Google Pixel 9a camera: All there is to know
The Google Pixel 9a has just been announced as the latest addition to the Pixel 9 lineup, a very affordable $499 device that scores some pretty neat upgrades in comparison with its predecessor. The reason for that are usually the compact size, the fairly high-end specs, and the software that's pretty much on par with the regular Pixel flagships.
What about the camera, the great differentiator between the affordable and high-end phones?
Surely, we probably have to brace for slightly inferior overall camera performance on the upcoming Pixel 9a when compared with the Pixel 9, but judging from the hardware specs, the difference might not be that big. That's because the Pixel 9a sounds very similar to another flagship Pixel's camera setup: the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Of course, our in-house camera test will reveal the whole truth once released.
How many cameras does the new Pixel 9a have?
The Pixel 9a arrives with dual rear cameras, a 13MP ultrawide and a 48MP wide-angle camera. At the front, we see the same old 13MP Sony IMX712 front-facing camera that's found on both the Pixel 7a and Pixel 8a.
New lower-megapixel main camera
The Pixel 9a arrives with a 48MP main camera. That might seem like an obvious "downgrade" from the 64MP wide-angle cameras found on both the Pixel 8a and Pixel 7a, but lower megapixels don't indicate an image quality loss. Quite the contrary, the opposite is usually observed.
The Pixel 9a camera uses a 1/2" camera sensor with an F1.7 aperture and large 0.8µm pixels. That sounds awfully similar to another current-gen Pixel phone with a 48MP main camera––the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
The latter also has a 48MP 1/2" sensor with 0.8µm pixels and an F1.7 aperture, with an ever-so-slightly narrower 25mm focal length when compared to other phones that have a slightly wider 24mm focal length.
This camera seems like a perfect match for the Pixel 9a. In our camera test, the main camera of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold fared only slightly better than the Pixel 8a and worse than the Pixel 9, which is something we'd normally expect from a device like the Pixel 9a, so everything checks out.
No changes to the ultrawide camera
The Pixel 9a arrives with a 13MP ultrawide camera. It is the same ultrawide that has been used on the Pixel 7a and Pixel 8a, the 13MP one with F2.2 aperture, which does the job just fine. No changes here, but then again, no fundamental changes were needed in the first place.
Front-facing camera: business as usual
Finally, not changes have hit the selfie camera of the Pixel 9a. It's the same tried-and-tested 13MP front-facing snapper with an F2.2 aperture that was featured on the Pixel 8a, delivering very decent still photos and videos.
It's also perfect for video calls, but let's face it, what front-camera (except for the under-display one on the Galaxy Z Fold series) isn't just as good these days?
Pixel 9a camera summary
The Pixel 9a sounds like it could greatly improve the camera capabilities of Google's affordable lineup, and that's great, considering the rest of the device is already rounding up a pretty great package! Things are definitely looking up for potential Pixel 9a adopters.
Overall, we expect the Pixel 9a to deliver excellent value to the mid-range segment, and could potentially end up punching way above its weight.
We'll know for sure once we run it through our camera benchmark test.
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