Google Pixel 9a review: I’m here for the cameras, but not the aesthetics

Pixel has a reputation for producing great, but unassuming cameras on its phones. While other companies are shouting about collaborations with heritage brands and loading their phones with huge amounts of tech pursuing photographic magnificence, the Google Pixel goes about its business in a more subtle manner.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Google Pixel 9a to anyone looking for an affordable phone where you still get a great camera experience. But there’s a lot more to any Pixel than the lauded camera.

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The Disconnekt Downlow

The Google Pixel 9a continues to deliver what we’ve come to expect from this affordable Pixel: there’s plenty of power, there’s a clean software experience and the camera still delivers. It’s the affordable camera phone I’d recommend to most poeople. But the change in design makes this phone look boring and feel thicker than the previous model, while the wide screen bezel still makes it look dated. It’s a great phone, but it’s not a great looking phone.

Buy from £499 on Amazon

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The reasons you should choose Google Pixel 9a

Most people know the Pixel A-Series for the camera performance and I have no problem with that. This is a great camera phone, offering a good consistent experience for the £499 asking price. It’s cheaper than the iPhone 16e, it’s a lot cheaper than the Pixel 9, but the camera still gives plenty to be excited about.

There’s a new main camera on the Pixel 9a, with a 48-megapixel sensor replacing the 64-megapixel sensor of the Pixel 8a. That brings with it a wider f/1.7 aperture, which means more light hits the sensor. Comparing the performance of these two cameras side-by-side, I’ve found that the Pixel 9a produces photos that are a little brighter, while there’s more detail and less noise in shadows. Low light performance is marginally better too, so the change in sensor is definitely a good thing.

The ultrawide camera is pretty much the same as it was before and the encouraging thing is that when you switch between these two cameras, the photos still come out with the same tone, so it’s nicely consistent. That’s a real positive point, as many phones at this price don’t do that.

Another thing that phones costing £499 don’t do is give you 7 years of software updates. That’s the promise that Google offers, so you know that this phone will be updated, front of the queue for many years to come.

As has always been the case with the Pixel A-Series phones, there’s flagship hardware powering it. Well, I say flagship, it’s the Tensor G4, Google’s own hardware, but the same hardware that powers the Pixel 9 Pro XL. That means you’re getting a super smooth experience: this isn’t a phone that feels like you’ve compromised because you choose to pay less.  

Then we have the display, which has grown to 6.3-inches, larger than the previous phone. It’s still an AMOLED display with auto 120Hz refresh rate and with an impressive 2,700 nits peak brightness. That really makes your images pop when in Google Photos, which can really take advantage of the HDR data that’s captured. The display is bright and vibrant, a pleasure to use.

Also interesting is that the Pixel 9a showed me HDR10+ content in Netflix: while many thought Netflix’s announcement was about Samsung TVs, there will be mobile devices that benefit too. But there’s also something I don’t like about the display, which I’ll talk about next.

What the Google Pixel 9a could do better

So far every thing has been positive, but there’s still part of the display that I don’t like: the bezel. There’s a border around the display that looks terribly dated. I commented on it on the Pixel 8a and it’s still here on the Pixel 9a. It’s obviously one way that Google plans to differentiate between its different device tiers and it looks like the bezel is here to stay.

In truth, once you’ve seen it and got used to it, it doesn’t matter, but many rivals offer a slicker look from the front.

Talking of looks, the Pixel 9a lands with a new design and it’s a design that I think will split opinion. With the Pixel 9 models moving to a squared frame – finished more like an iPhone – the Pixel 9a has a square frame too. That gives consistency in the family, but sees this Pixel lose the lovely curve to its edges that was on the Pixel 8a. There’s another loss too and that’s the camera bar. I feel that the complete loss of the camera bar has resulted in a rather generic-looking device.

Previously, the camera bar on the back was something that made the Pixel 8a (and Pixel 7a before it) stand out. It was instantly recognisable, reflecting the pronounced bar of the flagship Pixel phones. With the Pixel 9 moving to a camera island, Google left the Pixel 9a with a flush finish – and it looks boring.

It also makes the plastic rear of the phone more apparent. The Pixel 8a was plastic too, but the camera bar provided a visual break and made it look like a higher quality phone.

The Pixel 9a is all about the daily experience

But to judge a phone just on its design would be a little harsh, because the Pixel 9a is all about the daily user experience – and this is another area where Pixel phones shine. The clean Android build that you get on the Pixel 9a puts other affordable phones to shame. Too often, rival devices are loaded with apps you don’t want, duplication, and in some cases adverts.

Instead you have Android as Google intended it and while it’s not as progressive as something like the Nothing Phone (3a) – which really puts the Pixel 9a to shame from a design perspective – there’s a smooth simplicity when it comes to Pixel.

Although Google has been one of the biggest proponents of AI in phones – and there’s plenty of AI functions available in the Pixel – it doesn’t feel like Google is forcing it and making the whole message about AI, unlike Samsung’s latest approach.

Gemini is here replacing Google Assistant and is slowly getting more competent at doing the things you need it to do on a phone. For example, it was only recently that Gemini acquired the skills to be able to open and play music from Spotify. Then you have quarterly Pixel Drops that give you new features regularly through the year.

Being a slightly larger phone, there’s more space for battery, with 5,100mAh inside, which lasts through the day easily enough. It only charges at 23W which is slow, but Google’s focus here is longevity – it wants your phone to last you many years, and fast charging causes fast battery decay.

To underline this point, Google also has a range of other battery health features in place, including smart charging. There’s the option to limit the charge to 80 per cent so you’re not constantly stressing the battery or there’s the option to charge to 80 per cent over night and then add the final 20 per cent just before you wake up. Both measures are designed to make your phone’s battery last longer, so you’ll get many years of use from the phone.

Should I buy the Pixel 9a?

The Pixel 9a is a solid phone that delivers in a full range of areas. It’s smart, it’s got flagship power and a great camera, all at a reduced price. You get the Pixel experience at mid-range phone prices and this is a phone that’s designed to last you a long time.

But there are downsides: the design is bland, the bezel around the display looks dated and that slower charging might be a little annoying at times. In terms of value for money though, you get a lot from the Pixel 9a. It’s not as premium as the iPhone 16e – but it is £100 cheaper – while the Pixel 9 is £200 more expensive. As I said in the opening, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Pixel 9a for its camera experience, just as long as you’re happy with its shortcomings.

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