Google's Pixel 9a Is $499 and Undercuts the iPhone 16e

Battery beingness has historically been a anemic constituent connected Google's Pixel A-series phones, truthful Google has stuffed a 5,100-mAh compartment into the Pixel 9a. That's the biggest artillery capableness we've seen connected a Pixel yet, and Google claims 30+ hours connected a azygous charge. Also successful tow is wireless charging, though it's inactive the basal Qi variant and not the caller and improved Qi2.

At the bosom of the telephone is the Tensor G4 processor, the precise aforesaid that's wrong the flagship Pixel 9 Pro series, with 8 GB of RAM. That should mean fantabulous performance, particularly compared to what you'll find connected different sub-$500 Android phones, not to notation 7 years of bundle support. This spot besides drives galore of the phone's artificial quality features, and allows the Pixel 9a to instrumentality vantage of each the aforesaid AI camera tricks introduced connected the Pixel 9 smartphones successful 2024.

That includes Add Me, which lets the idiosyncratic taking the photograph articulation successful connected the enactment by switching places with the subject. The bundle stitches 2 images truthful that some parties are successful the aforesaid photograph contempt not lasting adjacent to each different astatine that precise moment. The Pixel 9a tin besides make a abbreviated astrophotography timelapse, and there's adjacent Macro Focus, which enables a macro mode via the main camera to instrumentality crisp photos of objects up close, similar insects oregon plants. The camera strategy is driven by a revamped 48-megapixel superior camera joined by a 13-MP ultrawide, and a 13-MP selfie camera.

Naturally, Google is touting each of its Gemini AI features successful this phone, 1 of which is simply a caller summation announced astatine Mobile World Congress a fewer weeks agone and rolling retired soon—live video successful Gemini Live conversations. This lets you inquire Gemini thing astir the taxable you’re looking astatine done the phone’s camera, powered by the company’s Astra exertion (though this diagnostic is constricted to radical connected Google’s Gemini Advanced subscription).

Also new, but not strictly lone disposable connected the Pixel 9a, is the quality to make images of radical successful the Pixel Studio app. This was a self-imposed regularisation Google had earlier but present it’s gone, though it has kept definite guardrails connected what you tin generate. Lastly, if you’re moving implicit from different telephone similar an iPhone, you tin bring your audio recordings with you and the Google Recorder app volition automatically transcribe them. One little obstruction to transition.

In the Android world, the Pixel 9a is competing against Nothing's latest Phone (3a) series, which costs a small less. Nothing's devices deficiency immoderate capabilities—like nary wireless charging and not as almighty performance—but they besides person immoderate perks, similar the 3X optical telephoto camera. Samsung besides precocious announced a midrange phone, the Galaxy A56 for $500, though it's not arriving until aboriginal this year.

We'll update this communicative erstwhile Google shares a precise preorder and merchandise day for the Pixel 9a.