We might earn a fee from hyperlinks on this web page.
Late final month, Google launched the Pixel 10 and the Pixel 10 Professional. They’re the newest large releases within the Android world, which could carry extra weight given the muted response to the iPhone 17 from some corners of the web. However even if you’re considering of creating the transfer to a brand new working system, I wouldn’t suggest both taste of Pixel 10 as your first port of name.
As an alternative, I believe the Pixel 9a is definitely Google’s finest cellphone for nearly everybody. It’s technically acquired the Pixel 9 title, but it surely’s additionally Google’s most up-to-date price range variant, so it’s as current-generation as the rest. And whereas it does make some concessions to carry the value down, they’re pretty minor—and the system really affords just a few distinctive advantages of its personal.
You don’t want the Pixel 10’s AI
“However what about all the flowery new Pixel 10 AI options?” you may ask. I’ve tried each the bottom Pixel 10 and the Pixel 10 Professional, and right here’s the reality: You don’t want them.
Google’s announcement for the Pixel 10 collection went laborious on AI, and it’s true that the search large is forward of Apple and different smartphone makers on this entrance. However even with its head begin, it’s clearly beginning to run into diminishing returns. Current AI options just like the Gemini assistant and the Screenshots app can be found on the Pixel 9, however many of the Pixel 10 exclusives give attention to the digicam app, and I don’t see most individuals sticking with any of them for lengthy.
Working example: 100x zoom. This Pixel 10 Professional unique characteristic sounds helpful on the floor, supposedly letting you zoom in by 100x whereas nonetheless getting hi-res photographs in return. However in fact, it simply makes use of the identical blurry digital zoom as different telephones, then runs your photographs by means of an AI to attempt to repair them up. It’s not likely a motive to purchase the Pixel 10 Professional—now you can get the same end result by simply posting a photograph to Gemini’s free, browser-based AI picture generator as a immediate—and it continuously served me up photographs with dreamy, unreal imagery that I wouldn’t really feel snug posting. Simply look what it did to my beloved Chrysler Constructing, and ask your self when you would wish to take a photograph of a well-known landmark solely to get again a half-melted bizarro model as an alternative. For those who ask me, it is firmly within the realm of novelty, at finest.
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt
I had the same response to the opposite large digicam AI developments this yr, like utilizing Gemini to edit photographs or getting an AI to teach you whereas attempting to border a shot. Gemini picture modifying, which helps you to use pure language to change your photographs, is helpful, but additionally wrests management from you, and doesn’t let you know when it’s doing a easy job like a crop versus a extra hallucination-prone one like generative fill. You may verify the metadata of your new photograph to know for certain, however frankly, the outcomes aren’t adequate to be definitely worth the time for me.
Images taken on the Pixel 10 (left) vs. those self same photographs edited by Gemini (proper)
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt
The identical is true of Digicam Coach, which makes use of AI that can assist you take photographs. This has the good thing about not actively placing AI imagery into your photograph, however the recommendation it gave me was not often extra advanced than, “be certain the topic is in body” and “observe the grid traces the earlier era Pixels may already put in your cellphone for you anyway.” It’s principally unobtrusive—even once you’re utilizing Digicam Coach, you may take your closing shot every time—but it surely’s so inconsequential that I doubt most individuals will even take the additional time wanted as well it up.
To Google’s credit score, there are just a few AI additions unrelated to the digicam that sound a bit extra helpful, like Magic Cue and Voice Translate. However you’re unlikely to run into these usually. Magic Cue will use AI to tug data from Google apps like your Gmail to show when it is perhaps related in different Google apps, like a cellphone name. As an illustration, it may show a boarding cross from an upcoming flight when you’re calling to verify on it. However it doesn’t work with third-party apps, and since that’s how I take advantage of my cellphone more often than not, I really didn’t see it pop up whereas I used to be testing both the Pixel 10 or Pixel 10 Professional.
I additionally didn’t get Voice Translate to work throughout my testing. This makes use of AI to translate each your voice and the particular person you’re calling’s voice when you’re talking to one another in several languages, utilizing what gave the impression of some fairly spectacular voice cloning throughout its Made by Google demo. However it additionally wants each callers to have a Pixel 10, and since you may’t depend on having quite a lot of multilingual buddies that every one use the identical cellphone, which means it will not be far more than a tech demo for most individuals.
Principally, Google’s new AI makes large claims, however the options are both so area of interest or so unreliable that they don’t seem to be a significant promoting level save for a really particular sort of consumer. It may very well be enjoyable to toy with, however is it $300 to $500 price of enjoyable?
The Digicam is thinner and never a lot weaker
However even when the Pixel 10 and 10 Professional aren’t price it on their AI alone, the {hardware} nonetheless will get a bump, proper? Effectively, within the case of the bottom Pixel 10, it really acquired a bit of worse in a single particular approach, placing it in vary of the Pixel 9a.
One of many issues I dislike most about Google’s Pixel telephones is the digicam bar, which is the lengthy horizontal bump throughout your entire prime width of the system. This homes the digicam sensor, however personally, I’d a lot choose a weaker digicam that’s flush with the system as an alternative.
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt
With the Pixel 9a, Google granted my want. This cellphone is the primary Pixel in a very long time to omit the digicam bar, as an alternative placing a single and far thinner tablet in a single nook of the system and leaving it at that. With the digicam bar returning on each the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Professional, that alone makes the Pixel 9a price contemplating as an alternative choice to me.
And the perfect half? The smaller digicam on the Pixel 9a isn’t really any weaker than the digicam on the bottom Pixel 10. It’s simply lacking a lens.
Yep, whereas Google added a brand new telephoto lens to the Pixel 10 that enables it an as much as 5x optical zoom, it additionally downgraded that cellphone’s ultrawide lens down from 48MP to 13MP, which is identical as on the Pixel 9a. And since each telephones even have the identical fundamental lens, which means for all the things however zoomed photographs, you don’t lose something by going with Google’s price range cellphone.
A detailed up photograph taken on the Pixel 9a
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt
To be truthful, the Pixel 10 Professional is stronger than each telephones on all fronts, however I’d argue that’s overkill for many customers. For those who by no means or not often contact the zoom lens in your digicam, whether or not to zoom in or out, you’ll really get the same expertise throughout all three units. So why pay extra? Particularly when the Pixel 9a’s digicam is a lot sleeker. For those who’re an informal photographer, it may provide the identical outcomes, whereas taking on much less area. A hidden improve.
Higher battery life and a clean OLED show
If the Pixel 9a’s digicam is arguably on par with the dearer Pixel 10 telephones, then its battery life simply straight up surpasses them. Packing a 5,100 mAh capability, it places each the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Professional to disgrace. To place that into extra on a regular basis phrases, Google guarantees 30 hours of battery life on the 9a, however solely 24 hours of battery life on both Pixel 10 mannequin.
What do you assume up to now?
That held up in my testing. Whereas the Pixel 10 died after about 18 hours of watching a video at 50% brightness (my commonplace take a look at), the Pixel 9a was solely a bit of below 50% capability on the identical time. And it was really nearer to half capability when the Pixel 10 Professional died, which was after 16 hours of viewing. I really haven’t had a full day to dedicate to draining this factor but, however I assume that’s what it could take based mostly on my checks, which simply places the opposite Pixels to disgrace.
Granted, 50% brightness on the Pixel 9a isn’t fairly as shiny as on the opposite telephones, because it solely hits 2,700 nits of peak brightness versus 3,000 nits on the Pixel 10 and three,300 nits on the Pixel 10 Professional. However 2,700 nits continues to be a lot shiny—the iPhone 16 maxes out at 2,000 nits. And on all different fronts, the show doesn’t compromise: The Pixel 9a has the very same dimension (6.3-inches) and determination (1,080 x 2,424) because the Pixel 10, and in addition works with Easy Show for a responsive 120Hz refresh price. It’s even an OLED, so that you’re not making any compromises by going cheaper right here.
Half the price of a Pixel 10 Professional
Maybe the largest motive to go for a Pixel 9a over a Pixel 10 is identical motive it was price it in comparison with the opposite Pixel 9s—it’s simply cheaper.
Whereas the Pixel 10 begins at $799 and the Pixel 10 Professional begins at $999, the Pixel 9a is a mere $500. Given how intently it in comparison with even Google’s current-generation flagships, that’s a heck of a deal. And that doesn’t even include any cuts to space for storing, since each the Pixel 9a and all fashions of the Pixel 10 Professional start with 128GB of storage. The price to improve storage can be the identical right here—a easy $100 markup—though the Pixel 10 Professional does uniquely provide capacities over 256GB.
I am going to miss Pixelsnap, however the Pixel 10a might be months away
I’ve been fairly excessive on the Pixel 9a up to now, however I’ll make one concession—it doesn’t have PixelSnap, and I’ll miss that.
Whereas the iPhone has had MagSafe for the reason that iPhone 12, it took till this yr for the Pixel to get its personal model. Known as Pixelsnap, it permits you to magnetically join your cellphone proper to appropriate equipment and chargers on their very own, without having for cables or adhesive metallic circles.
The Pixel 10 resting on a Pixelsnap Carger with Stand
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt
I gained’t lie, it’s handy. It really works with Qi2 charging for quicker wi-fi top-offs, and whereas Google has its personal official Pixelsnap equipment, it additionally labored advantageous with my Belkin iPhone charger, in addition to a third-party MagSafe pockets I purchased for my iPhone.
I’d miss that comfort by choosing the Pixel 9a as an alternative of the Pixel 10, however I don’t know if I’d miss it sufficient to spend one other $300 to $500. If there’s one motive to get a Pixel 10 mannequin cellphone as an alternative of a Pixel 9a, I believe this could be it.
However what in regards to the Pixel 10a?
Because it did with the 9a, Google is bound to launch a price range model of the Pixel 10 collection down the road, and at that time, this text will most likely turn into irrelevant. Granted, it’s not assured to have Pixelsnap, however given how shut the 9a already is to the ten, I guess it would—it’ll be a simple strategy to set the 10a other than its predecessor.
Nevertheless, the 9a didn’t come out till this April, and you may guess the 10a will observe the same sample. Meaning ready over half a yr from now, and albeit, I don’t prefer to prognosticate fairly that a lot. Higher tech is all the time on the horizon, however when making buying choices, we’ve to stay within the right here and now. And proper now, the Pixel 9a continues to be the perfect Google cellphone for most individuals.
