A full spec leak for the Pixel 9a suggests that Google’s next mid-range smartphone could be the bargain of 2025.
We’ve been hearing numerous rumours concerning Google’s next big smartphone release of late, and it’s all culminated with a full spec and pricing rundown courtesy of Android Headlines. If accurate, we could be looking at one of the most compelling smartphone offerings of next year.
The Pixel 9a will reportedly follow the lead of the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro (which is something of a theme here) in increasing the size of the screen from 6.1-inch to a 6.3-inch Actua display. Once again, it’ll pack a 120Hz refresh rate.
More expected, but no less impressive, will be the provision of the Tensor G4 chip. It didn’t exactly wow us in the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, but in a mid-range phone like this it promises excellent performance – especially with 8GB of RAM backing it up.
There’ll be a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage, which is pretty by the book.
We’re glad to read that the Pixel 9a will pack a larger 5,000mAh battery. Stamina was one of the key weaknesses our editor Max Parker picked out in his Pixel 8a review, and a relatively puny 4,492mAh battery can’t have helped there.
Unfortunately, there’ll be no increase in supported charging speeds, maxing out at 18W. But then, that’s never been the Pixel family’s strong suit. We still think 7.5W wireless charging is a good spec in a mid-ranged phone, too.
Expect the Pixel 9a to follow the lead of its big brothers in adopting a new flat-edged design. We didn’t have a problem with the Pixel 8a’s rounded look, but it’ll be good to get some consistency across the range.
This will be accompanied by dimensions of 154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9mm, which will make it significantly bigger than the Pixel 8a. At this point, we’d direct you back to that point about the larger display, though it’ll still be a fair bit chunkier than the Pixel 9.
With that said, a weight of 186g is a little lighter even than the Pixel 8a, so we’re not sure what’s going on there. Might there be a switch to less premium materials involved?
Expect a shift in the Pixel 9a’s camera provision, too. The report claims that Google is dropping the 64MP main camera of the Pixel 8a in favour of a superior 48MP unit. Both the ultra-wide and the front camera will be 13MP.
Finally, the report claims that the Pixel 9a will launch in mid-March, crucially at the same $499 price as the Pixel 8a. Given the very noticeable spec bump – and following price rises in Google’s other recent phones – this could be the clincher for a 2025 smartphone bargain.
