5 the reason why I like to recommend the Pixel 9a ...

Google has been on a roll recently in relation to releasing smartphone {hardware}. Final 12 months’s flagship Pixel 9 series obtained glowing critiques from followers and reviewers alike, and the road is reportedly outpacing earlier technology Pixels from a gross sales perspective. Most not too long ago, the corporate launched a new mid-range handset within the type of the $500 Pixel 9a.

In some ways, the brand new Pixel 9a is a good worth proposition. Costing $300 lower than its Pixel 9 base model flagship counterpart, the 9a packs a ton of tech right into a palatable worth level. Whereas it lacks a few of the bells and whistles discovered on more expensive Android devices, it makes up for this by honing in on what really issues: a pleasing end-user expertise.

Listed below are 5 the reason why I gravitate in direction of recommending the Pixel 9a over the Pixel 9 for most individuals.

• Pixel 9a

  Google’s mid-range Pixel 9a affords spectacular high-end options like a 48-megapixel primary shooter, a 13-megapixel ultrawide digital camera with macro, its Tensor G4 chip, and 8GB of RAM, all in a cheap $500 bundle.

• 

  Pixel 9

  Pixel 9 contains a 6.3-inch show and a well-known design. It helps the addition of a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens to its rear digital camera array alongside Google Gemini and AI options.

1 Higher bang in your buck

A lot of the identical smartphone expertise for $300 much less

Pocket-lint / Google

At $500, the Google Pixel 9a prices a full $300 lower than the usual Pixel 9. Whereas some corners had been reduce to attain this mid-range worth level, the 9a remains to be a rock-solid providing. It is powered by the identical Tensor G4 chipset as its dearer sibling, and each fashions ship with the identical show panel, too: a 6.3-inch OLED display screen that may obtain a refresh price of as much as 120Hz and a peak brightness of two,700 nits.

Although the 9a is not a flagship Android telephone, it nonetheless maintains the high-end Pixel aesthetic we have come to know and love lately. As an added bonus, the body is machined out of aluminum. Google’s concentrate on a {smooth} and nice consumer expertise additionally pays dividends — the Pixel software program expertise is as full-featured on the 9a as it’s on the 9, full with superior AI features, the clear and light-weight Pixel Launcher, and silky-smooth animations.

Associated

Pixel 9a vs Pixel 8a: How the two mid-rangers stack up

Google has simply introduced its newest mid-range smartphone, the Pixel 9a – this is how the gadget compares with its predecessor.

2 No digital camera hump

The Pixel 9a’s lack of a digital camera protrusion is a uncommon sighting

Pocket-lint / Google

In a shocking twist, Google opted to engineer the Pixel 9a such that it lacks a digital camera protrusion altogether. The gadget’s 48-megapixel wide-angle digital camera and 13-megapixel ultra-wide shooter sit flush with the rear panel, making for a clear aesthetic that we do not usually see in trendy smartphones.

I feel Google has efficiently balanced the subtlety of the 9a’s digital camera design whereas sustaining a particular ‘Pixel’ feel and look. It took me a while to get used to the dearth of a full-width digital camera bar, however the smaller capsule form nonetheless comes throughout as deliberate and aesthetically pleasing.

Associated

Google’s new Pixel battery feature is worthwhile, but only if it’s optional

Google has confirmed that its engaged on a brand new Battery Well being Help function for Pixel telephones – this is the excellent news, in addition to the dangerous information.

3 Lighter construct

The Pixel 9a is extra comfy to carry for prolonged durations of time

Pocket-lint / Google

Each the Pixel 9a and the Pixel 9 share roughly comparable footprints and units of exterior dimensions. The place the 9a one-ups the 9 is when it comes to its weight (or lack thereof). The 9a suggestions the scales at 6.56 oz (186g), in distinction to the 9’s 6.98 oz (198g).

On paper, this distinction might not appear to be a lot, however each gram counts. The distinction in whole mass is noticeable sufficient to make the 9a a extra comfy telephone to carry for lengthy durations of time. In the event you’ve ever skilled handset-induced arm pressure, or have had a tool land in your face whereas scrolling in mattress, then you definitely’ll know precisely what I am speaking about.

Associated

Your Pixel phone’s Tensor chip just got a performance-packed upgrade

In a brand new graphics driver software program replace, Google has managed to enhance the GPU efficiency of its trendy Pixel telephones.

4 Bigger battery

The 9a has the most important battery ever put right into a Pixel telephone

Pocket-lint / Google

Google has outfitted the Pixel 9a with a 5,100mAh battery pack, which is a comparatively massive capability for a telephone within the 6.3-inch show class. Actually, because it seems, the 9a ships with the largest battery ever housed in a Pixel telephone. In contrast, the usual Pixel 9 affords a 4,700mAh energy pack — not small per se, however not as spacious because the one within the 9a, both.

Extra battery capability is at all times an excellent factor in relation to smartphones, and I am glad to see Google sort out the problem of telephone longevity head on on this method. It isn’t but clear how the Pixel 9a will carry out in the actual world from a stamina perspective, however I anticipate it will outlast the 9 by a non-insignificant margin.

Associated

I upgraded to a new Google Pixel after 4 years, and I’m glad I waited until now

I lastly retired my trusty Google Pixel 5 in favor of a shiny new Pixel 9 Professional – this is what it is like leaping 4 generations into the longer term.

5 Shatterproof rear panel

Plastic is not an inherent buzzkill

Pocket-lint / Google

Throughout the context of smartphone construct supplies, plastic is usually regarded as low cost or second-rate. Whereas it is true that tumbler is a extra premium rear panel materials, it comes with the downside of being liable to shattering. The Pixel 9a, with its plastic rear, is bodily incapable of cracking — an enormous bonus from a sturdiness standpoint.

The usual Pixel 9’s rear glass is not best-in-class, both: it makes use of Corning’s a lot older Gorilla Glass 3 answer, which is much less resilient than the tempered glass maker’s newer Victus or Armor formulations. The panel is not etched or matted both, making the telephone a slip-prone fingerprint magnet. With all this in thoughts, the Pixel 9a’s use of silky plastic is much less of a downside, and extra of a profit.

Associated

Here’s how the Pixel launcher turns me into a productivity pro

You may have all of the instruments you could flip your telephone from one thing that distracts you into one thing that works for you.