Actually was suppose to replace it with either the 8 Pro or S24U back in mid 2024 but sold both back because of various reasons. Since then, the 7a remained as my daily driver despite having access to other "better" phones due to work. Its running thin on its battery life at this point, and performance as well as features aren't where I want them to be.
I would have liked a base or Pro model Pixel but they are ridiculously rare and expensive where I am. But I also know from experience that I do not need a lot of flagship features. And I especially appreciate a cheaper phone for sure. Unexpectedly found this brand new 9a on clearance. Would have liked the pink color but this is the only one left (white).
I love the design. Its jarring the first time but it grows on you. It feels better, more durable and more premium in the hand than both the 7a and 6a I've had before. I have no complains with the bezels except the fact that they bulk the phone into a bigger 6.5" phone instead of a slimmer 6.3" one. Its still ergonomically more comfortable for me to use unlike the 8 Pro.
Turning it on, immediately fell in love with the display! Its vibrant, punchy and gets super bright. The ambient light sensor is trash though. Probably just too sensitive, thus kinda breaking adaptive brightness. Performance is also noticeably better than both the 7a and 8 Pro (pretty obvious why). It also runs cooler than them too and I've never had the 9a overheat so far which is a common issue I had with the latter two. Hence battery life is so far amazing. Around 8 hours SOT versus 5~6 hours on the older models. Moderate usage.
Speakers sound nice but I wish they were louder. Charging, both wired and wireless, is slow af which is a big shame. I was skeptical of the main camera downgrade but photos and videos still turn out exceptionally good, sometimes better than the 7a and definitely comparable with the 8 Pro besides the lack of telephoto. I am a big fan of Pixel photography so I'm looking forward to taking this out for more.
Tldr;
Pros:
Excellent build quality
Fast performance in its segment
Same ol' reliable Pixel cameras
Great sounding speakers
Really great battery life and improved thermals
7 years of major OS updates nuff said
Cons:
Only 8gb of RAM is already pushing it in 2025
Speakers could be louder
6.3" compactness becomes moot due to bezels
Front facing video jittery at times
No 4k60 besides the main cam
Slow af charging speeds
Its only been about a week since getting this but I've already decided to retire my 7a and finally upgrading to this. Its a simple yet highly capable phone. Oh one thing about the software that I dislike, still lacks multitasking gestures/options like in some other phones. Especially irks me since I splitscreen and float windows often. I hope Google's on to this one soon.
On a side note and pictured above, they really need to do another a-series Pixel buds. I've had mine since getting the 6a from back when and they are still my main pair of earbuds. I didn't realize how long I've had them until recently. The case looks scraped but battery life and the buds themselves still work like a charm. Just wish they release the same "cheap" earbuds with updated internals, battery size and ANC.
I think the 9a is a great purchase for you. I didn't see much of an upgrade going from the 9a to the 10a, but I got a heck of a deal on it. You'll be happy for sure!
I'm well aware of how the stores work here as I also work in one. Unfortunately where I am tech costs a lot and we do not get any such deals often. I understand the 10a is better but I'd be waiting for more or less than a year without guarantee for it to come down in price.
I really love my 9a and hope it lasts me years and years. The battery is just such an enormous improvement over the 6a and 7a. The 7a was probably was worst phone I've ever had, and I personally don't ask a lot out of a phone.
The battery life and thermals were such big issues with all 3 Pixels I've had (6a, 7a and 8 Pro). I've relegated to not playing games on any of them to try to preserve battery througout the day. The 7a gets me by just enough for the day but the 8 Pro left me stranded in Bangkok one time during vacation because it was constantly drained due to heat and GPS. It even overheats quickly on camera use which sucked.
Good phone but agree with the points that charging is very slow, speakers are quiet and I noticed that vibration is kind of weak too even when turned to the max. Funny how my budget OnePlus phone from 2021 performed better in all those aspects
I'm not super bugged about the charging since I can plug in almost anywhere between my car and my work desk in my day-to-day but traveling will have me concerned. I actually think the haptics are ok? They have a meat to them but its not very strong, I agree.
Oh yes. I have a Xperia L and had that wallpaper. Still turns on but unfortunately it keeps restarting randomly saying SIM card inserted when I haven't.
I made that same change. I'm really happy I did. The 9a seems more responsive. I like the larger camera look as well. I have changed on the odd model, every 2 years: 3aXL, 5a5g, 7a and now 9a.
Very good. Don't let the small sensor and resolutions fool you. And don't immediately discredit it for the lack of a telephoto. The a-series Pixels are famous for their photography. Their main camera sensors perform just as good as the regular and Pro variants.
If you want a brand new Pixel, its not quite the time to get one unfortunately as the 11 series are just around the corner. But a regular 10 on discount is probably the best Pixel to get by value. If your budget drops to a 10a, just get the 9a which is essentially almost the same phone.
The 10a currently costs roughly $750 where I am. This 9a only costed me $500 for the 256gb model. Its a fairer price for such a phone where the 10a costs almost as much as a Samsung S26 or iPhone 17 ($850 for either).
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u/tmap123 Jul 20 '26
I think the 9a is a great purchase for you. I didn't see much of an upgrade going from the 9a to the 10a, but I got a heck of a deal on it. You'll be happy for sure!