Why I Recommend This $400 Google Pixel Over Competing Models From Samsung And Oneplus

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Google Pixel 9a is nan latest midrange telephone from nan institution and retails for $499.
• It features a caller Tensor G4 chip, adjuvant AI tools, an improved main camera, and nan largest artillery of immoderate Pixel.
• You'll person to settee for immoderate fund trade-offs, including nan deficiency of a telephoto lens and slower charging speeds.

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I'm inclined to deliberation that nan folks down the Google Pixel 9a are from nan early because if there's 1 point that nan telephone gets right, it's timing.

The latest Pixel 9a retails for $499, making it a stellar telephone finance successful today's -- and nan foreseeable future's -- unpredictable economy. Of course, nan recent tariff news I've been tiptoeing done has been successful discussions since January.

Also: This Pixel 10 rumor conscionable gave Google an separator complete Samsung and OnePlus

But pinch nan latest activity of announcements, it's clear that nan user electronics marketplace is astir to spell into a full-blown frenzy, arsenic brands brace for impact, prices teeter connected nan edge, and shoppers unreserved to fastener successful worth earlier nan large wind genuinely hits.

That intends devices for illustration nan Pixel 9a -- ones that committedness semipermanent benefits astatine a comparatively affordable value -- matter much than ever. The timing unsocial makes nan Pixel 9a 1 of nan astir important devices of 2025, moreover if it wasn't meant to beryllium erstwhile first unveiled.

Macroeconomics 101 aside, here's what you request to cognize astir nan Pixel 9a I've been driving regular for a fewer months now, including who should bargain it and what makes it worthy upgrading to. 

I'll admit: initially, I wasn't sold connected nan Pixel 9a's caller hardware and design. The bezels are noticeably heavy by today's standards – moreover erstwhile compared to likewise priced devices for illustration nan $459 Nothing Phone 3a Pro and $399 Samsung Galaxy A36 5G – and removing nan Pixel-famous camera barroom was a choice.

The Google Pixel 9a (left) and Pixel 8a (right).

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

In theory, stripping down nan backmost of nan telephone makes nan Pixel harder to separate successful a oversea of glass sandwiches. In practice, this has 2 benefits: manus placement and reduced particulate accumulation. While I would antecedently tuck my scale digit underneath nan camera barroom to support nan telephone upheld, not having nan beingness obstruction now intends I tin clasp nan telephone overmuch much freely.

Also: I changed 8 settings connected my Pixel telephone to importantly amended nan artillery life

Why is this tech nerd geeking retired astir ergonomics? Because nan Pixel 9a's powerfulness fastener is reasonably high, manus placement is 1 facet you don't want to limit yourself to.

That aforesaid powerfulness fastener prompts Gemini, which replaces Google Assistant connected nan Pixel 9a and tin now fulfill much analyzable tasks, including multimodal, vision-based assistance.

Gemini Live precocious received an update that lets nan AI propulsion successful discourse from nan phone's camera. Just constituent and ask.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

If there's 1 point we tin each work together on, it's that Pixel phones are notorious for collecting particulate betwixt nan crevices of nan camera bar. This is particularly existent if you person a lawsuit equipped, which further traps debris and particles adjacent nan camera bar.

The Pixel 9a has nary of those problems, maintaining a cleanable artistic aft almost a period of going successful and retired of jean pockets, my backpack, and a gadget-filled enarthrosis bag.

Also: My Android Auto was having problem connecting until I did this 1 thing

I'm besides a instrumentality of nan brighter display, which now ramps up to 2,700 nits of highest brightness versus nan Pixel 8a's 2,000 nits. The improved luminance was noticeable erstwhile I put nan 2 Pixel phones done my infamous torture trial -- aka reference text-heavy webpages from nan model spot of a bridge-crossing commuter bus. Very scientific, I know. 

But astir extremity consumers will admit nan practicality of specified upgrades, and nan Pixel 9a delivers erstwhile it comes to consuming contented nether nan springtime sun. 

The day-to-day benefits widen to nan processing powerfulness of nan Pixel 9a, which features nan aforesaid Tensor G4 chipset arsenic nan soon-to-be-outdated Pixel 9 bid models, including nan $1,099 Pixel 9 Pro XL and $1,799 Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Paired pinch 8GB of RAM, today's minimum magnitude of representation to tally hybrid AI features, you're looking astatine a telephone that handles astir tasks gracefully.

Google says switching to nan Tensor G4 spot yields a 30% velocity bump successful web browsing complete past year's Tensor G3, and I judge it. With nan Pixel 9a and Pixel 8a successful manus (and connected nan aforesaid Wi-Fi network), nan erstwhile loaded up nan various image carousels, web links, and nan communicative stream connected ZDNET's homepage a fewer seconds faster. Save a fewer seconds present and there, and you're looking astatine an accumulatively snappier browsing experience.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

The large mobility is really nan Tensor G4 holds up complete time. By that, I mean cellular performance, powerfulness efficiency, and representation guidance aft 1-2 years, arsenic those person each been issues raised by existent customers. In Google's defense, nan institution doesn't needfully marketplace its devices arsenic multitasking powerhouses aliases ones that tin spell nan extremity of gaming consoles. Regardless, I'll beryllium keeping tabs.

Also: Why you shouldn't bargain a Google Pixel telephone correct now - moreover if you're a superfan

I'm much hopeful astir nan Pixel 9a's early because of its artillery and endurance. Unsurprisingly, this is 1 of nan longest-lasting Pixel phones I've tested, pinch a 5,100mAh capacity that sets a caller grounds for Google. 

The 1-2 other hours I've squeezed retired of nan Pixel 9a compared to nan Pixel 8a (4,492mAh) person been admirable, particularly pinch my camera-heavy workflow. In fact, my artillery tests -- which dwell of 45 minutes of continuous usage, from browsing societal media feeds to streaming videos to making calls -- put nan Pixel 9a successful rod position supra nan Pixel 9 Pro XL. Now, if only Google could amended nan wired charging velocity from nan sluggish 23W rating. Give maine 65W! 45W! I'll moreover return 30W. 

(While I'm here: nan flush camera creation of nan Pixel 9a besides makes it overmuch much compatible pinch various wireless charging docks.)

Oddly, nan Pixel 8a (left) has a smaller punch spread creation connected nan beforehand than nan Pixel 9a (right) - moreover though nan camera sensors are nan same.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

On paper, nan caller 48-megapixel superior camera connected nan Pixel 9a looks for illustration a downgrade from past year's 64MP shooter, but nan larger image sensor connected nan erstwhile does make a difference. 

Also: I tried nan arguable Android telephone that's sewage nan net buzzing - and near impressed

I mostly noticed nan capacity spread erstwhile evaluating nighttime photos and successful environments pinch less-than-usual lighting. Pinching into photos shows nan Pixel 9a capturing much item and vividness, people resulting successful amended opposition and colour accuracy. The Pixel 9a besides nails tegument tones, which tin beryllium very difficult erstwhile your environment's colour somesthesia (read: leaning much orangish aliases blue) is off.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

What near maine wanting much was nan zoom capabilities, arsenic I felt nan deficiency of a dedicated telephoto lens erstwhile I attended a New York Knicks crippled backmost successful April and couldn't drawback a value changeable of nan tip-off pinch nan 8x (max) optical zoom -- moreover though I sat conscionable a fewer sections distant from nan court. (A much distant changeable of nan afloat arena, taken pinch nan 13MP ultrawide and pictured above, looked fantastic.) 

Similar emotions were felt erstwhile I tried to seizure nan unshakable aura of turkeys crossing a thoroughfare connected Staten Island. The curiosity killed me, and 1 measurement person meant nan birds bolting away.

ZDNET's buying advice

Money is simply a delicate taxable now much than ever, truthful here's my buying proposal aft testing nan Google Pixel 9a and each different A-series instrumentality since 2019.

This is nan astir well-rounded telephone you tin bargain for nether $500, and nan intrinsic worth that comes pinch it -- nan 7 years of package support, nan various AI features that person trickled down from much premium Pixel phones, etc. -- makes it a much reasonable prime than its flashier competitors.

Whether you worth a bully display, reliable artillery life, aliases a camera that gets nan shots you want (just don't beryllium excessively ambitious), nan Pixel 9a will service you well. It's 1 of nan fewer best Android phones I'd urge for its listing value and much truthful if there's a bearer woody that fits your plan.

But should you bargain 1 if you're utilizing a 1-2 year-old handset? Probably not. Instead, I propose waiting for nan adjacent large income event, arsenic nan $799 Pixel 9 will apt autumn wrong a akin value scope -- again. 

If you tin hold it out, nan Pixel 9, for astir $50-$100 more, is nan amended smartphone deal, and it's a instrumentality we see nan best action for astir consumers correct now, including powerfulness users and business professionals. Regardless, your options successful nan midrange marketplace are promising correct now, and nan timing couldn't beryllium better.

This article was primitively published connected April 10, 2025, and was updated connected August 16, 2025, to bespeak nan latest retailer deals and upcoming motorboat of nan Pixel 10 series.