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EXPLORE FURTHER: Review of the iPhone 16e: My Hands-on with Apple’s New Affordable Smartphone
Apple has launched its new ‘affordable’ smartphone.
the £599 iPhone 16e
, way back in February following an extended period of eager expectation.
However, to stay competitive, another leading technology company didn’t want to be left behind.
Google
has launched its latest device at an ‘unmatched’ price point – the Pixel 9a.
The gadget, priced at £499 which is £100 less than Apple’s comparable model, features a 6.3-inch screen, dual rear cameras, and can last for over 30 hours on a single battery charge.
It’s packed with ‘helpful’
AI
Tools like Gemini – Google’s chatbot designed to compete with others.
OpenAI
’s
ChatGPT
, now available on Apple devices.
MailOnline has put the latest Google phone through its paces, positioning it as a more user-friendly option compared to the company’s premium Pixel 9 model priced at £799.
The Pixel 9a comes in four colors – pink, purple, white, and black, which in Google’s terminology are called ‘peony,’ ‘iris,’ ‘porcelain,’ and ‘obsidian’ respectively.
I accidentally chose peony, which is a vivid pink—making me resemble the biggest Barbie enthusiast of MailOnline.
To reduce costs, Google opted for plastic rather than glass for the rear of the Pixel 9a (though, as the saying goes, life in plastic is fantastic).
Nevertheless, to avoid appearing overly cheap, there’s a strip of pink recycled aluminum encircling the frame.
DISPLAY
The Pixel 9a boasts a sharp 6.3-inch display featuring 2,424 by 1,080 pixels—those are the minuscule lights responsible for showing images on your screen—which is identical to what you get with the pricier Pixel 9.
It boasts the most luminous display among all A-series devices to date – 35 percent brighter compared to the Pixel 8a launched a year prior.
Significantly, thePixel 9a features quite a chunky bezel – the area surrounding the edges of the screen – along with a frontal selfie camera positioned in a punched-hole design.
I’m transitioning from using a Samsung Galaxy phone, so it will take me quite some time to adapt to thePixel’s distinct gesture-based navigation system (which lacks customizable icons at the bottom).
However, it provides a slight additional space for the screen display – though the inability to shift the Google search bar from the bottom to the top is irritating.
CAMERAS
Notably, the most significant difference from the Pixel 9 –
which came out last August
— lacks the characteristic rectangular camera bar.
Rather than that, the Pixel 9a features a glass, oval-shaped camera module that is nearly flat – this is excellent as it lies level with whichever surface I place it on.
The removal of the camera bar is said to provide the Pixel 9a with a distinct ‘minimalist design.’ However, this change might also help reduce production expenses. Despite this alteration, the phone still features a dual rear camera setup—a 48MP primary sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide lens—alongside a 13MP front-facing camera for selfies.
The clarity and color precision of my pictures are exceptionally high, even under dim conditions — which is quite impressive for an affordably priced device. However, what I find most appealing about this phone’s camera feature is undoubtedly its AI software.
AI TOOLS
The Pixel 9a features the same AI chip as the Pixel 9, the Google Tensor 4. This equips it with advanced capabilities for Google’s AI-powered photo-editing tools like Magic Eraser and Magic Editor.
I typically dislike Google’s AI-driven photo editing tools because they seem to dilute the essence of photography and can lead to the spread of false information online. Nonetheless, the Magic Editor stands out; it allows for much more substantial alterations than the Magic Eraser does, making it an undeniable technological powerhouse.
A few touches on the screen allow me to make all the structures vanish, only for them to be substituted by an AI-generated vision of the area around us.
With the Magic Eraser, my son enjoys watching me highlight photo intruders from our seaside getaway, then gets a kick as they disappear within seconds.
The Pixel 9a includes a function named Add Me, which merges two separate group shots into a single image, ensuring that every participant, including the photographer, is included in the final picture.
Since this is a Google phone, the company’s Gemini AI assistant takes center stage – you can access it by pressing and holding the power button on the right side of the device and then asking your queries out loud.
Gemini –
Which is already my preferred chatbot.
over ChatGPT – possesses a compelling,
a non-robotic AI voice featuring a Southern English accent.
But
The Gemini experience on the Pixel 9a varies and appears weaker compared to that of the Pixel 9, primarily because of the latter’s constraints in RAM.
BATTERY
So far, my favorite aspect of the Pixel 9a has to be its robust battery—a substantial 5,100 mAh, offering more power than average.
This indicates that it offers over 30 hours of operation under typical usage conditions, which allows me to last for about three days before needing to be charged.
For those coming from an older Samsung model that drained battery life even when idle, this came as quite a significant change.
Like any other lithium iron smartphone battery, Pixel 9a’s battery will degrade over time, although Google is introducing a software feature that should prolong its overall lifespan.
Referred to as ‘battery health assistance’, this feature will gradually modify the battery’s peak voltage to ‘optimize battery performance and aid in maintaining battery health as your battery deteriorates over time’.
This will lead to ‘minor reductions in your battery’s operating time as it gets older’ along with a ‘gentle alteration in how efficiently the battery charges’.
MY VERDICT
It’s challenging to imagine how Google could have improved upon the Pixel 9a, as this budget-friendly phone essentially includes all the features one would desire wrapped up neatly.
Even though I am typically wary of AI technology, the Pixel 9a comes with several entertaining and interactive generative tools that make it quite appealing.
Apple Intelligence
a race for its worth.
The Pixel 9a boasts an impressive battery life that postpones the chore of charging your smartphone, utilizes recycled components, features a high-end AI processor, and overall design is quite stunning.
However, it also gives me the sense that we’re stepping into an age where obtaining a top-notch smartphone won’t cost you nearly as much as a thousand dollars.
Certainly, $499 is a significant amount, but compared to Apple’s iPhone 16 and Samsung’s Galaxy S25 (which both start at $799), it seems more budget-friendly. However, it isn’t as affordable as the Phone 3a Pro from UK-based company Nothing, priced at $449.
Regardless of whether you’re a fan of Samsung or devoted to iPhones, the Pixel 9a presents a compelling reason to consider switching to Google devices – regardless of your budget level.
