Phone Comparisons: Google Pixel 9a Vs Google Pixel 9 Pro Specs

The Google Pixel 9a was announced recently. This is Google’s new budget smartphone, and it has four siblings in the Pixel 9 series. We’ve already compared it to the Pixel 9, and it’s time to do the same with another one of its siblings. In this article, we’ll be comparing the Google Pixel 9a vs Google Pixel 9 Pro specs. The difference in the price between these two phones is considerable, but perhaps you have the budget and yet are still wondering if the ‘Pro’ model is worth it. Hopefully this comparison can help.

We will first list the specifications of both of these smartphones, as we usually do. Following that, we will compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. The Pixel 9 Pro is a better phone, without a doubt, but perhaps you don’t need it, perhaps the Pixel 9a is enough for you. Let’s see.

Google Pixel 9a vs Google Pixel 9 Pro, respectively

– Screen size:
6.3-inch pOLED display (120Hz, HDR, 2,700 nits)
6.3-inch QHD+ OLED (flat, adaptive 120Hz, HDR, 3,000 nits max brightness)
– Display resolution:
2424 x 1080
2856 x 1280
– SoC:
Google Tensor G4
Google Tensor G4
– RAM:
8GB
16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1)
128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear cameras:
48MP (wide, f/1.7 aperture, 1/2.0-inch sensor size, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS), 13MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, 1/3.1-inch sensor size)
50MP (wide, f/1.7 aperture, 1.2um pixel size, OIS, EIS), 48MP (ultrawide, f/1.7 aperture, 123-degree FoV), 48MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, OIS, EIS, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
13MP (f/2.2 aperture, 96.1-inch sensor size)
42MP (f/2.2 aperture)
– Battery:
5,100mAh
4,700mAh
– Charging:
23W wired, 7.5W wireless (charger not included)
27W wired, 21W wireless (Pixel Stand), 12W Qi wireless, 5W reverse wireless (no charger)
– Dimensions:
154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9mm
152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm
– Weight:
185.9 grams
199 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Under-display fingerprint scanner (optical)
Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner
– OS:
Android 15
Android 14 (upgradable)
– Price:
$499+
$999+
– Buy:
Google Pixel 9a (Google)
Google Pixel 9 Pro (Best Buy, Google Store)

Google Pixel 9a vs Google Pixel 9 Pro: Design

These two phones may have a similar shape, but the differences between them, design-wise, are easily noticeable. Starting from the front, the Pixel 9a has considerably thicker bezels. They’re uniform, as they are on the Pixel 9 Pro, but the thickness increase is visible. Both phones have a centered display camera hole up top, though. The frame is flat on both smartphones, all around the phone. Their physical buttons are also in the same spot on the right-hand side. The power/lock button sits above the volume rocker keys.

If we flip them around, you’ll see further differences on the back. Both phones have a flat back, aside from the area where their cameras are. The Pixel 9a does not have a camera bump, only the trim around the cameras is raised a bit. The Pixel 9 Pro, on the other hand, has a pronounced camera bump in the form of a camera visor. That entire thing protrudes on the back quite a bit. It’s also a design statement of sorts.

Both phones have an aluminum frame, but their backplates are different. The Pixel 9a’s is made out of plastic, while the Pixel 9 Pro uses a glass one. The Pixel 9a is a bit taller, wider, and thicker than the Pixel 9 Pro. They do have the same display sizes, so that difference is due to thicker bezels on the budget phone. The Pixel 9a is also a bit lighter, 13 grams lighter, to be exact, it weighs 186 grams compared to 199 grams of the Pixel 9 Pro. Both smartphones come with an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.

Google Pixel 9a vs Google Pixel 9 Pro: Display

The Google Pixel 9a features a 6.3-inch pOLED display, which is flat. This display has a resolution of 2424 x 1080. It supports HDR content, and it has a 120Hz refresh rate. The peak brightness this display can reach is 2,700 nits, in theory. The display aspect ratio here is 20:9, while the screen-to-body ratio is around 83%. Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 protects this display, a rather date screen protection which did not prove the best in terms of repelling microscratches in the past.

The Pixel 9 Pro, on the other hand, comes with a 6.3-inch LTPO OLED display, which has a resolution of 2856 x 1280. This panel is also flat, but it has an adaptive refresh rate from 1 to 120Hz. HDR10+ content is supported, while the peak brightness is 3,000 nits. The display aspect ratio is 20:9, while the screen-to-body ratio is at around 87%. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects the Pixel 9 Pro’s display.

Both of these displays are good, though the ‘Pro’ has a better panel. They’re both vivid, have good viewing angles, and are plenty sharp. The blacks are also deep on both of them, as they should be. The Pixel 9 Pro does offer a higher resolution and does technically get a bit brighter. You likely won’t notice the resolution difference, and the brightness impact should be minimal. The Pixel 9 Pro also has the advantage of an adaptive refresh rate, though, and better display protection. For most people, however, the Pixel 9a’s display will be plenty good.

Google Pixel 9a vs Google Pixel 9 Pro: Performance

The Google Pixel 9a is fueled by the Google Tensor G4. That is a 4nm chip, and also a processor that fuels the Pixel 9 Pro. The thing is, Google used a different modem here. The Pixel 9a has an older Exynos 5300 modem which has proven to be problematic in older Pixel phones. The Pixel 9 Pro, on the flip side, comes with the Exynos 5400 modem, which is better in terms of power consumption, heat, and connectivity in general.

The Pixel 9a also comes with less RAM than the ‘Pro’ model. It includes 8GB of RAM, while the Pixel 9 Pro comes with 12GB of RAM. Both smartphones do use UFS 3.1 flash storage, though, and neither of them supports storage expansion. The Pixel 9 Pro offers really good performance. It is very snappy, and while it is slightly slower than some other phones with more powerful chips, that’s something you’ll notice only in a direct comparison, and quite frankly the difference is minimal.

The Pixel 9a should offer similar performance, but we can’t really comment on that just yet. You’ll have to wait for our review to be published. The Pixel 9a should perform just fine, in terms of smoothness, while it remains to be seen how that modem affects things. Google’s ‘Pro’ model also does a great job in the gaming department. Yes, it’s not made for demanding games, but you can still play them, that’s for sure.

Google Pixel 9a vs Google Pixel 9 Pro: Battery

The Google Pixel 9a has a 5,100mAh unit on the inside. The Pixel 9 Pro, on the flip side, includes a 4,700mAh battery. Yes, the Pixel 9a has a bigger battery and a lower display resolution, so it should offer better battery life, right? Well, it also doesn’t offer a 1-120Hz adaptive display, and it has an inferior modem. So, quite frankly, I would not be surprised if, in the end, the Pixel 9 Pro ends up offering better battery life.

We did not get to test the Pixel 9a yet, but the Pixel 9 Pro offers great battery life. That Exynos 5400 modem boost did wonders for the Pixel 9 Pro, and it could prove to be a problem for the Pixel 9a. It remains to be seen. Our Pixel 9a review is coming in the near future, and that’s when we’ll see how it does in terms of battery life, and does that modem really play a huge role in the general scheme of things.

When it comes to charging, the Pixel 9 Pro has the upper hand. It supports 27W wired, 21W wireless (with Pixel Stand), 12W Qi wireless, and reverse wireless charging. The Pixel 9a, on the flip side, supports 23W wired and 7.5W wireless charging. While the Pixel 9 Pro will charge a bit faster via a wired, you can get considerably faster wireless charging speeds. Neither phone comes with a charger, though.

Google Pixel 9a vs Google Pixel 9 Pro: Cameras

The Google Pixel 9a features a 48-megapixel main camera (1/2.0-inch sensor size), and a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (1/3.1-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV). The Pixel 9 Pro, on the other hand, has three rear cameras. A 50-megapixel main camera (1/1.31-inch sensor size) is backed by a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 123-degree FoV), and a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom).

The Pixel 9 Pro has better camera hardware across the board. The Pixel 9a doesn’t even have a telephoto camera, let alone a periscope telephoto unit. On top of that, it has an inferior main and ultrawide camera sensor, and by quite a margin. While we did not test out the Pixel 9a’s cameras just yet, we do expect the phone to be inferior in every way, basically, simply based on what we’re seeing here. That doesn’t mean it won’t be able to deliver solid photos, though.

Google’s Pixel 9 Pro does a very good job when it comes to photography. You do get that known Pixel photo look here, which many people like. While this may not be the best camera smartphone around, it sure is very good. It provides vivid images with plenty of details and does a great job in both HDR and low light. Yes, there’s a quality drop-off on the secondary cameras, but they still do a good job, however.

Audio

Both of these phones include stereo speakers. The ones on the Pixel 9 Pro are actually quite good. They’re plenty loud, while the audio quality coming from the them is nothing to scoff at. We still didn’t check out the Pixel 9a’s.

There is no audio jack on either phone. You can, however, use their Type-C ports, if you want to connect your wired headphones. Both smartphones also support Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless audio connectivity.