The Pixel 9a is a Great Phone, but I’m Sticking with the Pixel 8a

Google’s new Pixel 9a is undoubtedly—and objectively—the best affordable Pixel that the company has launched since the arrival of the Pixel 3a back in 2019, at least from a technological standpoint. At $499, it’s also a more practical handset to go with, especially when compared to the mainline Pixel 9 flagship devices.

READ: The Google Pixel 9a Arrives for Several European Markets

With that in mind though, the Pixel 9a doesn’t exist in a vacuum. After all, Google is still selling the Pixel 8a for a much more affordable price this time, and you can find it for a lot cheaper from most third-party resellers on the market, making it a decent rival to the 9a. Sure, you could argue that the 9a outshines it in terms of hardware, but is the actual user experience that big of a difference between the two?

If there’s anything that the Pixel devices have proven over the years, it’s that you don’t need a high-end hardware setup to get a clean and mostly functional Android experience. Google is after all a software company, and the fact that older Pixel models as far back as the Pixel 6 still get support guarantees that having an older device doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re left behind on most features.

…the fact that older Pixel models still get support guarantees that having an older device doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re left behind on most features.

Of course given the specs sheet that it comes with, the Pixel 9a outclasses the 8a in several ways—there’s the newer, more efficient Tensor G4 chip, a larger and brighter 6.3-inch display, a higher-capacity 5,100 mAh battery with slightly-faster charging speeds, as well as a new 48MP main camera sensor that allows for better detail when capturing photos and videos. For almost 500 bucks it’s a competent package, but this is where the Pixel 8a comes in.

Despite its slightly-older hardware setup, the 8a still comes with all the signature elements that you’d expect from a Pixel. It remains a terrific device for point-and-shoot photography, its display comes with a high refresh rate and brightness, and on the software side of things you’re getting guaranteed software updates for a good number of years, and access to several Google AI features like Gemini, Circle to Search, and Magic Editor for example. In other words, it’s still a complete Pixel package for not much money.

Which is why as impressive as the Pixel 9a is—at least for a midrange phone—I’m having second thoughts about letting go of my Pixel 8a. Why upgrade when you can save that extra cash? Why go for the 9a when the older one can do a majority of what the latest version does?

READ: The POCO F7 Pro and Pixel 9a are Priced Similarly, but They’re Worlds Apart

Of course this line of thinking will not apply to everyone. There are some folks out there who might feel that the Pixel 8a is a bit lacking, and I wouldn’t blame them. As good as it is, it’s not a perfect phone, and the 9a does address some of its shortcomings. Again from a hardware standpoint, the 9a is the superior phone, and there’s no denying that.

How about you? Will you be upgrading to the Pixel 9a, or will you be sticking to the 8a, or maybe an even older Pixel model?

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