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Google gave me exactly what I wanted with the Pixel 9a. So why am I not happier?

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Mar 20, 2025, 11:42 AM

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If you've been following my opinion pieces these last few months (and their views counts suggest many of you have), you may have noticed I generally like to talk about high-end devices (released and not-yet-released) like Google's Pixel 10, Apple's iPhone 17 Air, Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 7, etc., etc.

The reason for that is very easy to guess, as most of you dear readers (and distinguished haters) seem to be primarily interested in these most sophisticated (and expensive) phones. But I'm here today to make a confession. I'm a mid-range guy (not my best phrasing, go ahead, laugh it up if you want).

If it were after me, no phone would ever cost more than $500 (forget $1,000 or $2,000), and if that means having to settle for a camera system composed of just one or two non-flagship sensors or a "cheap" plastic body, I'm perfectly fine with that. One thing I've never liked to compromise on, however, is battery life, so you can imagine my excitement when I first heard that the Pixel 9a was set to break the 5,000mAh cell size barrier.

But now that Google's latest budget-friendly handset is finally official, I can't help but wonder...

Is the Pixel 9a everything it could have been?

Sadly, I believe the simple answer to that question is no. Let me explain. Compared to last year's Pixel 8a, the 9a adds 0.2 inches of screen real estate, around 600mAh of extra battery juice, 2.6mm in height, 0.6mm in width, 0mm in depth, and... negative two grams in weight.

Now, I don't know much about smartphone engineering, but something tells me Google could have further increased the battery size if the screen diagonal grew by 0.1 or 0.2 inches more or if the Pixel 9a's profile jumped over the 9mm mark.

Although I'm certainly not a big fan of chunky mobile devices with huge screens in tow, I don't think I would have been disgusted by, say, a 9.2 or 9.3mm thick Pixel 9a with a 6.5-inch or so panel and a 5,500 or 5,700mAh battery, and I bet many of you would have liked those numbers too.

Key specs comparison between the Pixel 9a, 9 Pro, and Pixel 9

Did Google hold the Pixel 9a back so as not to make the Pixel 9 look too bad? That's definitely a possibility. | Image Credit -- Google

Don't get me wrong, Google is clearly on the right track here, focusing on the upgrades that matter so much for so many smartphone users in this day and age (including Apple fans), but it just feels like the search giant stopped short of hitting the mid-range sweet spot with the 5,100mAh battery-packing Pixel 9a.

That's made abundantly clear (to me, at least) by the company's neat official comparison tool here, which puts the Pixel 9a, Pixel 9, and Pixel 9 Pro at the same 100-hour battery life claim with "Extreme Battery Saver" enabled. Granted, the 9a does tower above its high-end siblings cousins when it comes to everyday battery endurance in "normal" usage conditions, at "30+ hours" compared to "24+ hours" on both the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, but I must confess I expected a more substantial upgrade on that front.

Maybe that was foolish or naive of me, and maybe the Pixel 9a will perform better and last longer in real-life use than currently advertised, but for the time being, I'm feeling... underwhelmed at best.

That delay is not looking good

Remember when I told you almost two whole months ago that the Pixel 9a was set for a March 19 pre-order start and proper release a week later? It sure looks like that was Google's plan all along, but something came up at the last minute and pushed the phone's commercial debut to April.

While no one knows exactly what caused this unusual delay, announcing a new device that was thoroughly leaked months ago without a clear release timeline brings back painful memories of an era I thought was over for Google-made smartphones.

Unfortunately, no one knows when you'll be able to actually hold the Pixel 9a in your hand. | Image Credit -- Google

This is not a company known for fixing "component quality issues" very quickly and very comprehensively, mind you, so while I might be getting ahead of myself here, I fear the Pixel 9a launch could become a fiasco of historical proportions soon enough.

The mystery around the sub-par component affecting "a small number" of early 9a units is definitely not helping Google's cause, and I almost feel like it would have been a better idea not to announce the phone yesterday if it's not ready for primetime. After all, the Pixel 8a will only turn one in a couple of months, so I don't really understand why Big G had to rush its sequel out and essentially remind us all why its global sales figures are still so far behind Apple and Samsung's numbers.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.