, so you’re not getting pre-installed social media apps, shopping platforms or games for example, and it makes for an infinitely cleaner software experience.
Unlike a ton of other Android manufacturers, the Pixel 9a also has the added benefit of not having a user interface that tries so hard to emulate iOS in terms of visuals and animations, right down to the Dynamic Island. This trend of copying Apple’s software approach is a major turn-off for me, and just comes off as lazy instead of innovative. Again, the Pixel 9a manages to stand out in this aspect.
Actually, it’s also the Hardware
It should be noted that the Pixel 9a doesn’t come with same “premium” feeling as on the more expensive smartphones—while it shares the same overall form factor as the Pixel 9 and 10, it lacks design elements such as the glass back and camera bump for example (and don’t get me started on the bezels), and instead opts for a matte plastic aesthetic, accented by a metal frame around its chassis. But this actually kinda works to its advantage.
It’s a divisive look if I’m being honest, but on a personal level I’m a big fan of how Google designed the 9a. It’s a lot more minimalist versus what you’d see on most other smartphones, and there’s no risk of the camera popping off accidentally like on the Pixel 9 Pro models. The more flexible matte back also provides a cleaner overall look, and while the bezels are significantly more obvious here, it’s a mostly subjective issue.
Obviously though, there’s a lot more to hardware than design.
Surprising Battery Life
Which now brings us to battery performance. Let me start off this section by saying that when it comes to smartphone experiences, battery life is an incredibly subjective matter with different usage patterns, apps, software settings, and more. With that being said though, a lot of people can generally agree that most of google’s Tensor-powered Pixel phones haven’t been the most impressive in terms of endurance, but the Pixel 9a has somewhat managed to improve in this department.
Unlike a lot of other Pixel models, the 9a comes with a fairly-large 5100mAh battery, just 100mAh shy of the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s battery. Sure, it charges slow at 23W, but based on personal experience I’ve had much better battery endurance with the Pixel 9a thanks to its larger capacity and some efficiency improvements with the Tensor G4 chip. There’s less battery anxiety when I’m using the Pixel 9a, as opposed to my previous experiences with the Pixel 7 for example, which came with a smaller-capacity battery and less-efficient tensor G2 chipset.
I’ve managed to average five to six hours of screen time for example, and on days where I don’t use the device too much it actually lasts me around two days at most, which in all honesty is a much better experience overall compared to older Pixel models.
A Capable Camera
If we’re talking pure camera hardware specs, then the Pixel 9a lags behind what Google offers with the Pixel 9 and Pixel 10, to name a couple. On one hand, while it comes with slightly-smaller sensors and lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, it does come with the advantage of Google’s computational photography, which does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to how images turn out.
This puts it leagues ahead of camera performance on similarly-priced devices like the POCO F7 Pro and OnePlus 13R for example, which aren’t really renowned for their camera performance, which can be quite inconsistent in terms of overall quality. With the Pixel 9a, I know that I’m getting less blur on moving subjects, better dynamic range, and better contrast in general.
It’s Cheaper Now
Earlier I mentioned how the Pixel 9a launched at 500 bucks, although the phone has since seen some considerable price cuts, going down to as low as $350. This makes it a more attractive purchase, especially since it’s more affordable than a discounted Pixel 9 while maintaining a lot of the same features, save for some differences such as RAM and charging speeds.
So should you get one? Well, that still depends entirely on your personal needs, as far as Android phones are concerned. If all you need is a reliable Android phone with a good camera, and aren’t too fussy about the somewhat-thick bezels, the 8GB of RAM and the more basic design, then the Pixel 9a makes for a great choice.
Of course, gaming enthusiasts might want to look at something with a bit more bite, in which case phones from brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus make for pretty great options. On its own however, it’s a device which really puts the “smart” in smartphone.
The post The Pixel 9a is Still One of the Better Midrange Android Options appeared first on Phandroid.
Source: The Pixel 9a is Still One of the Better Midrange Android Options
