Google Pixel 9a review: All the phone you need

Summary

The move to a pOLED display saved a few millimeters, giving the designers a bit more internal volume. In the past, Google has always pushed toward thinner and thinner Pixels, but it retained the same 8.9 mm thickness for the Pixel 9a. Rather than shave off a millimeter, Google equipped the Pixel 9a with a 5,100 mAh battery, which is the largest ever in a Pixel, even beating out the larger and more expensive Pixel 9 Pro XL by a touch. The Pixel 9a (left) drops the camera bar from the Pixel 8a (right). Credit: Ryan Whitwam The Pixel 9a (left) drops the camera bar from the Pixel 8a (right). Credit: Ryan Whitwam The camera module on the back is almost flush with the body of the phone, rising barely a millimeter from the surrounding plastic. The phone feels more balanced and less top-heavy than phones that have three or four cameras mounted to chunky aluminum surrounds. The buttons on the right edge are the only other disruptions to the phone's clean lines. They, too, are aluminum, with nice, tactile feedback and no detectable wobble. Aside from a few tiny foibles, the build quality and overall feel of this phone are better than we'd expect for $499. The 6.3-inch OLED is slightly larger than last year's, and it retains the chunkier bezels of Google's A-series phones. While the flagship Pixels are all screen from the front, there's a sizable gap between the edge of the OLED and the aluminum frame. That means the body is a few millimeters larger than it probably had to be—the Pixel 9 Pro has the same display size, and it's a bit more compact, for example. Still, the Pixel 9a does not look or feel oversized. The camera bump just barely rises above the surrounding plastic. Credit: Ryan Whitwam The camera bump just barely rises above the surrounding plastic. Credit: Ryan Whitwam The OLED is sharp enough at 1080p and has an impressively high peak brightness, making it legible outdoors. However, the low-brightness clarity falls short of what you get with more expensive phones l...