Google Pixel 9a camera: All there is to know
While Google's flagship Pixel 9 lineup has been around for nearly half a year now, there's one key member still missing from the roster: the affordable Google Pixel 9a, which is reportedly getting revealed on March 19 and released on March 26.
Despite its positioning as the most value-oriented device that Google announces every year, the "a" model should never be underestimated, though. 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.
Judging from all the rumors we've been hearing these days, the Pixel 9a will be following that formula to the T, which sounds like great news for all those willing to get a lot of phone without breaking the piggy bank.
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 how much remains to be seen. Of course, our in-house camera test will reveal the whole truth once released.
Until then, the only thing we can do is ponder the potential Pixel 9a camera specs and try to deduce how they'd compare.
New lower-megapixel main camera
The rumors indicate that the Pixel 9a will arrive with a 48MP main camera. That would be an obvious "downgrade" from the 64MP wide-angle cameras found on both the Pixel 8a and Pixel 7a, but a potential resolution decrease could mean some image quality gains.
Google is usually very keen on using similar hardware components on different phones, and the company already has a current-gen device with a 48MP main camera––the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The latter 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, making it a potential match made in heaven for the Pixel 9a.
No changes for the ultrawide
The rumor mill is convinced that the Pixel 9a will arrive with a 13MP ultrawide camera. It might very well be 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.
How many cameras will the new Pixel 9a have?
The Pixel 9a will most certainly arrive with dual rear cameras, a 13MP ultrawide and a 48MP wide-angle camera. At the front, we will probably see the same old 13MP Sony IMX712 front-facing camera that's found on both the Pixel 7a and Pixel 8a.
Pixel 9a camera summary
The Pixel 9a sounds as if it will be bringing more of the same to the affordable Pixel lineup, and that's perfectly fine. Google's previous "Pixel a" phones all brought more than acceptable camera quality.
And now, with the Pixel 9a likely getting upgraded with a lower-resolution but potentially better image quality, 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.
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