So, today let’s talk about one of the most hated phones after the iPhone 16e – the Pixel 9A. I got this phone from Flipkart a couple of weeks ago for Rs. 50,000 and at this price, yes it does feel like Google could have done better with the pricing. Maybe they could have matched the US price, but if you look at Pixel’s history in India, it will definitely get some discount in a month or two.
So, I think this phone doesn’t deserve that much hate, as some of my fellow reviewers have said in their video. I think Pixel 9a, when it’s available under INR 45,000, is a great choice if you want a phone that performs well across all categories. It’s also arguably the best camera phone under ₹50,000 right now!
Google Pixel 9a Specifications
- Display: 6.3″ FHD+ OLED, 120Hz refresh rate, Gorilla Glass 3
- Chipset: Google Tensor G4 5G (4nm)
- Memory: 8GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128/256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
- Software: Android 15, 7 years of OS updates
- Rear Camera: Dual (with LED flash)
– 48MP f/1.7 primary sensor, 1/1.73″, PDAF, OIS– 13MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor, 120° FoV
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Selfie Camera: 13MP f/2.2 sensor, 20mm
- Battery: 5100mAh, with 23W wired and 7.5W wireless charging
- Security: Fingerprint sensor (optical in-display)
Google Pixel 9a Review
Camera
Yes, I did miss the 3X or 5X zoom lens here, something like Nothing Phone 3(a) Pro that costs 30,000 rupees has one, and that 3X telephoto camera in there is exceptional for the price!
But the main camera, the main camera of the Pixel 9a is seriously impressive — it captures super sharp photos, details could be better, but the overall output is so natural with true-to-life colours. It’s just one of those cameras you can count on to deliver great shots every single time.
Even during low light, I found the Pixel 9A doing really well.
I also like the 2X Portraits here. Just look at these samples. The skin tone is naturally preserved – it has good details, and nice blur, so yeah the portraits are super clean and accurate!
I’m also a fan of the selfies from this phone. Again you get nice details and a natural skin tone!
Even the Ultrawide camera is pretty good here. Much better than something like we get on the OnePlus 13R, VIVO V50, or Galaxy A56. Just look at the colour consistency between the main and ultra-wide lenses. That said, you’ll notice some softness around the edges, and the overall quality, dynamic range and consistency take a bit of a hit if I am clicking the photos in say direct sunlight or during low-light situations, like this photo of a Krishna temple.
Videography-wise too, this takes better footage than phones like the OnePlus 13R and Galaxy A56. The stabilisation is nice, dynamic range is nicely preserved, although at times footage could come out a little soft if there is less light.
The Ultra-wide camera can also click up to 4K 30fps and just like photos, the colour consistency you get when switching from main to Ultra-wide is superb. Although the overall quality of Ultra-wide videos is nothing to write home about – it does have some noise and soft quality around the edges.
Ok..So, Camera-wise, as expected from a Google phone, the Pixel 9A gets a solid A, but other aspects of the Pixel 9A are also not so bad.
Design and Display
First off, I really like this handy compact design! It has a very good feel to it, it’s not very heavy, and there’s an official IP68 dust and water resistance too. But what I love about this design is there’s no camera bump – which is just so rare to see on Phones in 2025!
However, Pixel has cheaped out on 3 things. No.1 It has a plastic back, No. 2 we get a super old GG3 protection for the display which as you can see has already resulted in some scratches and No.3 look at the bezels on the display! So, if you are buying the Pixel 9A, the first thing you gotta do is apply a screen protector and get a nice back cover.
Anyway, if you ignore these bezels, the display quality of the Pixel 9A is quite nice. First off, we get a very bright OLED screen, so even when I was using this phone out, it actually is more visible than some of the flagship phones you can buy in 2025. It’s that bright.
Plus, it can also get really dim. So, watching IPL or the Champions League game late nighthas been a beautiful experience. Plus, that Yamal goal – that was also a beautiful experience.
What I also like about the Pixel phone’s display is the touch response is really really good. It is very responsive. The haptics is also almost flagship-like and we get an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor – something we don’t see on a phone at this price range. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor means the position is located at a perfect place for unlocking the phone and it works when my hands are wet as well.
Audio and Speaker
I also like the speakers here. It’s loud with a nice mid, clear mid-frequency – so overall a nice experience while watching videos. BTW, there is also HDR playback support on OTT platforms. There’s no Dolby Vision though, but HDR works well here. There was an issue on Netflix about a week ago, but after updating the Netflix app, HDR-mastered videos work well now.
I am also getting great battery life from the Pixel 9A. Look at these screenshots of the battery backup. I was easily getting 8 to 9 hours of SOT – which means easy 1-1.5 days battery backup for most users.
The only thing I didn’t like here is the charging speed. Even with my 65W GAN charger, it takes more than 1.5 hours to get fully charged. And there’s no wireless charging as well.
Another thing where you don’t get a good experience is while gaming. Because the Tensor G4 chip here made by Samsung is not good for gaming. You can only be able to play games like PubG and Mobile Legends at 60fps and it does tend to get warm on the back after like 10-15 minutes. So, the Pixel 9A is clearly not meant for gaming. For that, you can go with phones like OnePlus 13R or the upcoming Poco F7.
But what’s important to know is for normal, everyday usage, the Pixel 9A actually does a much better job than the Galaxy A56 or the VIVO V50. The overall UI feels smooth, and the Pixel experience is clean and well designed as well. Plus, you are going to get 7 years of updates, up to Android 22, which means after 2 or 3 years, you can pass it on to your mom or your little brother and it will still be rocking the latest OS.
Pixel 9a Review: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Excellent main camera
- Clean software with 7 years of updates.
- Bright OLED display with good outdoor visibility.
- Solid battery life
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Compact design with IP68 resistance.
Cons:
- Plastic back and outdated display protection.
- Noticeable bezels and slow charging speed.
- Not great for gaming (Tensor G4 chip struggles).
- No telephoto lens.
Google Pixel 9a Review Conclusion
So, yeah, the Pixel 9A is not a bad phone if you look at how well it does in each aspect. We get a solid A in things like camera, battery life, display quality, speakers, and haptics. And we get a solid A+ in terms of the software with all the AI features, and long years of OS updates. Even when it comes to the performance and the build quality, it’s a decent B+.
Yes, the pricing could have been better since Pixel phones are now made in India! But overall, this is a genuinely good phone that doesn’t deserve the hate. And if you look at the history of Pixel phones, prices are likely to drop in the coming months, and when they do, that’ll be the perfect time to pick this one up.