The Google Pixel 9a is official, and that means it’s time to consider if it makes sense to upgrade from your existing phone.
More specifically, I want to take a look at 2024’s Google Pixel 8a and see if it’s worth doing an annual upgrade or if it makes the most sense to wait at least another year. After all, Google now supports Pixel phones for seven years, meaning it makes a lot of sense to hold on to your existing Pixel even if it’s a bit older.
But sometimes, hardware upgrades are hard to ignore. The Pixel A-series has seen some of the best upgrades in the Pixel line over the past three years, with massively improved display refresh rates, bigger batteries, IP water and dust resistance, and powerhouse cameras in addition to the same Tensor processor as the more expensive models.
So, how has the Google Pixel 8a held up over the last year, and is it worth upgrading to the Google Pixel 9a? Let’s take a look.
Design, display, and camera
Why you can trust Android Central
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
It’s hard to ignore the biggest difference between the Pixel 8a and Pixel 9a: the design. In my Google Pixel 8a review, I lauded the Pixel 8a for its rounded corners and matte finish on the back. “This is a phone that’s built for human hands,” I said, and I meant it. The Pixel 8a’s curves and overall design are a masterwork in Pixel design, and none of the Pixel 9 series phones can match it.
That includes the incredibly bland and square Google Pixel 9a’s design, which is now completely flat all around except for the rounded corners. It’s a travesty, in my estimation, and I’m supremely disappointed in Google’s decision to ruin what was so great about the Pixel 8a. If you love the design like I do, stick with the Pixel 8a.
The trademark camera bar is also gone, now replaced with a pill-shaped camera cutout. I still don’t get why Google decided the camera bar had to go, but it’s another terrible decision that takes away from the joy of using a Pixel.
The camera bar was more than just a trademark symbol of the Pixel. It also gave the phone a slight lift when set on a table, making it easier to pick up. Now that the Pixel 9a is completely flat, not only is it harder to pick up from a table but it’s less comfortable to hold because the edges are also flat. The slightly curved edges to the back of the Pixel 8a were so much better for ergonomics.
Image 1 of 3
The Google Pixel 8a’s design was monumentally better, with more comfortable curves and a more distinct look.
The only real advantage you’ll find with the Pixel 9a’s design is that it’s now IP68 water and dust-resistant, a slight bump up from the IP67 of the Pixel 8a. Realistically, this doesn’t change much for most people. IP67 is more than enough even for taking your phone in the pool or washing it on occasion to keep it clean. IP68 is nice, for sure, but it’s not worth upgrading for.
Google also upgraded the Actua display this year, increasing the brightness from 1400 nits on the Pixel 8a to 2,700 nits on the Pixel 9a. That sounds nice on paper, and it can be great when viewing the display outdoors and in sunlight, but Google continues to ignore those of us who are PWM-sensitive. With a super slow 240Hz PWM rate and an extreme brightness of 2700 nits, this display will cause real pain for PWM-sensitive individuals.
The display supports 120Hz and is not LTPO, just as it wasn’t on the Pixel 8a. The only real upgrade here is brightness, which may or may not make a difference for you. I never thought the Pixel 8a’s display was difficult to see outside, and more brightness isn’t necessarily a good thing for human eyes (although the opposite can be true, too).
The Pixel 8a’s camera is already excellent. The Pixel 9a isn’t really an upgrade here.
Google swapped out the 64MP main rear camera on the Pixel 8a with a 48MP camera on the Pixel 9a. More megapixels aren’t always better, so while this sounds like a downgrade on paper, it likely means Google made the choice for a specific reason. We haven’t put the Pixel 9a’s camera through the review process yet, so I can’t speak on specifics, but I doubt the change in sensor will be enough to upgrade.
The Pixel 9a still has a 13MP ultrawide camera on the back next to the main sensor, as well as a 13MP front-facing camera. In other words, there’s no reason to change your Pixel 8a out for a 9a just for the camera.
Performance and battery life
It’s been a long time since Pixels were known for cutting-edge performance, but the Pixel A-series typically packs a punch because of its price tag. For $100 more, the OnePlus 13R will get you substantially better performance, and just $350 will upgrade you to a OnePlus 12R which also offers substantially better performance and faster charging than either of these phones.
The Tensor G4 in the Pixel 9a is also kind of a weird upgrade over the Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8a. It’s slower for a lot of tasks — particularly gaming — but sees a big boost in battery life and doesn’t get hot the way the Tensor G3 did. If you ever had a problem with your Pixel 8a overheating, this might be reason enough to switch.
But if performance matters to you, sticking with the Pixel 8a might be the best bet. Tensor G4 achieves better battery life and cooler performance by throttling harder when the going gets tough. That means the phone will slow down more often to keep itself cool, but it’s still faster than the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 in the Nothing Phone 3a, for instance.
The Pixel 8a offers better performance but the Pixel 9a promises notably better battery life.
The Pixel 9a’s real advantage is the battery life. The Pixel 9a upgrades the battery to a 5,100mAh cell, up from 4,492mAh in the Pixel 8a. Since Tensor G4 is already a slightly more battery-efficient chip, this 13% increase in battery size equates to a few hours of additional usage over the Pixel 8a.
The Pixel 8a was the first Pixel A-series in recent years with decent battery life — the Pixel 6a and 7a were downright terrible in that regard — but the Pixel 9a is the first time that we should be able to call the battery life “good” since the Pixel 5a. Considering the Pixel 5a “only existed to prove Pixels can actually do battery right,” according to our Pixel 5a reviewer, that’s a compliment for this year’s Pixel 9a.
No matter if you decide to upgrade to the Pixel 9a or stick with your Pixel 8a, charging speeds are still pretty slow. At 23W, this Pixel 9a barely charges any faster than the original Google Pixel that launched in 2016.
Should you upgrade?
Upgrading from the Pixel 8a to the Pixel 9a doesn’t make much sense unless you’ve had serious problems with battery life or the phone overheating. While the Pixel 9a offers some nice upgrades — a bigger battery, brighter display, slight ingress protection upgrade, and a cooler processor — it does so at the expense of several other things.
It loses the ergonomic design of the Pixel 8a and ditches the camera bar for a wholly generic “modern” design, as Google called it. Tensor G4 is slower than Tensor G3, meaning gamers won’t be happy with the upgrade. It’s also worth noting that any new software features that some with the Pixel 9a are already on the Pixel 8a thanks to the March Pixel Feature Drop.
The Pixel 9a is definitely a great buy for anyone coming from an older or slower phone, but for Pixel 8a owners, it just makes sense to hold on to your Pixel 8a until something truly better comes along.
Battery & brightness boost
If the latest and greatest are a must-have for you, the Pixel 9a will get you better battery life and a boost in brightness over your Pixel 8a. Plus, Android updates through Android 22 are a pretty sweet deal.