The Pixel 9A is a midrange phone that actually looks like a good deal

Google just announced the Pixel 9A, surprising nobody because it’s been leaked to all heck. The camera bump is gone, it has a bigger screen, a Tensor G4 processor, and better water resistance, and it still starts at $499. It’s all looking like a pretty good deal, especially considering what Apple is charging for its new entry-level phone.

The comparisons to the iPhone 16E are all too easy to make, especially since Apple’s “budget” iPhone just launched a couple of weeks ago. The two phones share plenty of specs, including IP68 water resistance, but the $599 16E lacks an ultrawide camera, and its screen only offers a 60Hz refresh rate. For a hundred dollars less, the 9A comes with a second rear camera and a faster display.

As seen… well, in lots of places, the Pixel 9A ditches the camera bump in favor of a housing that sits flush with the back of the phone. It’s the same shape as the pill / search bar bump on the Pixel 9 series; it just doesn’t protrude from the back of the phone. The new look is slick and means the phone won’t rock back and forth as you tap the screen when the device sits on a table.

The screen is bigger — 6.3 inches now compared to 6.1 inches. But despite the increase, the phone is less than two millimeters taller than the 8A and is actually a tiny bit lighter. The screen isn’t just bigger, either. It’s brighter this time, with a peak brightness of up to 2,700 nits, compared to 2,000 nits. It’s still a 1080p, 120Hz panel, which is all well and good for a $500 phone.

The 9A opts for a 48-megapixel rear camera with a 1/2-inch-type sensor that’s slightly smaller than the Pixel 8A’s 1/1.73-inch-type chip. Bigger is generally better when it comes to image sensors, so I’ll be interested to see if that impacts image quality. The 9A gains a macro mode, though, which somewhat unusually uses the main camera sensor. The 13-megapixel ultrawide is back again, too.

Elsewhere, the 9A has beefed up its durability rating: it’s now IP68 rather than IP67, which means it can withstand immersion in deeper water. The battery is a little bigger, up to 5,100mAh versus 4,492mAh, with Qi wireless charging and up to 23W wired charging. There’s every form of Gemini and Google AI you can imagine, including Gemini Live right out of the box. And you didn’t think Google would let an opportunity to remind us that it has actually shipped an AI assistant pass by, did you?

Anyway, my favorite Pixel feature is back: seven years of OS upgrades and security support. This is the phone I tell everyone’s dad to buy, including mine, so we can sleep a little easier at night knowing their phone isn’t quickly becoming a security risk. Dads — and anyone else interested — will be able to get the base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for $499; you can upgrade to 256GB of storage for $599. The 9A will be available sometime in April, though Google isn’t specifying when exactly.