Pixel 9a Vs. Pixel 8a: The A-Series Is All Grown Up [Video]

The lines have diverged in the A-series, but what differentiates the Pixel 9a from last year’s impressive but strange Pixel 8a? Here’s what you need to know.

• Pixel 8a vs. Pixel 7a: Small steps in an expected direction [Video]

Complaining about the Pixel feels par for the course and something we try not to do heavily unless it is warranted. It’s true; the Pixel 8a was and still is a solid mid-ranger. It suffered a bit from being so close to the regular Pixel 8 that it felt a little bit out of place. It was only $100 cheaper and missed out on the premium camera and hardware experience. It was simultaneously the best A-series phone to date but also hard to recommend at the same time unless scored at a discount.

Hardware

Gone are the soft corners and bubbly design, but you knew that was coming this year. The Pixel 9a has taken on all of its siblings’ main traits. So you get something a little taut, sharpened, and, honestly, less approachable to some. Conversely, the Pixel 8a looks a little out of place in the lineup now that it sticks with the camera bar and curvy aesthetic.

We don’t often see fully flat Android phones these days, so it’s somewhat refreshing to see a device with barely any protrusions or sections that extend out of the chassis. It’s not clear if this design update enables the improved IP68 rating, but it’s a first for the A-series and means it’s safer to use practically anywhere there may be water or excess dust.

Some interesting changes include the increased dimensions. The 9a is somehow 2g lighter than the 8a, but even with this size increase it allows the Pixel 9a to ship with a 6.3-inch screen, which is a minor but notable improvement over the 6.1-inch 8a panel. It also gains impressive maximum brightness bumps and is a vastly superior experience in practically all lighting conditions.

It’s a superior display in about every metric. The uniform bezels on the newer handset are somewhat comically sized. That’s not to say the 8a has a bad screen. In fact, it’s still one of the best in its price bracket. The 120Hz FHD+ panel looks great and is tuned nicely. You will not be unhappy with either.

You do get the same optical in-display scanner for biometrics in tandem with Face Unlock. So, there are no upgrades there, but they are fairly reliable and consistent, given the limitations.

Software

Google’s big AI play over the past 12 months means that while the Pixel 8a and 9a’s “core” experience is identical for all intents and purposes, the 2024 mid-ranger misses out on a few things that might never get backported.

Android 15 and the upcoming Android 16 will likely be identical in terms of the everyday experience. When the stable update for Android 16 arrives, it will be interesting to see what potential AI features the 9a will get over the 8a. At the moment, it’s mostly down to applications. You can get third-party alternatives that might mimic these. The Gemini application is also adding new options that will still be available to almost all phones because it uses cloud computing power rather than on-device resources.

The same 7-year update plan is in place, too, which means substantial long-term software support. Gemini Nano XXS on the 9a might mean some text-based AI functions can be backported as features develop, but it also has access to Pixel Studio and Reimagine, plus some other minor additions. As noted, it still feels almost identical to use these phones.

Battery

Historically, the A-series has offered really solid battery longevity, and that rings true with the Pixel 8a. However, it can’t quite match the potential 9a lifespan. This is in part due to the massive internal cell gain, with almost 600mAh extra to power the 9a through every single day.

That’s not all, as the Pixel 9a also has 23W wired charging now, which is a minor but important bump over the Pixel 8a’s practically ancient 18W wired charging. Wireless charging hasn’t changed and remains at 7.5W with any supported Qi wireless chargers.

Camera

It initially seems like the Pixel 8a has a better main camera than the Pixel 9a. It has a larger sensor, slightly slower aperturebut it’s the software once again that makes a difference alongside HDR processing.

Despite having an almost 50% smaller sensor in the 9a there is a noticeable sharpness jump, while highlights and dynamic range are also quite a bit better – likely due to enhancements to processing or even the ISP on the Tensor G4 chip.

Colors are a little cooler, though, but overall, it’s a nice improvement to a camera that is often a section that regularly stays quite static in Google’s lineup. It’s only here that alterations have been made. The 8a and 9a have identical ultrawide lenses and selfie cameras.

While the core camera experience is also identical, the 9a offers a few extra tricks. These include auto Macro Focus for objects within a 5cm focal range and the Add Me dual exposure controls for enhanced group shots. They might not sell a device, but they are nice value adds for the brand-new phone. The reality is that the photography and video modes, along with the output, are very similar.

Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 8a: Are there enough upgrades to Google’s mid-ranger?

About upgrading: 9to5Google often gives specific product recommendations. Sometimes, we may suggest not upgrading, due to various reasons including, but not limited to: increased device cost, negligible performance gains, or environmental impact. Whether to upgrade is always your call, but our aim is to help you make as informed a decision as possible.

If you have the Pixel 8a, you shouldn’t consider upgrading to the Pixel 9a. Instead, the changes here point to a tonal shift for the A-series in the coming years. No longer is it just a cheaper alternative to the base model. Some design considerations make the affordable option its own thing, and that is great for prospective buyers.

Maybe you’re torn on this shift away, but having a line in the sand for the Pixel 9a versus the 9, 9 Pro, and Pro XL is a great thing and something we hope that Google continues to do with future updates and releases. The 9a is a much better phone than the 8a. It has better internals, cooling, camera system, plus display. The lifespan jump is going to be substantial, and putting a large battery inside is going to be a big draw.

If you’re coming from an older A-series phone, you will be very, very happy with what Google has done this year.

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