Google Pixel 9a with Gemini - Unlocked Android Smartphone with Incredible Camera and AI Photo Editing, All-Day Battery, and Powerful Security - Obsidian - 128 GB

I got this for my girlfriend as she's been going through cheap, crappy phones for the past few months. I set it up for her and transferred all her accounts, apps etc. I own a OnePlus 15 and I have to say, I was pretty impressed by this Pixel. It's sleek, has a decent weight to it and feels nice to hold. It's not a ridiculous size so handling it with one hand is easy. The screen color is very nice. The cameras are pretty dang good for a "light" version of a higher end phone and the colors in taken photos are very vivid. 120hz refresh rate is accurate but it's not set as the default frame rate. If you're just looking for an upgrade but don't need anything crazy or don't want to drop $1,200, this is a good choice. All in all, this is a nice phone at a budget friendly price.

I love the Pixel 9a! For most folks a worthy choice over the Pixel 9 when price needs to be an important consideration. The camera is excellent, the screen is terrific, and the performance is crisp. This is the first "a" version I've bought and now I'm a fan of this high-value series. I have owned a Google Nexus phone and then a Pixel 3, 5, 7, 8, and 9... and I've now added this 9a for a family member. Love the Pixel line with its regular updates and pure Android experience.

I decided to try this phone after researching "best moderately priced phones" and finding it rated higher than a lot of the companies I expected to see. It has taken a little while to adjust to a new Pixel after years of owning Motorola phones, but now I love this phone. The photos are so much better than with previous phones, the images on the phone screen are top rate, and the functions (once learned) work as expected. It is a great size for slipping into purse and pocket, charges a little faster than Google reports, and holds a charge two days for me, but I'm not a heavy phone user (calls, texts, searches and photos. I don't use the phone for games). And the price is right! I don't need top of the line, but I want really good and solid. I chose this phone because Google offers longer support than the "leading" phone makers and I plan to keep it a long time. Sound quality is great, it feels good in hand, and it looks good. The only downside I have found is lack of many high durability cases for it although one company on Amazon offers one that I'm using. It and the phone have survived one drop in fine style. I will update if that information changes. If you are unsure about a Pixel, do yourself a favor and try it. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Great budget phone. Works smoothly, has a very nice camera and the battery's fantastic for day-to-day use. If there's ONE thing I can say, is that the speaker is god awful even for the price range. I've used cheap smartphones my entire life but none of them have sounded this bad. You get used to it after a couple of days, but it still disappoints how bad the speaker is.

Absolutely amazing phone. I'm in love with it. I picked this phone mainly because the design is simple. Pros: -It's super-fast, zero delay with anything. -The speakers are loud and have nice bass -Lots of customization options -Battery life, is AMAZING. I set this phone to stop charging at 80%, and it's never once gone below 30% even after a full day. Cons -This phone is swamped with tons of AI features. But you can turn them all off. -Not really a big fan on how you navigate between app, it's an awkward diagonal slide that took a day to get used to. -Selfie camera for sure is on the lower end, but I'm a simple guy and not big into taking selfies really. I still give this phone a 5-star review because it was a huge upgrade from my previous android phone, and I can't knock this phone down for stuff you can turn on and off just by watching a video on YouTube. I would say if you're into taking selfies, you will have a horse about it. However, if you're into using it as a phone for making calls, watching videos, and light mobile games, it's a perfect phone at the lower price point.

For five years I enjoyed my Pixel 4a, a compact 128 GB 4G phone. However, I recently destroyed it when I unintentionally took it for a swim in the ocean, so it was time for an upgrade. I first considered the 8a, but when I saw the low cost of Google’s newest phone, the absence of an annoying camera bar on the back, and the many rave reviews on YouTube, I was sold on the 9a. It delivers remarkable performance without most of the trade-offs that come with midrange phones. This isn’t a flagship, nor with only 8 GB of RAM is it intended for intensive gamers, but it does everything I need and does it well. And Google automatically reloaded every one of my apps, files, and settings from the cloud! The Pixel 9a checks all the boxes: an unlocked, modestly sized 5G device with a clean, simple design in four available colors. It includes the AI assistant Gemini and the newest Google apps and operating system (Android 15) with seven years of system and security updates, as well as the same fast Tensor G4 chipset and bright, sharp, smooth 120 Hz display featured on the model 9. The 9a is equipped with outstanding cameras and camera software and a best-in-class battery (even better than the 9 Pro) for extra-long life. The unit offers strong resistance to water, dust, and scratches, in addition to wireless charging and oodles of storage. All this at an unbeatable price! The 256 GB version I bought came with a $100 Amazon gift card, effectively reducing its price to $499, the same as the 128 GB model. I do have three caveats: the bezel on the screen seems unnecessarily thick, wireless charging is much slower than wired charging, and there is noticeable grain in low-light videos, but none of these are deal-breakers for me. And I must respond to a previous reviewer who also owned a 4a and claimed that the 9a is too big, that it’s design is unoriginal, and that it lacks a headphone jack and a behind-the-screen fingerprint reader. While not as small or light as my old Pixel, it’s only slightly larger and heavier (allowing for a bigger battery), and it fits my hand perfectly. As for the headphone jack and fingerprint reader, we’re in the third decade of the 20th century: wired headphones are history and on-screen fingerprint readers are standard. Finally, for many users like me, the minimalist design is a plus: less is more!

Pretty impressed, very nice screen, takes really nice pictures, battery last 2 days. Moderate, but very regular use. Everything needed in a phone works great. SIM worked instantly. Transfer from old phone easy. Had to reschedule install a couple apps from Play store.

Since the 2012 I’ve only used iPhones. Back then Android was pretty rough - very functional, but not a pleasure to use in my opinion. But recently Apple started sneaking ads for their stupid movies into their wallet app. A straw too far, as far as I’m concerned. And I’m tired of their constant and excessive advertising of their services. Pros: • Long term (7 YEARS!) of fast arriving system updates. No other Android device comes close to the Pixel series in this regard. • Great battery life! I’m a pretty moderate user so I generally only charge every two days once it hits around 40% remaining. • Like every modern Pixel device, this can be operated on a flat surface without wobbling around. Unlike the rest, this has no camera visor, just a pair of small and flat lenses on the back. Quality seems pretty great so far though. • Completely unlocked, including bootloader, so I can easily switch to other flavors of Android if I so desire. I like options! • Fingerprint reader and Face Unlock work well. Worth noting that this is not an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner so it doesn’t perform quite as well in direct sunlight or with a screen protector installed. • The price on this is really great for what you get. Comparing this to Apple’s most closely priced device (the 16e at time of writing) makes that phone look even more like the bad joke that it is. Cons: • Entirely subjective, but I don’t love that they made it so similarly shaped to a modern iPhone’s body shape and size - flat edges and flat screen. I just prefer a rounded edge experience for hand feel. It would be better if it were a bit smaller, but that is sadly not the world we live in anymore. I’ve since been trying out older Pixel series devices and will likely end up on an 8 as it is just SO much more comfortable to hold and use. So, if you are considering leaving Apple’s walled garden, I would say this is a great place to start! Don’t be intimidated by the switch - it has been extremely smooth and Android is now not only more feature rich than iOS but also more user friendly.