Off the Record
Off the Record is a column written by Android Central’s editor-in-chief. The column looks to expand and go in-depth on topics in the Android space without any limitations.
Google’s lineup of phones is becoming bloated, and I think the company should have merged the Pixel 9 and 9a into one phone and changed specs and pricing options.
The 9a launched on March 19, coming with a new design and ditching the usual pill-shaped aluminum camera bar for a flat rear panel. Priced at $499, the phone comes with AI features, including Gemini Live, Add Me, Magic Editor, the Tensor G4 chip, and seven years of OS and security updates.
So, with all of these great features at a fantastic price, why should anyone bother buying the Pixel 9 (starting at $799) when it seems the 9a has similar, if not better, features and is $300 cheaper?
Like my colleague, Andrew Myrick, wrote last year, it’s time for Google to rethink its lineup of devices and streamline its offerings.
And it turns out I’m not the only one who thinks Google needs to revamp its Pixel lineup. So does Android Authority in their recent article. That said, I don’t know if I agree that Google should take the iPhone route with its lineup.
Google thinks I am wrong and here’s why
I asked Google if there were really enough consumers to justify releasing a Pixel 9 and a 9a, and I was told there was.
“When we look at our devices, the goal is really to deliver the core Pixel experience and deliver on that incredible camera, the incredible Google AI, and then access to the latest version of Android. [Pixel] 9 is leveling off of those experiences. So there’s a significant boost in image quality, based on the sensors we use in 9, and the capabilities of that camera are quite better than what we have in the A series.”
“Similarly, from a charging perspective, we find that the 9 serves a user that may be looking for that faster charging experience. And then finally, the display on our 9 devices tends to be of a higher quality than what’s on our A series,” said Shenaz Zack Mistry, senior director of product management for Pixel.
Google says that there is a user that might want a little more and that from their “portfolio perspective…we have just as many users on that premium tier as we do in our entry tier. So we do believe there’s users in both of those categories.”
Too close to differentiate; here’s what I think Google should have done
The Pixel 9 launched in September 2024, giving consumers at least six months with a phone that has very similar features to the new 9a.
Per this Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 9 comparison chart, you can see that there are several features that the 9a has that are similar to or even better than the 9, but the phone launches much later than the 9. This means consumers will have to wait for a cheaper phone with Pro-like features and specs.
|
Category |
Google Pixel 9a |
Google Pixel 9 |
|---|---|---|
|
OS |
Android 15 (seven years of updates) |
Android 14 (seven years of updates) |
|
Display |
6.3-inch Actua pOLED, 2,424 x 1,080 (422 PPI), 60–120Hz, up to 1,800 nits (HDR) or 2,700 nits (peak brightness), Gorilla Glass 3 |
6.3-inch Actua OLED, 2,424 x 1,080 (422 PPI), 60–120Hz, up to 1,800 nits (HDR) or 2,700 nits (peak brightness), Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
|
Chipset |
Tensor G4 |
Tensor G4 |
|
RAM |
8GB |
12GB |
|
Storage |
128GB, 256GB |
128GB, 256GB |
|
Rear cameras |
48MP (ƒ/1.7, 82º FoV, 1/2″) main + 13MP ( ƒ/2.2, 120° FoV) ultrawide |
50MP (ƒ/1.68, 82º FoV, 1/1.31″) main + 48MP ( ƒ/1.7, 123° FoV, AF) ultrawide |
|
Front camera |
13MP, ƒ/2.2, 96.1º |
10.5.MP, ƒ/2.2, 95º, AF |
|
Ingress protection |
IP68 dust and water resistance |
IP68 dust and water resistance |
|
Connectivity |
5G bands, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC |
5G bands, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC |
|
Security |
Optical in-screen fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock |
Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock |
|
Battery & charging |
5,100mAh, 23W wired, 7.5W Qi-certified wireless |
4,700mAh, 27W wired, 12W Qi-certified wireless, 15W with Pixel Stand |
|
Dimensions |
154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm |
152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm |
|
Weight |
185.9g |
198g |
|
Colors |
Obsidian, Porcelain, Peony, Iris |
Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, Peony |
Senior editor Andrew Myrick made a point when the Pixel launched its 9 series that the company has too many Pixel phones, saying that it might be “a bit overwhelming to some.” Making a similar argument that the A series is priced much lower than the regular base Pixel.
So, I think Google should have merged the 9 and 9a and offered a much better phone at a reasonable price point somewhere between the two, which would allow Google to still get a great ROI.
The Pixel 9 is able to perform well because of the higher RAM, and as a result, Gemini features work seamlessly and on-device, a lacking feature in the 9a. I think the blended phone should have a higher RAM to offer the features the 9a isn’t able to do so, but at the same time, it should still offer the other compromises that keep the phone from performing at a Pro level and, therefore, keeping the price down.
I personally do not think that many people care about wireless charging, so maintaining wireless charging at the 9a level, in my opinion, is fine and, as a result, does not require more expensive components to increase the cost of the overall phone.
The blended phone would have the 9a battery size and the same camera features as the 9, but if Google wanted to save on some cost, then using cheaper sensors might be smart, for example.
Since the processor is the same for both phones, you know the blended phone will still be of top quality.
The most important thing here is the price of the phone. This merged phone would cost around $600 or $650; the perfect in-between while still keeping it fairly affordable. In fact, if Google needs an example of how to make an affordable flagship-like phone, it only needs to look at the OnePlus 13R, which offers incredible value and specs for the price.
Google will eventually need to make the 10 different enough for consumers
I know that my reality of what I want from Google may not happen. However, I do think that Google needs to figure out its strategy between the two phones.
Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, agrees.
He said in 2024, Pixel shipments grew 5.9%, and in the year prior grew 55.4%. I’m going to guess the increase in sales in 2023 was because of the launch of the Pixel 8 series, which included Google’s suite of AI features for the first time in a lineup of phones.
Urbani notes that the share of the Pixel A series has generally been shrinking for the past few years and accounted for 32.1% (almost a third) in 2024. Meanwhile, the share of base Pixel has only trended down slightly while the Pro and Fold versions have gained a share, he said.
That said, Ubrani notes that while the A series market share is shrinking, there still is a need for the A series because it represents a significant share of Pixels in markets. Assuming the A series continues to shrink in share, Ubrani says that then, in the next few iterations, it may make sense to discontinue it.
“However, it’s important to realize that the A series doesn’t just bring in a different customer due to the significantly lower price point, it also provides a healthy bump to overall Pixel brand marketing during the year when there’s usually a bit of a slump in the middle of the year,” he said.
So, if we were to continue with the trajectory of a base Pixel model and one that is part of the A series, then I think Google really needs to figure out a way to differentiate the base model.
We know from some recent leaks that the Pixel 10 will have a few more upgrades that make it stand out a little more than it has in the past. The biggest potential change is a triple-camera setup.
And if Google choses to include that third camera, then it has to make sure that a third camera isn’t also happening in a future Pixel 10a, otherwise, we’ll be back to square one of what is the point of having these two phones.