Numerous leaks have given us enough pieces to make a solid picture of the upcoming Google Pixel 9a. The device will bring a 6.3-inch Actua display, same as the Pixel 9 and slightly bigger than the Pixel 8a’s 6.1 inches. The screen will also support an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 60Hz to 120Hz.
Powering the phone is Google’s Tensor G4 chipset, backed by 8GB of RAM and storage options of either 128GB or 256GB. With these specifications, the phone hardly feels like a budget version.
Google is squeezing a big battery into a small phone
Besides sharing an equally impressive display with the Pixel 9 phone, the 9a model will get a boost in battery life. According to Android Headlines, it will use a 5,000mAh capacity that’s bigger than what most of the Pixel 9 phones offer. Only the Pro XL model has a 5,060mAh battery. This improvement is more than welcomed, considering that the Pixel 8a has a 4,492mAh battery.
What’s concerning is how Google will fit all that into a tinier model. The Pixel 9a is expected to have dimensions of 154.7 x 73.2 x 8.9 mm, while the Pixel 8a measures at 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9 mm. They both have the same thickness, but Pixel 9a is marginally taller and wider. Its battery is 494mAh bigger than the predecessor phone, roughly an 11% difference.
Google wants to fit a much bigger battery into a phone that’s only a tiny bit bigger than the last model. Since there’s almost no extra room, they’ll need to rearrange or shrink other parts to make it fit, which isn’t easy. But these are only speculations. Only time will tell what tricks the tech giant has up their sleeves. Although better battery life is a thing to appreciate, the charging speeds haven’t improved. Google may keep it at 18W for wired charging and 7.5W for wireless charging.
Flatter camera and long updates
One other big upgrade on the Pixel 9a is a flatter camera bar. Now, your phone will sit more evenly on flat surfaces, and it becomes easier to slide in and out of pockets or cases. The bar will feature a 48MP main camera and a 13MP ultra-wide camera on the back, plus a 13MP front camera.
Thankfully, it will come preinstalled with Android 15 and will receive seven years of updates as the Pixel 8, Pixel 7, and Samsung Galaxy S24 series. The update is already rolling out. OnePlus, Vivo, and other brand users are among the first to get it. Google’s phones are late to the party this year, but not totally excluded. Your Pixel device may be eligible for the update.
Expect the Pixel 9a by mid-March 2025, when it will hit shelves at $499. That’s the same price the Pixel 8a is currently going for. So, you’re basically getting a better phone for no extra cost. However, the early launch might mean Google will skip new hardware at next year’s Google I/O, but we could be in for a major surprise. Who knows?
