Pixel 9a verdicts are in: Here’s why reviewers say it’s worth $500

The Google Pixel 9a appears to be, once again, the best bang for your buck if your bucks total up to $500.

Google's affordable smartphone launched on April 10, and so far, it looks to be another hit for Google. Tech sites have posted their reviews of the latest phone from Google, and they're all loving it.

If you've been waiting for a sign to get a new phone that won't break the bank, the Google Pixel 9a seems to be the best bet.

Here are some of the best features that the tech press have been crowing about with the Google Pixel 9a, making it one of the best phones released so far in 2025.

Low-priced speed demon

One of the big surprises mentioned in the reviews is how fast the Google Pixel 9a is.

For the Pixel 9a, Google added a Tensor G4 processor to the phone, the same chip used in the Pixel 9 series. Ars Technica says there was no feeling of slowdown or the phone heating up when using mutiple apps. According to 9to5Google: "In day-to-day usage, app launches and loading speeds feel on par with the Pixel 9 Pro."

Tom's Guide says it runs much smoother than Apple's affordable phone, the iPhone 16e, on basic tasks, but it can't compare to the lower-priced iPhone on more advanced tasks like gaming and video editing.

Small body, big battery

Another big improvement with the Pixel 9a is the battery life. The affordable phone comes with a 5,100-mAh battery, which is a jump from the Pixel 8a's 4,492-mAh capacity.

Wired's review of the Pixel 9a noted that while you're not going to get two days of use out of the battery, regular users will still have a chunk of battery leftover, in the 30-40% range. PCMag's test of the Pixel 9a showed it lasting just over 13 hours streaming 1080p video over Wi-Fi with full brightness on, which was an hour longer than the Pixel 8a and 90 minutes longer than the Pixel 9.

Affordable intelligence.

One cool new feature the Pixel 9a has is out-of-the-box AI.

Gemini comes on the Pixel 9a, replacing Google Assistant, and CNET noted the phone runs 2.0 Flash, 2.0 Flash Thinking, 2.5 Pro, Deep Research and Personalization. The phone also makes use of Gemini Live where the AI can see your surroundings via the camera and tell you about them. The reviewer for CNET mentioned how he was using the feature around his office, and when looking for his coffee, he asked Gemini, which told him where his coffee was hiding.

One thing to note is that the Gemini Live requires a Gemini Advanced subscription, which costs $19.99 a month, although Google gives Pixel 9a buyers a month free.

A picture worth $500

All the reviewers mentioned how good the Pixel 9a camera was for the price. The 48MP camera at f/1.7 is a bit of a downgrade from the 64MP at f/1.89 camera found on the Pixel 8a, but the PCMag review mentioned the new phone's camera has a larger aperture to let in more light.

It's a good camera, but just not great. The Verge's review said the 9a produced "most intensely flat and over-processed photos of high-contrast scenes," and pictures lose information when exported from the phone.

Looks boring for the money.

One con about the phone agreed on was how the 9a didn't look special. The Tom's Guide review mentions how the redesign of the phone makes it "more uniform" and doesn't give it much of a unique look from other budget phones. Wired called the phone's design "stale."

The screen for the 9a does have the same bright 6.3-inch display found on the Pixel 9 series, which was a welcome improvement to the budget phone.

The Pixel 9a is hard to beat for a $500 phone. It does everything most users will want from their phone and looks good while doing it. But don't get it twisted, it is very clear that this phone is a budget phone when comparing it to other flagship phones.