Google Pixel 9a Vs Pixel 8a: Is There Any Reason To Buy The Latest One?

The Google Pixel 9a is here and there’s one obvious question that needs answering – should you buy the Pixel 8a now? At least that’s what the entire YouTube tech fraternity is after ever since the Pixel 9a was officially announced. 

Unlike ambitious YouTube media, we aren’t interested in spamming your social media feed or your casual Google search sessions. With the Pixel 9a not being available yet, we can only derive the information from whatever’s available on Google’s press release. The Pixel 9a looks interesting for a midrange Android phone and since it is made by Google, there’s going to be a lot of AI features to play with. 

But isn’t that the case with the Pixel 8a? The Pixel 8a also looks interesting for a midrange Android phone and is loaded to the teeth with AI features. Alright, those AI features may not be as cutting-edge as the Pixel 9a but hey, there’s enough AI to play with. That means the YouTube fraternity has its heart and mind in the right place! Should we do some amount of spamming around the Pixel 9a then? 

Nah! 

Hence, we decided to look up the specifications sheets of these two phones and do a classic Pixel 9a vs Pixel 8a comparison. 

Pixel 9a vs Pixel 8a: What has changed a year after

Turns out, there’s quite a lot that has changed in a year. The affordable Pixel from Google has grown to look like a smarter and prettier phone overall. Also, there’s improvement in the overall user experience and performance credentials, as usual. 

Design

The new Pixel 9a was always expected to borrow the design traits from Pixel 9 and that would have been a great move. However, in pursuit of going for a boxy iPhone-inspired look, the Google design team ditched the now-iconic camera bar in favour of an old-school pill-shaped camera island with no protrusion. After witnessing the stylish camera bar for years, this feels like a letdown. The rest of the phone continues the tried-and-tested formula – a sturdy frame with a plastic back panel. 

Weirdly, the older Pixel 8a with its conventional camera bar looks nicer, especially with its pebble-shaped aesthetics. Yes, you lose out on the Pixel 9a’s IP68 certification but the IP67 certification doesn’t seem bad when you consider exposing the handset to regular weather conditions. 

ALSO READ: Nothing Phone 3a, 3a Pro Review: Clever Engineering? Or Sly Marketing?

Display

The Pixel 9a has a slightly larger and brighter display panel than the outgoing model. While the Pixel 8a offers a 6.1-inch 120Hz OLED display with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, the newer Pixel 9a comes with a larger 6.3-inch OLED display with a higher peak brightness of 2,700 nits. Both devices feature an in-display optical fingerprint sensor. 

Performance credentials 

When a generation gap plays a key role in comparison, the benefits usually lean towards the newer model. In this case, the Pixel 9a’s Tensor G4 chipset will perform better under all circumstances – be it raw processing capabilities or power efficiency. That’s not to say that the Tensor G3 on the Pixel 8a is a worse pick by any means – it can still handle all apps and games better than any modern-day midrange smartphone and power efficiency is still decent for a pro user. But as long as numbers come into the picture, the Pixel 9a is always going to have an advantage. 

Then there’s the case of Android updates. While both the Pixel 8a and Pixel 9a promise up to seven years of Android OS updates, the newer Pixel 9a will get an additional year of software support. Hence, more points go to the newer Pixel 9a. 

Cameras 

At first glance, the new Pixel 9a seems to have downgraded cameras. However, phone cameras are more than just high megapixel count and Google seems to prove that once again. The Pixel 8a’s main camera system comprises a 64-megapixel primary wide-angle 1/1.73-inch sensor with f/1.9 aperture and a secondary 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor. From a personal use experience, this camera seems capable enough to pamper both casual and professional users. 

However, the Pixel 9a relies on a nicer 48-megapixel primary wide ½.0.0-inch sensor with f/1.7 aperture and the same secondary 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor from the Pixel 8a. On paper, this camera should perform slightly better in low light and other challenging conditions. Technically, this should make the Pixel 9a’s camera system a much nicer imaging solution to live with. In reality, though, the differences between the two camera systems should be negligible to the casual eye.

Battery

The Pixel 8a with its 4,492 mAh cell pushed the bar high for a midrange Android phone in 2024 and coupled with support for 18W wired and 7.5W wireless charging solution, this made for a reliable all-day phone with good battery stamina. 

With the Pixel 9a and its more efficient chipset, things are going to look nicer on the battery stamina front. The 5,100 mAh capacity cell should offer notable improvements to battery life and when coupled with a slightly faster 23W wired solution, it should make for shorter episodes at the charging station. Both phones feature bypass charging – a feature that allows the phone to be run directly on a power supply and disconnect the battery, thus helping extend the overall battery health. 

ALSO READ: Android Phones Going Berserk With 8000mAh Battery In 2025

Price and VFM

This is where the older model usually pulls a lead. The Pixel 8a is currently on sale at a starting price of INR 37,999 for the 128GB storage variant and you will need to spend up to INR 44,999 for the 256GB variant. That’s a reasonable price for a 2024 midrange phone. 

On the other hand, the shiny new Pixel 9a with its Pixel 9-derived upgrades and features commands a premium of INR 49,999. Note that the Pixel 9a comes with 256GB storage as standard and the phone is yet to be put on sale. 

And then there’s the Pixel 8 selling for INR 49,999 – a superior phone from a year ago. The Pixel 8 may miss out on the Pixel 9a’s Tensor G4 chip but rewards its users with a nicer display, a better build quality and a vastly superior camera system. 

Confused? Lol! Let’s make it easy – the Pixel 8a is still the most affordable Pixel phone you can buy. Although the Pixel 9a hasn’t gone on sale yet, its availability won’t matter as long as the Pixel 8 continues to sell for the same price. 

Conclusion

Although the Pixel 8 ends up being a better value for money consideration, we keep it aside for the sake of this comparison. In a heated Pixel 9a vs Pixel 8a comparison, the Pixel 9a comes across as the better phone of the two owing to its newer and superior specifications as well as promised longevity. The Pixel 8a, however, is more wallet-friendly and hence, a better deal for value-conscious consumers.

ALSO READ: Opinion: The iPhone 16e Screams That You Are Foolish On So Many Levels