The $500 Google Pixel 9a is All You Need

It doesn't matter how they do it, lump sum or month-to-month added to your phone bill, the companies that make 'em are making sure you pay for your smartphone. Big brands really don't like us thinking about the basic economics of the thing, but even the most basic iPhone will cost you $800 for the version with just barely enough storage space for what you need. Samsung Galaxy phones are admittedly amazing, but those also start at $800 for 128 gigs of storage. If you're looking for an elite-tier phone that is priced reasonably, the Google Pixel 9a is the only viable option. It also happens to be a hell of a phone.

This is the best buy if you're in the market for a new smartphone; one that can take awesome photos and send them to your Google Photos, one that will last you a full day on a quick 30 minute charge, one with an AI smart assistant, all for less than $600. The Pixel 9a isn't what I'd call a "budget" phone, but it is an excellent smartphone that can fit within a budget and leave room for buying more fun goodies and gadgets. Short of AI tech bros and filmmakers shooting a feature, the Pixel 9a will do everything the average person needs a phone to do on a daily basis.

Google Pixel 9a -128 GB

The Best $500 Smartphone

In the world of phones, the Pixel 9a is the entry-level job that doesn't know it's paying way too much. If you look in the price range, you'll find older Samsung phones with mixed reviews and Androids from less reliable brands. For the price of new electronics right now, there's nothing that really competes with the 9a. It's got an ultra-wide camera, a crisp OLED screen, and nearly 13 hours of battery life with continuous use—close to a full day with light use.

In my household, my partner is the one who uses the Pixel phone. She is a diehard of the "a" series since the 6a due to many of the factors that still make the 9a great. She uses her phone for work, watching TV on commutes, and gaming—and has never wished for a better phone for any of these uses. All of her Pixel phones, 9a included, have survived every tumble, drop, and encounter with sand they've met. One even took a quick swim in a Venice canal and made it out un-phased (with a waterproof case on, of course).

Her loyalty has led to valid criticism over the generations. Namely, the design. As the years go on, the Pixel phones increasingly look more like my iPhones. Not just obnoxious for the sake of homogeneity, but because it can lead to confusion over who's phone is who's around the apartment.

Google Pixel 9a - 256 GB

Is it worth switching from an iPhone?

I get it. It's hard to be convinced to buy an Android phone if you're an Apple person. You're used to sharing notes, contacts, and messages between your Macb0ok and iPhone, and leaving the ecosystem feels like a great loss. It doesn't have to be.

Here's the thing. What's the chances that you use Google Photos (you probably do on your iPhone), Google Drive, and other Google cloud services already? High, right? And don't you use Gmail and a GoogleTV? Google is everywhere, and if you said yes to any of the above, making the jump to a Google phone will be easier than you think. It will require some backup and transfer of your iOS data, sure, but it can also help you simplify.

But why do it at all? Well, with two lenses (a 48 megapixel and 13MP ultra-wide) the 9a has the hands-down best cameras on a phone in this price. Apple's current "budget" phone, the iPhone 16e (starting at $599), only has one 48MP lens and a 12MP selfie cam—compared to the 9a's 13MP front-facing. So it's a cheaper phone with more camera options that on all other fronts (battery, screen, durability) goes toe to toe with the iPhone 16e.

Let's Talk AI

Then there's the AI difference. iPhones have Apple Intelligence and new Pixel phones have Google Gemini built-in. On the whole, Gemini is a faster, more capable assistant than Siri—and I prefer Google's AI tools for photo editing to Apple's. However, the best of Gemini's feature set—vertical integration with Gmail and Docs and access to a larger language model—is limited to Gemini Advanced, part of the $20 monthly Google One AI Premium plan. It's also worth mentioning that not all Pixel phones are created equal when it comes to AI.

The Pixel 9a supports Gemini Live—the AI voice assistant—but it has limitations and due to its 8 gigabytes of RAM cannot run in the background. This means the 9a lacks support for Call Notes (generated text summaries of phone calls) and also lacks the ability to process images to search with the Pixel Screenshots app. When comparing the two directly, the iPhone 16e has the full suite of Apple Intelligence features, whereas the Pixel 9a only has limited access to Gemini's full potential.

Final Verdict: The only smartphone worth what it costs

The Pixel 9a is no revelation if you've been following or using Google's Pixel a line of phones for the past few years. But it's that steady iteration at a great price-point that makes the 9a one of the easiest smartphones to recommend to Android users and newcomers alike.

Google Pixel 9a - 128 GB

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