The forthcoming Google Pixel 9a mid-range smartphone is now a fully known quantity, courtesy of a comprehensive spec leak.
If last week’s leaked renders told us everything we needed to know about how Google’s next phone will look, the latest spec leak is similarly extensive in outlining how it’ll run.
WinFuture has posted what appears to be a full rundown of the Pixel 9a’s vital statistics. Much of it we already knew – modern Google is a leaky ship – but it’s good to have all of the specs brought together like this.
Pixel 9a screen and processor
Leading the way with the Google Pixel 9a will be a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 2424 x 1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It sounds like it’ll be able to hit 1800 nits in HBM and 2700 nits in peak HDR scenarios.
All of which sounds exactly like the Google Pixel 9 screen, which would represent an upgrade on the 6.1-inch Google Pixel 8a equivalent. A Corning Gorilla Glass 3 cover, however, rolls things back to the level of last year’s model.
Also like the Pixel 9 will be a Tensor G4 processor. What was slightly underpowered in the Pixel 9 Pro should prove very potent in a mid-range phone.
It’ll only run on 8GB of RAM (with either 128 or 256GB of storage), however, which is 50% less than the Pixel 9 and half that of the Pixel 9 Pro. It’ll be interesting to see how Google’s much-vaunted AI features run on the Pixel 9a as a result.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Pixel 9a camera and battery
One of the main hardware features with any Pixel phone is the camera, and the Pixel 9a looks set for a slight change compared to the Pixel 8a.
It seems it’ll be led by a new 48Mp main sensor with OIS, albeit backed by a familiar-looking 13Mp ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view.
There’s another 13Mp camera around front, so we’re not expecting a major upgrade on ultrawide or selfie shots.
As we’ve heard before, the Pixel 9a will likely come with a 5100mAh battery, which would be the largest cell used in a Pixel phone yet. Wireless charging support will again be supplied.
Google has fully adopted a seven year software update promise in recent years, and that looks set to continue with the Pixel 9a.
Pixel 9a design
We’ll skate across this one, as we had a good look at the Pixel 9a with last week’s render leak. However, it’s good to have confirmed that it’ll measure 154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9mm and will weigh 185.9g.
That will make it a little bigger than the Pixel 9, and the same thickness as the Pixel 8a. That big new battery has to go somewhere, after all.
One clear upgrade over the Pixel 8a will be an IP68 rating, which is a clear step up in water resistance over the IP67-rated Pixel 8a.
The colour options will, as we learned previously, include Obsidian, Porcelain, Peony, and Iris.
Support for Bluetooth 6, Wi-Fi 6E, NFC, and dual SIM are also confirmed here.
Mattias Inghe
Pixel 9a pricing
The report claims that Pixel 9a pricing will start from €499. If accurate, this would represent a price cut from the Pixel 8a, which started at €549. This could just be a regional adjustment, however, so we’ll hold out for final UK and US pricing.
Previous leaks suggest that Google will be announcing the Pixel 9a on 19 March, which would be a full two months earlier than its usual Google I/O announcement.
