Google Pixel 9a: Price, specs and cheapest plans

The Google Pixel 9a is set to arrive on Australian shores later this month. If you're itching to upgrade, fret not. We've got the full rundown and all the juicy details about Google's latest budget-friendly banger of a smartphone.

Regardless of whether you're after the more general gist or an in-detail breakdown, we've got you covered. From how it compares to the Pixel 8a to when you can get your hands on the device and how much it will cost in Australia, here's everything you need to know about the Google Pixel 9a.

• Tensor G4: The next A-Series device has the same processor as Google's 2024 flagship devices do.
• Brighter screen: The Actua display for the Pixel 9a offers a 30% increase in brightness over its predecessor.
• Bigger screen: The screen on the Pixel 9a is 2-inches bigger than the one on last year's Pixel 8a.
• New camera: The 64MP main camera seen on the Pixel 8a has been traded out for a new 48MP sensor.
• Slimmer design: The Pixel 9a has a fresh new look that comes with a much smaller camera bump.
• Better durability: Google has upgraded its budget-friendly Pixel phone from an IP67 rating against water and dust damage to IP68.
• Seven years of security updates: The post-launch software support best you can find with an Android manufacturer in 2025.
• Starts at $849. That's the same price as last year's Pixel 8a, though the 256GB variant is more expensive this time around.

Where last year's Pixel 9a struggled to offer enough big upgrades to justify its increase in price, the Pixel 9a delivers the goods. There's no shortage of smart improvements here, wrapped up in a new look and the usual spec bump. At a glance, the Pixel 9a could be the year's best value buy when it comes to mid-range smartphones. 

Google raised the starting price of its budget-friendly Pixel line last year, but is holding back on hiking the price again with the Pixel 9a. The starting price for this year's cheap Pixel phone is the same $849 as it was for last year's. That said, those looking to pick up the 256GB model are set to pay $50 more than they would have for that version of the Pixel 8a.

Here's a sense of how the Pixel 9a sits when it comes to the pricing of the current roster of Google smartphones:

If you're not a fan of buying your smartphone outright, the good news is that the Pixel 9a is coming to all three of Australia's major carriers. Regardless of whether you go with Vodafone, Optus, or Telstra, the cost of buying the Pixel 9a on a plan works the same way.

You're looking at paying the RRP of the device divided out by the number of months in your SIM only plan. Then, you just add the standard cost of your plan on top. This method doesn't account for any trade-in bonuses or deals. That said, it should give you an idea of what to expect when it comes to how much the Pixel 9a will cost on a plan in Australia. 

Pairing the 128GB version of the Pixel 9a up with a 24-month plan from Optus, Telstra or Vodafone will cost you around $35 per month plus the price of the plan. Meanwhile, a 36-month plan will work out to around $23 per month on top of the cost of the plan.

With that info in mind, take a look at the widget below for a snapshot of the cheapest Google Pixel 9a plans currently available from Telstra, Vodafone and Optus.

Based on the specs above, the Google Pixel 9a promises to be a return to form for the Google phone that changed the game for those buying a smartphone on a budget. Where last year's Pixel 8a opted for a lighter touch alongside the usual spec bump, its 2025 follow-up goes well beyond the remit that comes with making Google's more modestly-priced handset a worthy match for its premium ones.

What's more, the reality that last year's Pixel 9 moved the starting price for Google's premium phones a few hundred dollars upwards goes a long way towards solving the biggest issue faced by the Pixel 8a. All too often, it was just as cheap (if not more-so) to pick up last year's Pixel flagship on a discount than it was to buy Google's latest budget-friendly device at launch. Given the $500 that now separates Pixel 9a and its premium counterparts, that seems much less likely to happen this time around.

That's not necessarily the best news in the world for Aussies consumers as you are now paying more than you would for a brand new Google phone than you would have only a few years ago. Still, it does make the Google Pixel 9a a little easier to recommend than its predecessors.

Relative to last year's Pixel 8a, the Pixel 9a features a brighter 6.3-inch Actua display clocked at 120Hz, recycled aluminum edges and upgraded IP68 dust and water resistance. It also boasts a fresh new looks that's roughly in-line with the one debuted by last year's Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. 

Past those similarities though, the most notable shift in design here takes the form of a significantly smaller camera bump. Given the monolithic lens mounting systems that Google has brought to the market in recent years, that alone qualifies as a selling point for the Pixel 9a.

It doesn't hurt that the hardware here comes comes with an extended software support of up to seven years of OS updates, feature drops, security updates and customer support. That post-launch promise is the same one that arrived with the Pixel 8a but it's still a significant step up on older Pixel phones and many other mid-range devices.

One of the biggest advantages that the Google Pixel 9a has over other mid-range smartphones is that it is powered by the same Google Tensor G4 processor found inside last year's Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. Given that the Pixel 8a featured the same processor found in its flagship counterparts, that's not a huge surprise though.

In general,  spec changes have been kept to a minimum here. You're still getting the same 8GB of RAM introduced with the Pixel 7a and you're still getting the two storage variants added to the equation by the Pixel 8a. That said, the Pixel 9a is potentially poised to have something of an edge over the standard Pixel 9 when it comes to battery life. The 5100mAh battery found in Google's latest budget buy is a clear (though not huge) improvement on the 47000mAh one found in its predecessor.

That being said, the more affordable Pixel 9a only supports 23W fast-charging and 7.5W wireless charging. That's not terrible, but it is a poor substitute for the 29W fast-charging via USB-C and 15W wireless charging (via select Qi2 chargers) found in the Pixel 9 and its siblings.

Last but not least, let's talk about the camera situation for the Google Pixel 9a.

Last year's Pixel 9 came kitted out with a 50MP main lens plus a 48MP ultrawide one on the back and a 10.5MP selfie shooter on the front. Meanwhile, the Pixel 8a featured a 64MP main lens and a 13MP ultrawide angle lens.

If you're going by numbers alone, the Pixel 9a might sound like a downgrade. The new device boasts a 48MP main lens and a 12MP ultrawide one. Those megapixels rarely tell the whole story however. The setup here looks like a close match for the main lens found on last year's Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It may bring less megapixels to the table but the camera on the Pixel 9a incorporates a larger sensor, a wider field-of-view and a greater aperture than its predecessor.

According to Google, the other big upgrade on this front has to do with the software. As with the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, the Pixel 9a comes with a number of unique AI-powered features including Best Take, Reimagine, Magic Eraser, Auto Frame and Magic Editor.

The Pixel 9a will come with the same level of 5G connectivity as last year's Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro.

Of course, you'll need to be located in an area with 5G coverage in order to actually make use of this feature. To see where is 5G available in Australia, use the coverage map below.