Pixel 9a Review

Tom's Guide

In this video, John delivers his full Google Pixel 9a review. Our resident budget and midrange phone fan takes you through all the important upgrades between the Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 8a, as well as how all the key ways Google’s entry-level smartphone compares to the infamous iPhone 16e. This review features photo comparisons and camera testing, as well as the proprietary Tom’s Guide battery test results and the problem with loading up value phones with premium AI features such as Gemini Advanced.

Transcript

00:00If you've seen my videos here before, you know I'm a fan of budget, or maybe I should say more value-conscious phones.

00:06I'm willing to settle with some trade-offs just as long as it's closer to that $500 range, especially these days.

00:11This is why I'm in love with the Pixel 9a, especially after I reviewed the iPhone 16e.

00:16I'll explain more in my review right now.

00:21First things first, let's talk about the Pixel 9a price because it really does matter for a phone like this.

00:26For $499, Google is offering a seriously compelling package that has more value, in my opinion, over the $600 iPhone 16e.

00:34You get a flagship chipset, dual cameras for more utility, and in my opinion, better AI features as well.

00:39And oh yeah, you have more colors to choose from, like this peony one I'm using.

00:43I'll be talking about the design as a whole later on in this video as a reason I don't necessarily like the Pixel 9a.

00:49But if you're talking just about what you're getting for the price, there's a lot to like here.

00:53Another reason I've been liking the Pixel 9a is because of the display.

00:58Not only is it bigger than the Pixel 8a with a larger 6.3-inch actual display,

01:02but it puts a lot of other phones in its category to shame when it comes to brightness.

01:07Our lab measured a peak brightness of 2,076 nits, which makes it much more visible outdoors when the sun's out.

01:13It's spring.

01:13Everyone is outside.

01:14You need a phone that you can actually see as you're out and active.

01:17Best of all, it still looks fluid thanks to an adaptive 120Hz display refresh rate.

01:22Unlike the iPhone 16e that's still stuck on 60Hz.

01:25One caveat I noticed, however, while it technically has an OLED screen,

01:29the 9a lacks the iridescence I see from other OLED panels, like the one on the Pixel 9.

01:34Meaning, the colors don't pop as much.

01:36Still, it's easily a much better screen than most other budget phones.

01:40The reason that we're even talking about the Pixel 9a in the first place

01:44is because it has the same Tensor G4 chip found on the Pixel 9 Pro.

01:48This is a big deal because it's a flagship caliber chip that can make a phone

01:51that's several hundred dollars less run very smoothly.

01:55Now, compared to the iPhone 16e, it's interesting because the results don't indicate

01:59that the Pixel 9a performs better than the iPhone 16e,

02:02but I've been using the 9a for a week,

02:04and I haven't noticed any performance issues or hiccups whatsoever.

02:07I linked our benchmark scores in the description if you want to check those out.

02:12Also, the latest Gen Tensor chip gives the Pixel 9a nearly the same set of AI features

02:16as you'll find in the rest of the Pixel 9 lineup.

02:19It's running stock Android out of the box,

02:21but the AI features really add more value here,

02:24which I'll go as far as they are better than Apple Intelligent features on the iPhone 16e.

02:29This includes AI-assisted photo and editing features such as Magic Editor,

02:33AutoFrame, Reimagine, Photo on Blur, and Pixel Studio,

02:36which I can now generate images with people in them.

02:39Beyond that, you have Call Screen that leans on Google Assistant to take phone calls for you,

02:43Circle to Search to look up stuff on your phone without switching apps,

02:46and Gemini Live.

02:48And, oh yeah, did I mention you get seven years of software support?

02:52Let me say this about the camera.

02:54I prefer this over the iPhone 16e.

02:57So to all of you who would say that I always pick iPhones in our camera comparison videos,

03:01you can chill, okay?

03:03The 9a comes with a new 48 megapixel paired with a 13 megapixel ultrawide.

03:08The main camera is down from last year's 64 megapixel one with the Pixel 8a,

03:12but don't be alarmed because this has a faster f1.7 aperture.

03:15I like this camera setup more than the iPhone 16e

03:18because of the ultrawide camera's wider coverage,

03:21which is perfect for the landscapes and group photos.

03:23The Pixel 9a has better selfie and low-light performance too.

03:27iPhones still might have the edge when it comes to processing zoom,

03:29but the 9a can get much closer up for those macro shots.

03:33On top of all this,

03:33the 9a comes with the same AI-assisted photo features

03:36as the rest of the Pixel 9 series,

03:38like Admi that makes it a breeze to stitch in the photographer into the shot.

03:43The last reason to buy the Pixel 9a

03:46before I get into reasons to skip is the battery life.

03:49It's a slightly larger phone,

03:50and as a result, Google gave it a larger 5,100 mAh battery,

03:54and paired with the power efficiencies of the Tensor G4,

03:57it easily cruises past the Pixel 8a and iPhone 16e

04:00at 13 hours and 8 minutes on a single charge.

04:04That's a significant jump from the Pixel 8a,

04:06which topped out at 11 hours and 21 minutes.

04:09Let's go back to design.

04:11I kind of indicated this earlier,

04:13but I'm not totally sold on the Pixel 9a's design as a whole.

04:16Don't get me wrong.

04:17It's great that Google went after a flush camera design,

04:20but it sort of takes away from the Pixel identity

04:22I'm used to getting with the camera bar.

04:24I'll say this about design.

04:26It now has flat edges and rounded corners,

04:28which many of you were quick to point out

04:29on our socials that it looks awfully like an iPhone.

04:32I think that makes the Pixel 9a a bit boring,

04:35but hey, I guess that's what phone cases are for.

04:39The biggest difference between the Pixel 9a

04:42versus Pixel 9 Pro phones,

04:43and probably my biggest disappointment with the 9a overall,

04:47is that you only get a month's worth of Gemini Advance

04:49with the purchase of your new phone.

04:51Most people might not care as much,

04:53but I know how handy it is

04:54because of how it has deep research,

04:56which can basically do research for you

04:58on certain topics using resources I ask from the web.

05:01It's just the type of thing

05:02where you probably can't even learn

05:04all the ways to use Gemini Advance in only a month,

05:07and then all these awesome features get paywall.

05:09Then you'll have to pay $20 per month

05:11or $240 per year,

05:13and I'd argue that it undermines the value proposition

05:15that's so key to a phone like this.

05:18So, all things considered,

05:19is the Google Pixel 9a the smart choice

05:22for your next smartphone?

05:23If you prioritize affordability,

05:25long battery life,

05:26a bright display,

05:27and access to incredibly useful AI features,

05:29then absolutely.

05:31It offers a compelling package

05:32that easily surpasses the Pixel 8a,

05:34but it's a much stronger challenger

05:35to the iPhone 16e.

05:37But what do you guys think?

05:38Let me know your thoughts in the comments below

05:39and what phone you want me to review next.

05:42Don't forget to like and subscribe

05:43if you enjoyed watching.

05:44I'm John V,

05:45and I'll see you in my next video.

05:47See you then.

06:01See you then.

06:05See you then.

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