Google recently released the latest edition of its “budget” A-series, the Pixel 9a, at $499 (49,999 INR) across the globe. It's a reasonably priced budget phone with features shared with its premium siblings. It's not free of shortcomings, which have received it much hate on social media.
While certain aspects justify the criticism, but despite its shortcomings, it is still one of the best premium budget smartphones landed in 2025 so far. Before knowing why, let’s check out why it is being criticized.
Why is everyone hating the Pixel 9a?
Before I tell you what makes Pixel 9a a sensible choice, here a few reasons it has been getting flak.
Camera's hardware
Google drastically changed the Pixel 9a’s design does not conform with the established “Visor” camera. The 9a still bears somewhat of a resemblance to a “Pixel,” but the slimmer camera module and the questionable choice of primary sensor can work up eyebrows.
First, as mobile phones evolve as a whole, cameras, as tradition, get bigger. Big cameras signify improvement, which the Pixel 9a goes against by housing a slimmer — more flushed with the body — camera than we have seen on any modern phone.
Secondly, the 48MP primary camera could appear to be a downgrade in technical terms, even though Google argues it's not the case.
The only visible advantage with this design is that it has no bump — or the lack of one — on the rear, which will prevent the phone from wobbling when it's rested on a flat surface.
The ugly display
I am a big-time Pixel advocate, but even I cannot turn my head away from those THICCC, unquestionably ugly, bezels on the front, which make the phone feel like something ascended from 2017.
In 2025, even budget devices that cost less than $200 offer a screen-to-body ratio of over 90%, the Pixel 9a immediately feels outdated at despite impressive display specifications. If opt for a lighter color variant, such as Porcelain, the bezels seem more prominent.
Cuts Made on RAM and AI features
Lastly, the cutbacks made to the RAM result in cuts in AI features.
Google downgraded the Pixel 9a to 8GB of RAM from 12GB in the costlier 9 and 9 Pro phones. Given the segment the former targets, the downgrade somewhat justified, but it also cost 9a some of the Pixel-exclusive AI features.
The lower RAM prevents the Pixel 9a from running multimodal Gemini Nano AI models, and limits it to the text-only version. Therefore, features such as Pixel Screenshots and Call Notes, which rely on on-device processing, and aren’t available on the 9a.
While these are not all the cutbacks made to the Pixel 9a compared to the Pixel 9, these are more visible ones that might impact the user experience. I can't emphasize the word “might” here, as these features and cuts may not be so life-changing for an average consumer.
In fact, Google offers more features than not in 9a which makes it a good deal for the targeted audience. Let’s take a good look at the features that make the 9a worthy of being a Pixel.
What makes 9a a Pixel?
Despite what it lacks, 9a bodes well the signs of a Pixel that make it exciting despite its smaller size and somewhat outdated design.
Pixel cameras
Despite the sleeker camera, the 9a still packs the Pixel camera magic. Although the primary camera uses a smaller sensor that makes it seem like a technical downgrade from the Pixel 8a’s 64MP main camera, Google argues the 48MP sensor is newer and better.
It is claimed capable of taking better pictures day and night than its predecessor. Not only that, but it also takes arguably great videos, even when zoomed in at 8X.
Unlike its direct competition *cough* 16E *cough*, the Pixel 9a also features a secondary 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera that has descended from the previous generation.
The ultra-wide-angle lens on the Pixel 9a is also capable of taking macro shots due to its reduced focusing distance, which gives it the perspective of almost 3 different cameras in one package.
Longer life span with Pixel Drops and updates
Just like its more premium siblings in the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro series, Google has promised its customers that the 9a will receive Pixel drops and Android updates for the next seven years or until Android 22.
Since Pixels, irrespective of their tier, are first in line for updates, the Pixel 9a seems future-proof. One should hope it will receive the best of AI features and OS updates from Google for years to come, first in line.
AI Features
Yes, 9a does have some of the AI features missing, yet there are still tons of other AI features from Google that are available on Pixel 9a that work better on Pixels than any other devices.
These Pixel-exclusive AI features include Add Me, Best Take, Night Sight, Super Res Zoom, Portrait Mode, Photo Unblur, Call Screen, Hold for Me, Direct My Call, Clear Calling, Live Translate, Recorder App Transcription, and Now Playing.
And this list is only expected to grow with each Pixel drop and OS updates that 9a is to receive over the next seven years of its life.
Battery life
Pixel 9a has the largest battery on a Pixel ever. The Pixel 9a has a 5,100mAh capacity, which Google claims to last over 30 hours on a single charge — longer than the Pixel 9 or 9 Pro, which, according to Google, lasts for 27+ hours.
This battery on the Pixel 9a can be fast charged at 23W over a wired connection or at 7.5W wirelessly.
Latest Tensor and Titan chips
The Pixel 9a — like the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro — is powered by the Google Tensor G4 chip, which is built on a 4nm process. This ensures identical performance for everyday tasks (apps, browsing, light gaming) and supports Google’s AI features.
Sharing the same processor means the Pixel 9a handles heat and power draw similarly to the more premium Pixel 9, though the 9a’s 8GB RAM limits some advanced AI features compared to the 9’s 12GB.
Besides Tensor G4’s Tensor Security Core, the Pixel 9a also features the Titan M2 security chip similar to Pixel 9 and 9 Pro that grants you a trusted execution environment to ensure your safety and privacy.
These aren't all the bells and whistles of the Pixel 9a, and we certainly hope to learn more when we use the device in person. While there’s more than meets the eye, these Pixel-exclusive features make it a great premium midrange Pixel available in the market.
Who is the Pixel 9a really for?
If you are in the Asian landscape of the smartphone market, then you can find many great options that give Pixel a hard time to recommend. Phones such as Samsung Galaxy S24, OnePlus 13R, iQOO 13, and Oppo Reno 13 Pro give the Pixel 9a tough competition in the hardware arena, but when it comes to software experience, although it is a personal preference, one can argue that Pixels offer the cleanest Android experience.
On the other side of the world, your options in Android are limited to either Samsung or Google. If you want some flagship-grade performance, the only real competition to the 9a is the iPhone 16e, which has far more cutbacks than the Pixel 9a that I can stomach.