Google Pixel 9a battery: All the specs and upgrades
Google's Pixel 9a is now here as a pretty impressive addition to the affordable Pixel lineup, with a slightly refreshed design, the latest Tensor chipset, and the same formula that made previous Pixel phones such excellent value for the money.
Of course, it's the larger size of the new phone that has allowed for such a larger battery to be fitted inside. The Pixel 9a is taller, wider, and thicker than its predecessor, making it possible to put a 5,100mAh cell at the back. Read more in our Pixel 9a vs Pixel 8a comparison here.
But how will one of the most vital aspects of a modern smartphone––its battery life––evolve with the Pixel 9a? With the latest Tensor G4 making an appearance, battery life will likely improve, but as usual, the most important factor here is the battery size.
And judging from the specs, Google might have a winner here, as the Pixel 9a sports the largest battery ever fitted on a Pixel phone!
Google Pixel 9a battery upgrades
Google has put a massive 5,100mAh battery inside the Pixel 9a. As we mentioned, that's the largest battery ever fitted on a Pixel device.
This is a major upgrade in comparison with the Pixel 7a and Pixel 8a, which both featured much smaller batteries: 4,385mAh and 4,492mAh, respectively. Even the flagship Pixel 9 has a smaller 4,700mAh battery. In fact, the only current-gen Pixel 9 phone with a similarly sized battery is the Pixel 9 Pro XL with a 5,060mAh battery, and that's technically smaller than the Pixel 9a.
This essentially could make the Pixel 9a one of Google's phones with the best battery life, but we will have to run it through the paces of our own battery tests before we can say for certain.
| Phone | Battery size |
|---|---|
| Pixel 9a | 5,100mAh |
| Pixel 8a | 4,492mAh (-12%) |
| Pixel 7a | 4,385mAh (-14%) |
| Pixel 9 Pro Fold | 4,650mAh (-9%) |
| Pixel 9 Pro XL | 5,060mAh (-1%) |
| Pixel 9 Pro | 4,700mah (-8%) |
| Pixel 9 | 4,700mAh (-8%) |
Of course, it's the larger size of the new phone that has allowed for such a larger battery to be fitted inside. The Pixel 9a is taller, wider, and thicker than its predecessor, making it possible to put a 5,100mAh cell at the back. Read more in our Pixel 9a vs Pixel 8a comparison here.
Google Pixel 9a charging upgrades
With the Pixel 9a, we've got a slight bump to 23W wired charging speeds, which will be a small but decent improvement from the 18W charging speed on previous affordable Pixels. With a larger battery yet marginally faster charging, we'd expect the Pixel 9a to charge just as fast as it predecessor.
The Pixel 9a will likely take nearly two hours to charge fully wired. The Pixel 8a takes an hour and 46 minutes for a full wired charge, while the Pixel 7a gets from 0 to 100% in two hours.
At the same time, wireless will remain at 7.5W wireless charging on the next affordable Pixel––slow, but at least it's here, as other phones in the same category don't even offer wireless charging (Galaxy A56 5G, for example).
Google Pixel 9a battery summary
We might have a new contender for the title of Pixel phone with the best battery life! That's both thanks to a more efficient chip, but also a larger battery.
At the same time, we also got a slight upgrade in terms of charging, but nothing too major. Still, it's great to see that Google is improving things here.
In any case, we'd be very eager to see how Google's next affordable Pixel 9a will turn out as far as battery life goes, potentially making it one of the longest-lasting devices in the $499 price bracket.
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