Release date, specifications, price and more

The Google Pixel 9a is the company’s upcoming mid-range phone. The Pixel 8a came onto the market in May 2024, so its successor should follow in 2025. The “Pixel a” series smartphones are very popular in the USA, primarily due to their price. Google has slowly increased prices over the year, but not significantly, they are still quite attractive purchasing options.

This smartphone was leaked a while ago and we expect the leaks to increase in the coming months, so we will keep this article updated. We have exclusively released some information about the device and will fill in the gaps with other rumors/leaks. With that said, let’s see what the Pixel 9a has to offer, shall we?

This article will be regularly updated with new information on the topic Google Pixel 9a (This is a preview article) – both official teasers and credible leaks, rumors and insider claims – as it becomes available ahead of the release of the upcoming Android smartphone. That’s that Original post of the article.

When will the Google Pixel 9a be released?

Don’t expect the Pixel 9a to arrive anytime soon. While the rumors/leaks have started, the Pixel 9a isn’t expected to launch until mid-2025. The Pixel 8a launched in May 2024 during Google I/O, so the Pixel 9a could follow that trend in 2025. That points to a May 2025 launch. Of course, there’s a chance Google could change its release cycle for the device. The company did this with the Pixel 9 flagships as they launched two months earlier than expected. Considering Android 16 is rumored to be launching significantly earlier than usual, that could be the case with this phone too. Android 16 is rumored to arrive in the second quarter of 2025, rather than the fourth quarter of 2025 where we would normally expect it. However, the Pixel 9a’s release date is still unknown, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Which models are coming?

Google launched a single Pixel 8a model last year, and we expect the same to happen with the Pixel 9a too. While the phone will likely offer more than one storage option, there will be a single variant. We’re not going to get a smaller and larger model or anything like that like we’ve done in the past. In fact, it could also be a similar size to the Pixel 8a. This phone offered a 6.1-inch display, but the bezel was not as thin as flagship smartphones, making it slightly larger than flagship smartphones with the same display size. The Pixel 9a could follow the same trend. The Pixel 8a was offered in 128GB and 256GB storage options, a combination that Google could stick with. Well, unless the company switches to a storage option combination of 256GB and 512GB, which isn’t that likely.

How much will the Google Pixel 9a cost?

The price of the Google Pixel 9a has not yet been leaked. However, the price could be quite similar to that of the Pixel 8a. As a reminder, the Pixel 8a was priced at $499 at launch. If we had to guess, Google would either keep the same price for its successor or increase it by $50. So it will cost either $499 or $549 if we had to guess. Of course, this assumes the company will stick with the 128GB storage model. If the 256GB storage option becomes the base model, the price could be $549 or even $599, with the latter being less likely. That would be a bit too much to add $100 to the Pixel 8a’s price. The point of this phone is to keep it as affordable as possible.

What will the Google Pixel 9a look like?

This is a detail that has leaked a few times. A real image of the Pixel 9a appeared online back in August. CAD-based renderings followed, which we shared exclusively. There is a slight difference between these two designs in the area of ​​the camera island on the back. The real image of the phone shows a small camera bump. The CAD-based renders we’ve shown show the same pill-shaped design, but without the bump or frame around the camera. It’s possible that the real image of the phone was just one of the prototypes, we can’t be sure.

This time we get flat sides

Anyway, if you check out the gallery at the end of this section you can take a look at the Pixel 9a’s design. Google is switching the phone to flat sides all around to make it compatible with other Pixel 9 devices. The Pixel 8a had a rounded frame on the sides. The Pixel 9a’s sides are flat, but curved toward the edges to make the phone more comfortable to hold. The frame will of course be made of metal, most likely aluminum. A flat display with a centered display camera hole is placed on the front. The bezels won’t be as thin as the Pixel 9 Pro series, but they will be thin.

There will be no camera bump at all

On the back you can see a pill-shaped cutout for the two cameras and an LED flash next to it. This cutout is located in the top left corner of the back of the phone. As usual, the Google logo is in the middle of the back plate. All of the phone’s physical buttons are located on the right side, with the power/lock button placed above the volume up and down buttons. It’s also worth mentioning that the back of the phone is made of glass and not plastic. The device itself is expected to be similar in size to the Pixel 8a, although we’re not sure about that yet.

It is available in four color options

The Google Pixel 9a will be launched in four colors. We exclusively featured these colors: Iris, Obsidian, Peony and Porcelain. They are all very familiar with the colors obsidian and porcelain. In other words, these are black and white colors that we’ve seen on several Pixels so far. The Peony color will be similar to the Peony Pixel 9, while the Iris color will be a bluish-purple option.

Real picture:

CAD-based renderings:

What specifications will the Google Pixel 9a have?

What about the phone’s specifications? Well, that’s a real mystery at this point. The only detail that has been leaked is that the phone will feature the Tensor G4 chip. This was to be expected since the “Pixel a” series smartphones actually have the same chip as the flagship phones in the series. What is interesting, however, is that the Pixel 9a could unfortunately come with an older modem in the package. The new modem in the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold makes a big difference in connectivity and battery life. So it would be nice to see it in the Pixel 9a too. However, according to a recent rumor, this won’t happen.

It will use the same chip as the flagship Pixel 9 series

In addition to the Tensor G4 chip, the Pixel 9a could have somewhat similar specs to its predecessor. A 6.1 or 6.2-inch display is expected to be included, and it will be a flat OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. Google is likely to use 8GB of RAM in the phone and offer at least two storage options. We suspect it will be 128GB and 256GB variants, but we’ll see. However, memory expansion is not offered. The phone’s battery capacity is expected to be around 4,500 mAh, with both wired and wireless charging possible. The Pixel 9a features an official IP rating for water and dust resistance, stereo speakers, and ships with either Android 15 or Android 16 out of the box. Android 16 is rumored to be available as early as Q2 2025, so… we’ll see. The phone’s cameras are still a mystery.

Should you wait to buy the Google Pixel 9a?

At this point, we are still a long way from the launch of the Pixel 9a. This phone won’t be a monumental upgrade to the Pixel 8a. So if you need a phone right away, getting the Pixel 8a might not be a bad idea. Of course, if you can afford it, opting for the Pixel 9 is also a good choice. If you’re on a budget, the Pixel 8a is certainly a great smartphone at $499. We enjoyed using it and the vast majority of people will be happy with its performance. The Google Pixel 9a is still some time away. Many details are still secret, so who knows, the phone could still surprise us. At this point, however, the Pixel 8a is a solid buy.