Google Pixel 9 vs Google Pixel 9a
Verdict
The Google Pixel 9 scores higher in 5 of 6 sections (camera, connectivity & features, design & durability, performance and battery), while the Google Pixel 9a is not clearly ahead in any section; they are even on display.
The biggest difference is camera: 64 vs 53 points.
The Google Pixel 9a is the newer model, announced 7 months after the Google Pixel 9.
- Pixel 9 leads in 10 fields
- Pixel 9a leads in 4 fields
- 28 ties
42 scored fields compared
Score by section
| Section scores | Pixel 9 | Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||
| Performance | 70 | 66 |
| Camera | 64 | 53 |
| Battery | 68 | 64 |
| Display | 86 | 86 |
| Design & durability | 85 | 80 |
| Connectivity & features | 80 | 73 |
Full specifications
Performance
- Chipset performance index
- Pixel 9: 62/100
- Pixel 9a: 62/100
- Chipset
- Pixel 9: Google Tensor G4
- Pixel 9a: Google Tensor G4
- RAM (max)
- Pixel 9: 12 GB(Better)
- Pixel 9a: 8 GB
- Storage (max)
- Pixel 9: 256 GB
- Pixel 9a: 256 GB
- Process node
- Pixel 9: 4 nm
- Pixel 9a: 4 nm
Camera
- Main camera resolution
- Pixel 9: 50 MP
- Pixel 9a: 48 MP
- Main sensor size
- Pixel 9: 1/1.31″(Better)
- Pixel 9a: 1/2″
- Optical stabilization (OIS)
- Pixel 9: Yes
- Pixel 9a: Yes
- Ultra-wide camera
- Pixel 9: Yes
- Pixel 9a: Yes
- Telephoto camera
- Pixel 9: No
- Pixel 9a: No
- Periscope lens
- Pixel 9: No
- Pixel 9a: No
- Optical zoom
- Pixel 9: No
- Pixel 9a: No
- Video recording
- Pixel 9: 4K 60 fps
- Pixel 9a: 4K 60 fps
- Front camera
- Pixel 9: 10.5 MP
- Pixel 9a: 13 MP(Better)
- Front camera 4K video
- Pixel 9: Yes
- Pixel 9a: Yes
Battery
- Battery capacity
- Pixel 9: 4700 mAh
- Pixel 9a: 5100 mAh(Better)
- Battery endurance (EU label)
- Pixel 9: 49:12 h
- Pixel 9a: 52:19 h(Better)
- EU label cycles
- Pixel 9: 1000
- Pixel 9a: 1000
- Wired charging
- Pixel 9: 27 W(Better)
- Pixel 9a: 23 W
- Wireless charging
- Pixel 9: 15 W(Better)
- Pixel 9a: 7.5 W
- Reverse charging
- Pixel 9: Yes(Better)
- Pixel 9a: No
- Reverse charging type
- Pixel 9: Wireless
- Pixel 9a: No
Display
- Screen size
- Pixel 9: 6.3″
- Pixel 9a: 6.3″
- Panel type
- Pixel 9: OLED
- Pixel 9a: OLED
- Refresh rate
- Pixel 9: 120 Hz
- Pixel 9a: 120 Hz
- Pixel density
- Pixel 9: 422 ppi
- Pixel 9a: 422 ppi
- Peak brightness
- Pixel 9: 2700 nits
- Pixel 9a: 2700 nits
- Resolution
- Pixel 9: 1080x2424
- Pixel 9a: 1080x2424
- Screen protection
- Pixel 9: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
- Pixel 9a: Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Design & durability
- Weight
- Pixel 9: 198 g
- Pixel 9a: 186 g(Better)
- Thickness
- Pixel 9: 8.5 mm(Better)
- Pixel 9a: 8.9 mm
- Dust & water resistance
- Pixel 9: IP68
- Pixel 9a: IP68
- Back material
- Pixel 9: Glass(Better)
- Pixel 9a: Plastic
- Frame material
- Pixel 9: Aluminum
- Pixel 9a: Aluminum
- EU repairability class
- Pixel 9: B
- Pixel 9a: B
- EU drop resistance class
- Pixel 9: A
- Pixel 9a: A
- EU energy class
- Pixel 9: A
- Pixel 9a: B
Connectivity & features
- 5G
- Pixel 9: Yes
- Pixel 9a: Yes
- Wi-Fi
- Pixel 9: Wi-Fi 7(Better)
- Pixel 9a: Wi-Fi 6E
- Bluetooth
- Pixel 9: 5.3
- Pixel 9a: 5.3
- USB speed
- Pixel 9: USB 3.x
- Pixel 9a: USB 3.x
- USB port
- Pixel 9: USB-C 3.2
- Pixel 9a: USB-C 3.2
- DisplayPort output
- Pixel 9: No
- Pixel 9a: No
- NFC
- Pixel 9: Yes
- Pixel 9a: Yes
- eSIM
- Pixel 9: Yes
- Pixel 9a: Yes
- Ultra-wideband (UWB)
- Pixel 9: No
- Pixel 9a: No
- Satellite connectivity
- Pixel 9: Yes(Better)
- Pixel 9a: No
- Stereo speakers
- Pixel 9: Yes
- Pixel 9a: Yes
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
- Pixel 9: No
- Pixel 9a: No
- Fingerprint reader
- Pixel 9: Under display (ultrasonic)(Better)
- Pixel 9a: Under display (optical)
- 3D face unlock
- Pixel 9: No
- Pixel 9a: No
- Infrared blaster
- Pixel 9: No
- Pixel 9a: No
- FM radio
- Pixel 9: No
- Pixel 9a: No
- microSD slot
- Pixel 9: No
- Pixel 9a: No
- Card slot
- Pixel 9: No
- Pixel 9a: No
General
- Operating system
- Pixel 9: Android 14
- Pixel 9a: Android 15
- OS updates (major versions)
- Pixel 9: 7
- Pixel 9a: 7
- Launch price
- Pixel 9: $ 395.01
- Pixel 9a: $ 333.84
- Year
- Pixel 9: 2024
- Pixel 9a: 2025
Show raw spec textHide raw spec text
Original text from the source spec sheet, for reference.
| — | Pixel 9 | Pixel 9a |
|---|---|---|
| Network | ||
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 - G2YBB 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71, 75 - GUR25 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 66, 75 - International 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 41, 48, 66, 71 - USA |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - G2YBB 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GUR25 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 41, 48, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - USA |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Launch | ||
| Announced | 2024, August 13 | 2025, March 19 |
| Status | Available. Released 2024, August 22 | Available. Released 2025, April 10 |
| Body | ||
| Dimensions | 152.8 x 72 x 8.5 mm (6.02 x 2.83 x 0.33 in) | 154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm (6.09 x 2.89 x 0.35 in) |
| Weight | 198 g (6.98 oz) | 186 g (6.56 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, plastic back |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) | Nano-SIM + eSIM IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| Display | ||
| Type | OLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1800 nits (HBM), 2700 nits (peak) | P-OLED, HDR, 120Hz, 1800 nits (HBM), 2700 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.3 inches, 94.7 cm2 (~86.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.3 inches, 94.7 cm2 (~83.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2424 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~422 ppi density) | 1080 x 2424 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~422 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Platform | ||
| OS | Android 14, upgradable to Android 17, up to 7 major OS updates | Android 15, upgradable to Android 17, up to 7 major OS updates |
| Chipset | Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) | Google Tensor G4 (4 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x2.6 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.92 GHz Cortex-A520) | Octa-core (1x3.1 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x2.6 GHz Cortex-A720 & 4x1.9 GHz Cortex-A520) |
| GPU | Mali-G715 MC7 | Mali-G715 MP7 |
| Memory | ||
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM UFS 3.1 | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM UFS 3.1 |
| Main Camera | ||
| Dual | 50 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/1.7, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", dual pixel PDAF | 48 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm |
| Features | Single-zone Laser AF, LED flash, Pixel Shift, Ultra-HDR, panorama, Best Take | Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Ultra HDR, panorama, Best Take |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@24/30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS, 10-bit HDR | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
| Single | 10.5 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.22µm, PDAF | 13 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm |
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| Comms | ||
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual/tri-band (market/region dependent) |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS, NavIC | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2 | USB Type-C 3.2 |
| Features | ||
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Satellite SOS service | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
| Type | Li-Ion 4700 mAh | Li-Po 5100 mAh |
| Charging | 27W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 55% in 30 min 15W wireless (w/ Pixel Stand) 12W wireless (w/ Qi compatible charger) Reverse wireless Bypass charging | 23W wired, PD3.0 7.5W wireless Bypass charging |
| Misc | ||
| Colors | Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, Peony | Obsidian, Porcelain, Iris, Peony |
| Models | G2YBB, GUR25, G1B60 | GXQ96, GTF7P, G3Y12 |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 1.40 W/kg (body) | 0.99 W/kg (head) 1.39 W/kg (body) |
| Price | $ 395.01 / € 425.59 / £ 320.00 | $ 333.84 / € 359.90 / £ 285.00 |
| EU LABEL | ||
| Energy | Class A | Class B |
| Battery | 49:12h endurance, 1000 cycles | 52:19h endurance, 1000 cycles |
| Free fall | Class A (270 falls) | Class A (270 falls) |
| Repairability | Class B | Class B |