Pixel 9 vs Pixel 8a: The price gap widens

August 13 is here and Google has just announced the Pixel 9. The Pixel 8a, on the other hand, has been out for a couple of months now and has proved to yet again be one of the best mid-range phones on the market, so what does the Pixel 9 bring to make buyers go for it instead?

Well, from what Google shared today, the differences between its regular flagship and more budget "a" series is similar to previous years. In other words, we are looking at a better camera system, a smoother and brighter display, more RAM, and more powerful and power efficient chip.

Of course, for all of the benefits that come with the flagship model you also need to pay a higher price, which is $799 for the Pixel 9. That's a whipping $300 more than the $499 starting price for the Pixel 8a. But let's see what the extra cost gives you exactly.

Google Pixel 9: Get at Amazon with Gift Card

Snatch the Pixel 9 with fancy new Gemini AI features at Amazon. The latest non-Pro model with a G4 chip is currently available with a $100 Gift Card.

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Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: up to $1,099 off + Gift Card at Best Buy

Best Buy has a generous Pixel 9 Pro XL offer, provided you have a flagship phone in good condition you no longer need. The deal in question saves you up to $1,099 with eligible device trade-ins. You also receive a $200 Gift Card with your purchase.

$1099 off (100%) Trade-in Gift

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$1099

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Google Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL: get now + Gift Card

The Pixel 9 Pro is up for pre-order, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL is available for purchase. Both smartphones arrive without any discounts but are offered with a $200 gift card. Pre-orders for the Pixel 9 Pro are set to finish on September 4.

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You can very easily tell the Pixel 9 and Pixel 8a apart. That's because the 8a is still rocking the camera bar design that we've known since the Pixel 6 series, where the metal strip blends into the side frames. The Pixel 9, on the other hand, comes with a new design for the camera bar, which now appears like it's "floating," separated from the frame of the phone altogether (much like the Pixel Fold).

Besides the camera bar at the back, the Pixel 9 also has a different shape to it compared to the Pixel 8a. It has flat sides, losing the pebble-like shape of the last generation.

The Pixel 9 also has a more reflective glass back panel, which is very different from the matte plastic back of the Pixel 8a. And, speaking of glass, the mid-range Pixel comes with Gorilla Glass 3 protection for the display, while the Pixel 9 has the much more durable Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

There is also a difference in the dust/water resistance ratings, with the Pixel 9 having IPX68 vs IP67 on the 8A, although that is rather insignificant.

In terms of size, the Pixel "a" series has historically been similar to the base flagship Pixel models. This year it is generally the case, with the Pixel 8a' 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9 mm vs. the Pixel 9's 152.8 x 72.0 x 8.5 mm.

The Pixel 9 has a slightly larger 6.3" display compared to the Pixel 8a's 6.1" one. Both sport OLED screens with deep contrast and rich colors, but the Pixel 9 has a higher peak brightness of 2700 nits vs the Pixel 8a’s 2000 nits.

The other difference between the two is the display refresh rates. The Pixel 9 display is capable of a 1-120Hz refresh rate while the 8a is locked at 60Hz. In simpler terms, the Pixel 9's display is much smoother and more fluid, and capable of preserving power thanks to the variable refresh rate.

Apart from the display specs, the Pixel 9 also has much thinner bezels that are also uniform. In contrast, the Pixel 8a’s bezels are extremely thick with the lower one being more so than the others.

Even though the Pixel 9 rocks the new Tensor G4 chipset, it doesn't seem to be that much more powerful than the Tensor G3 powering the Pixel 8a. Google claims 20% faster web browsing and 17% faster app launching, which is not that impressive in the grand scheme of things.

While there aren’t any significant differences in raw power, the Pixel 9 has 12 GB of RAM compared to the 8 GB on the Pixel 8a. Google has carved out a chunk of those 12 GB and dedicated it for on-device AI features and functionality, which means the Pixel 9 can carry out AI tasks much quicker and does not have to rely on the cloud for them.

In terms of storage, though, both phones come in 128 GB and 256 GB options.

The new Tensor G4 also enables a feature similar to Apple's Emergency SOS that allows users to signal for help even when they don't have good service. This won’t be available to the Pixel 8a.

Software-wise, the Pixel 9 series comes with some AI improvements. One of them is called "Studio" and it helps you create custom stickers and emojis relying on your descriptions. Another feature, called "Add Me," helps users combine multiple group photos so that everyone can be included. Lastly, Gemini Nano on the Pixel 9 is much more capable, as it is now multimodal.

With multimodality, Gemini Nano helps your phone understand, not just text inputs, but also image, audio, and speech.

Gemini Nano probably won’t come to the 8a, but there’s a good chance that the Add Me and Studio features will.

The Pixel 9 and the Pixel 8a both have dual-camera systems embedded in their metal camera modules at the back. However, they don’t share the same camera specs, not at all, in fact.

While the Pixel 8a is rocking a 64 MP main and 13 MP ultra-wide cameras, the Pixel 9 has the 50MP main and a brand new 48MP ultrawide snapper, the same one that’s on the Pro models! The new ultra-wide camera gives the Pixel 9 110% improved light sensitivity than its predecessor, which means the difference in image quality with the “a” series should be significant.

The selfie cameras at the front are also different. The Pixel 9 comes with the same 10.5MP camera from last year and the Pixel 8a has a 13MP one. Google has upgraded the front camera on the Pixel 9 to have Autofocus, so it will be more capable when it comes to keeping things in focus.

The Pixel 9 comes with a 4700 mAh battery capacity vs. the 4492 mAh on the Pixel 8a. This does not necessarily mean more battery life, but given the other hardware that helps with battery efficiency, we fully expect the Pixel 9 to fare better during our dedicated battery life tests.

Charging-wise, the Pixel 9 seems to have received an upgrade, as Google states it can go from 1-55% in 30 minutes, which is slightly faster than before. The Pixel 8a, on the other hand, charged up to 42% in 30 minutes during our charging tests.

The main apparent differences between the upcoming Pixel 9 and the mid-range Pixel 8a are the cameras and the chipsets. The Pixel 9 also has more RAM, as well as a larger battery and faster charging.

Feel free to check out our full Pixel 9 vs Pixel 8a specs comparison, or take a look at the overview below:

Comparing the Pixel 8a with the Pixel 9 shows much of what we are used to when pitting Google's budget phone series to its base flagship. In other words, you have slightly better performance from the chip and camera system, faster charging and longer battery life, and better durability.

Most importantly, though, it seems the camera system is the most significant differentiating factor this year. That said, we won't know for sure until we pace the Pixel 9's camera through our PhoneArena Camera Score and compare its results to the Pixel 8a.

For now, it seems that we are looking at mostly the same type of differences between the Pixel 8a and Pixel 9 that we saw from previous comparisons between Google's mid-range series and entry-level flagships. Although it is worth remembering that the Pixel 9 costs $100 more than its predecessor, which makes the price gap an even more decision-making factor.