Editor
Jodee Tan chevron_right
In early April we saw the launch of Google Pixel 9a, officially on sale in Malaysia for RM2,699. It is the latest addition to Google's A-series lineup, offering flagship-level features at a mid-range price.
Its powerful Tensor G4 chipset coupled with a vibrant Actua display, a dual-camera setup with AI-powered photography, and Gemini Nano for smarter AI interactions; the Pixel 9a is poised to deliver premium performance without breaking the bank.
Here's what we think after spending a few weeks with the Google Pixel 9a.
Google Pixel 9a: Full Specfications
- Dimensions: 154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm
- Materials: Glass front (Gorilla Glass), aluminum frame, plastic back
- Display: 6.3-inch, P-OLED, HDR, 120Hz, 1800 nits (HBM), 2700 nits (peak),
- Rear Camera: 48 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide)
- Front Camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide)
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
- RAM and Storage: 128GB + 8GB RAM / 256GB + 8GB RAM
- Operating System: Android 15 with Samsung's One UI 7
- Water and Dust Resistance: IP68 rating
- Battery: 5,100mAh + 23W wired charging, bypass charging (with "Limit to 80%" option enabled)
Screen & Design
First of all, the Google Pixel 9a is designed with a unique high-quality 6.3-inch P-OLED display.
The 'P' in P-OLED means plastic. Essentially, the panel is made of strong good quality plastic instead of glass to give it a lightweight and flexible build.
While that sounds worrying, rest assured that the P-OLED screen is capable of delivering clear visuals of 120Hz refresh rate, as well as offer smooth scrolling and vibrant visuals. Underneath the display is also impressive brightness, of up to 2700 nits peak in fact, making it highly usable even under direct Malaysian sunlight.
Design-wise, the Pixel 9a is all about making it last longer and more relevant. Pixel 9a features an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, an aluminum frame, and protected by Gorilla Glass 3 on the front, providing robust protection against daily wear and tear.
At the back, the Pixel 9a also stands out as it has flat-edge design with a recycled aluminum frame and a matte plastic back, no matter which colour you pick. Not only that, but the Pixel 9a's camera notch stays flushed against its body. Thus, this phone can stay flat completely. It's a rarity in today's phone, lending a more comfortable hold in your pockets, or look less displeasing in
Performance & Battery
As mentioned, the Pixel 9a is powered by a Google Tensor G4 chipset, paired with 8GB RAM. Despite its slightly small RAM, the Pixel 9a delivers smooth multitasking and efficient performance for everyday tasks. In terms of storage, you get the choice of either 128GB or 256GB.
A common worry among users of previous Pixels was the battery life. In this generation, the Pixel 9a has an improved battery life to become your reliable daily driver.
With a 5,100mAh battery, this is a notable upgrade from previous A-series Pixels. Google has said that Pixel 9a will deliver "30+ hour battery life" and up to 100 hours with Extreme Battery Saver. Pixel 9a will also support 23W wired and 7.5W wireless charging.
In our experience, when gaming, 10% was used for 40 minutes in Call of Duty Battle Royale. As for gaming temperature, the phone goes warm with up to 39 degrees celsius (measured with a surface thermometer).
UI & OS
The Pixel 9a comes with Android 15, and will have up to 7 major Android upgrades including features and security updates. On its UI, you'll be able to enjoy Google's classic, clean stock-Android experience.
The Google Pixel 9a will also come with several helpful AI Features. Yes, there's also integration with Gemini Live for real-time AI assistance and Call Screen for enhanced call management. Other AI features are prominent in its productivity offerings which is as followed under our Camera section.
Camera
Google is tauted for their camera results with balanced colours and sharp details that many photography hobbyists love. To achieve this, the Pixel 9a comes with just a 48MP main and 13MP ultrawide set up. Meanwhile, the front camera is a 13MP ultrawide lens.
Although the megapixel count might seem lower than some competitors, the Pixel 9a has come decent computational photography.
In our experience, the brightening can still seem off but otherwise works well most of the time. Cropping can also be a challenge in portrait mode with finer details on a subject like hair, or in complex situations such as subjects among trees.
What We Liked
- Design
Despite its simple looks, the Pixel 9a looks good and premium. It's also comfortable to grip, in the fact that the body feels balanced in weight distribution.
Adding onto that fact, the simple design looks very elegant and that we were presently surprised at the flushed camera against its back body, letting the phone sit flat on the table. in fact, the look of the Pixel 9a reminds me of iPhone's and Galaxy S25 series modest silhouette.
- AI & OS
At this price point, the Pixel 9a is considered a mid-range phone. But of course, you get to enjoy a stock-Android phone that lets you customsie fully what app goes into your phone. Plus, we also like its clean and easy-to-understand UI. And it's a big brownie point when phones like the Pixel 9a now offers extended support, promising up to 7 years of OS & security updates.
- Photography "AI" Results
Camera results and colours are nice; they offer that clean, standard result you see in more premium phones such as the Samsung Galaxy and iPhone smartphone series. Not to mention, in portrait mode, the smoothness of the depth of field looks great and natural for a phone that uses generative AI magic.
Moreover, for a mid-range phone with AI-reliant imaging, the macro results are nice and well lit, with details intact. Not forgetting, the Pixel 9a has quite some fun and useful AI features to enjoy on camera, such as Add Me, Best Take and Magic Editor.
Lastly, note that there's no telephoto lens on this phone, so zooming is not the best. However we were surprised that AI does well to enhance zoomed photos.
What We Disliked
- Inconsistent Image Results
Alas, we find that about 30% of the time, brightness and cropping (mostly in portraiture) tend to suffer. For certain subjects, I can see obvious lines between background and subject separation still. As mentioned earlier, cropping goes wonky on finer details like hair and tiny subjects.
Not only that; while details of images for night photography are actually lit well, but we find that lighting can be odd; photos were either slightly dimmer or brighter than in real life, as if there's a filter (though a nice filter).
Who's This For?
Pros
- Long-duration and premium software support
- Well-designed
- Above average photography results
Cons
- No micro SD
- Only 8GB RAM
Overall, the Google Pixel 9a, at RM2,699, is not the most-budget-friendly midrange phone. But those who love the look of Google Pixel phones may want to consider the phone. In terms of use, it does need improvements largely on its camera. Luckily software update would help with the camera algorithm, so we look forward to improvements. Other than that, its physical design, UI and decent photography experience is what gives the Pixel 9a its edge over others.
To conclude, this phone would actually do well with most type of casual users who likes photography, but wants to budget for their ideal stock-Android phone.
To get the phone, visit Google Store Malaysia. Stay updated with ProductNation on here, Instagram & TikTok.
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