Everything We Know About the Google Pixel 9a: Price, Release Timing, and More

By Dean Blake - Guide

Published: 20 Mar 2025

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Readtime: 4 min

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• Google’s Pixel 9a phone is launching in April 2025 for AU$849
• The mid-range phone will come in four colours: obsidian, porcelain, iris, and peony – or black, white, purple, and pink.
• It brings the Tensor G4 chip to a budget audience, alongside some meaningful improvements

Google’s renewed answer to the ‘budget’ smartphone wars has finally been officially unveiled: the Pixel 9a is launching in April 2025 for AU$849.

While we kind of all knew the Pixel 9a was coming (Google is a particularly leaky ship), the phone drops into a battle for the budget consumer: this year has seen several great cheaper smartphone options launch, from Apple’s 16e to Nothing’s (3a), and the Pixel 9a is here to compete. Compared to its opponents, though, the Pixel 9a has the backing of Google’s Gemini built-in to almost every aspect of it, while also getting an improved display, bigger battery, and Google’s best processor to date.

Here, we’ll break down everything new the Pixel 9a bring’s to Google’s smartphone lineup, and compare it to the competition.

Google Pixel 9a Tech Specs

What’s New With the 9a?

Compared to its prior iteration, the Pixel 8a, the Pixel 9a brings a 6.3” display, an improved processor (the same that appeared in the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro last year), a bigger battery, and a new ‘face unlock’ feature, akin to Apple’s Face ID.

That bigger display is a big deal, bringing Google’s cheaper smartphone option into the same size category as its flagship brethren and further solidifying big tech’s move away from ‘smaller’ devices. Many people (myself included) tend to think that 6.3” devices are far less useable with one hand, and that 6.1” are about the limit for most people’s hands. However, there has been a definite move toward 6.3” as the ‘standard’ phone size in recent years, with Google, Nothing, Samsung, and Apple all pushing well into ‘phablet’ territory.

Also – they’re currently selling for the same price of AU$849, as Google didn’t reduce the price of the 8a alongside the announcement.

The improved Tensor G4 is also a welcome upgrade, and almost brings the Pixel 9a in line with the base-level Pixel 9 in terms of performance. Both feature the same chip, though the Pixel 9 wins out in memory – sporting 12GB rather than 8GB. This should keep the Pixel 9 feeling snappier in more demanding content, such as gaming or video editing, but for everyday use there’s not going to be much difference.

Interestingly, the camera system in the Pixel 9a is in some ways improved over the 8a and 9 before it, while also being worse. The wide-angled 13MP front facing camera is of a higher megapixel than the Pixel 9’s 10.5MP camera, while it’s rear facing dual-camera set-up (48MP+13MP) is far worse than the Pixel 9 (as is to be expected), but also seems to be behind the 8a’s 64MP+13MP lens, which is confusing. I’m sure Google is tapping into the vast depths of Gemini to improve photography performance here, as on paper it seems like a slight downgrade.

When is the Pixel 9a Launching?

As mentioned above, the Pixel 9a will launch in April 2025 for AU$849, though no date has officially been announced yet.