Google Launches Sleek New Pixel 9a With ‘Best Battery Life’ For $499

Google’s Pixel 9a may sound familiar. After all, there have been rumors and leaks for some time now. But it’s finally real, and available now for $499 (£499 in the U.K.) from the Google Store. Here’s what we know.

The A-series of Pixels usually land about this time of year and usually offer a cut-down version of the series that preceded the new announcement, in this case, the Pixel 9 series—which is currently available at significantly reduced prices.

The new model comes in four colors: obsidian, porcelain, peony and iris, as revealed on the Google Blog. The first three of those colors come from the Pixel 9 range, but iris is new, looking almost purple, and takes the place of wintergreen which now becomes a Pixel 9 exclusive. The rear of the phone is a composite material, that is, plastic, but has a matte finish.

The phone has a 6.3-inch display, matching the Pixel 9 and the brightest A-series Pixel, the company says with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The rear cameras are a 48-megapixel main and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide—both reduced from the 50-megapixel and 48-megapixel cameras on the Pixel 9. The company says macro focus is on an A-series phone for the first time.

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What’s most interesting, though, is that the raised camera bar that is so characteristic of Pixel phones in recent years has changed radically. It’s now almost flat and sits in one corner rather than spreading across the width of the phone. Google comments that this is a fresh look with a “sleek, flat profile”.

The battery lasts for more than 30 hours, Google says, or 100 hours with Extreme Battery Saver. This means, “Pixel 9a has the best battery life of any Pixel available today,” Google claims.

And it’s the only smartphone with Gemini Nano for less than $500. “With Gemini built in, Pixel 9a’s personal AI assistant can help you with just about anything. Gemini on Pixel 9a works with Google apps like Maps, Calendar and YouTube so multitasking is made easy,” Google says on its blog.

It’s on the Google Store site right now and is expected to go on sale in April.