If you’re in the market for a Pixel phone and can’t decide between the Pixel 9 or Pixel 8a and the recently released Pixel 9a, we’ve got some news to consider. Android Authority discovered that Google’s newest budget model offers, in many cases, substantial battery gains compared to the older models.
In recent tests, the Pixel 9a outperformed the Pixel 8a, showing remarkable improvements in 4K recording and web browsing. The site also found that the Pixel 9a provides approximately 10 hours of screen-on time for web-based tasks and over six hours of content capture on a single charge.
The Pixel 9a performed admirably compared to the Pixel 9. It experienced significant battery enhancements for 4K playback, camera capture, and web browsing. However, the Pixel 9a performed less favorably than the Pixel 9 in 4K recording, zoom calling, and gaming.
Much of this makes sense when you consider that the Pixel 9a’s 5,100mAh battery is significantly larger than the Pixel 8a’s 4,500mAh battery and the Pixel 9’s 4,700mAh battery.
So why does the Pixel 9, despite having a smaller battery, still perform better than the Pixel 9a in some areas? The less expensive model has the same Tensor G4 processor, but it utilizes an older Samsung Exynos 5300 model. As a result, everyday networking tasks aren’t as efficient.
Android Authority explains: “The Pixel 9a might not be fighting it out for the crown of the biggest battery in a smartphone ever, but this still represents a huge boost in capacity that surely has to be a boon for multi-day use.”
As we previously noted, the Pixel 9a and Pixel 9 feature similar 6.3-inch displays and the same processor. The differences come down to RAM, AI processing, camera quality, and charging capabilities, which are areas where the more expensive Pixel 9 is better. Despite this, the Pixel 9a provides excellent value for its price point, making it a strong contender in the budget phone market.
