The Pixel 9a is not excellent, and these 5 flaws s...

Mid-range Android telephones have improved considerably over the previous few years, to the purpose the place the road between flagship and mid-range gadgets is beginning to blur. The

OnePlus 13R
is a implausible instance of this, providing flagship-level specs and options for lower than half the worth of

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra
.

Google has taken a distinct method with its A-series, persistently bringing key Pixel options to a budget-friendly worth level. This yr, the corporate continued the development with the Pixel 9a, delivering a brand new design, the largest battery ever in a Pixel cellphone, and an AI-loaded Pixel expertise — all for a similar $499 price ticket as final yr’s Pixel 8a.

Nevertheless, the

Pixel 9a
is just not excellent, and in case you are contemplating selecting one up, listed here are 5 the reason why you may need to skip Google’s newest mid-ranger​​​​​​.

5

The bezels make the Pixel 9a look outdated

Chunky borders aren’t nice in 2025

Google switched up the design with the Pixel 9a, shifting away from the digicam visor fashion that many people had come to like. Whereas design is subjective, the Pixel 9a does look good in individual, primarily due to its simplicity, and lately, it’s uncommon to seek out an Android smartphone and not using a large, wobbling digicam module. Nevertheless, flip the cellphone round, and a few disappointment awaits.

Whereas Google upgraded the show expertise on the Pixel 9a, making the display screen tremendous shiny and simply seen outdoor, the cellphone has massive borders across the show. These are a few of the largest bezels I’ve seen on an Android smartphone in a very long time. As I discussed when comparing the Pixel 9a with the OnePlus 13R, watching movies on the Pixel 9a appears like utilizing a cellphone from a decade in the past.

In case you admire small bezels and a contemporary, edge-to-edge display screen expertise, the Pixel 9a’s entrance design will doubtless go away you disillusioned.

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4

The older mobile modem is an actual letdown

You won’t get the very best 5G expertise

Much like how the Pixel 8a featured the identical chipset as the remainder of the Pixel 8 sequence, Google has adopted the identical system once more by upgrading the Pixel 9a to the Tensor G4, the identical processor used within the Pixel 9 sequence. Nevertheless, one necessary factor Google didn’t carry over is the brand new Exynos 5400 modem.

As a substitute, the Pixel 9a ships with the older Exynos 5300 modem, the identical one discovered within the Pixel 8a. This can be a actual concern as a result of the Exynos 5300 has been closely criticized (and infrequently discussed on Reddit) for inconsistent reception and excessive battery drain. It additionally means the Pixel 9a misses out on satellite tv for pc connectivity assist, a characteristic that pricier Pixel 9 fashions get pleasure from.

In consequence, the Pixel 9a suffers from the identical points that plagued the Pixel 8 sequence: poor 5G speeds, unreliable alerts, and spotty connections. Having used the Pixel 9a for over two weeks now, I can verify that the cellphone struggles with weaker sign reception in comparison with different gadgets.

It isn’t instantly noticeable always, however contemplating that Google needs this cellphone to final over seven years with software program updates, it’s disappointing that it’s already beginning with outdated community {hardware}.

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3

Gradual charging speeds are onerous to miss

Huge battery, however gradual charging is a letdown

The Google Pixel 9a ships with the biggest battery ever in a Pixel cellphone at 5,100 mAh, even greater than the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which has a barely smaller 5,060 mAh cell. Nevertheless, one factor Google forgot to correctly improve — or somewhat, solely half-upgraded — is the charging pace.

The Pixel 9a helps 23W USB-C wired charging, which is definitely higher than the 18W charging on its predecessor, however it’s nonetheless frustratingly gradual for a battery this massive. In apply, this implies the Pixel 9a takes practically two hours to cost from 0-100%.

That’s fairly gradual, even by Google’s personal requirements. In the meantime, price range telephones just like the Samsung Galaxy A36, which prices $100 lower than the Pixel 9a, provide 45W quick charging with an identical battery dimension. Whereas the Pixel 9a delivers stable battery life because of its massive battery, the charging expertise positively is not nice and is one thing Google actually wants to enhance with the following Pixel A-series mannequin.

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2

No devoted telephoto lens makes the digicam really feel restricted

You will miss it if you happen to like zoom pictures

Because the Pixel 4a 5G launch in September 2020, Google has caught with a dual-camera setup on its A-series telephones. Every mannequin has shipped with a wide-angle digicam lens and an ultra-wide sensor. Over time, the corporate has upgraded each sensors, however I hoped the Pixel 9a would lastly carry a telephoto lens to the price range lineup — however that did not occur.

The Pixel 9a ships with a 48-megapixel main sensor and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide lens, however no telephoto lens. As somebody who loves taking zoomed-in pictures, particularly at concert events and sports activities occasions, the dearth of a devoted zoom lens is an actual letdown. Positive, the primary lens presents an optical 2x zoom, however a real telephoto lens would have made an enormous distinction, particularly when different telephones on this phase — just like the OnePlus 13R — provide it.

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1

Different mid-range telephones simply provide extra

You may get extra for a similar worth, or much less

There was a time when Google’s Pixel A-series telephones felt like true “worth for cash” gadgets. Nevertheless, that feeling has began to fade with the Pixel 9a. There are just too many compromises now, making the Pixel 9a’s flaws more durable to disregard. Fortunately, there are many alternate options in the identical worth phase that provide higher specs and options.

Take the OnePlus 13R for instance. It ships with a flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which could not be absolutely the newest however is identical highly effective chip utilized in final yr’s Galaxy S24 Extremely. The OnePlus 13R additionally presents a bigger battery than the Pixel 9a, a lot sooner 80W charging, and a implausible OLED show with slimmer bezels. On the entire, the OnePlus 13R appears like a greater deal for the worth you might be paying.

OnePlus 13R

If you need flagship-level energy and not using a flagship worth, the OnePlus 13R is a stable alternative. It contains a shiny 6.7-inch AMOLED show, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset with loads of RAM and storage, and an enormous 6,000 mAh battery with 80W quick charging assist. 

The Pixel 9a nonetheless holds its floor effectively

That mentioned, the Pixel 9a continues to be among the best gadgets you may get for the worth. In case you worth quick Android updates with long-term assist, a clear Google expertise full of AI options like Add Me within the Digital camera app, Circle to Search, and Name Notes, and a dependable digicam setup that performs effectively in nearly any lighting situation, the Pixel 9a stays a tough system to beat.

Pixel 9a

Google’s mid-range Pixel 9a presents spectacular high-end options like a 48-megapixel primary shooter, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide digicam with macro, the Google Tensor G4 chip, 8GB of RAM, and the largest battery of all Google Pixel telephones all in a cheap $500 bundle.