Pixel 9a vs Pixel 7a preliminary comparison: Just two years, but the evolution is massive

Intro

The Pixel “a” series is a fan favorite since its first iteration. How can it not be, when it offers so much of the flagship Pixel experience for a price that is a few hundred bucks lower than the high-end Pixels Google sells.

Well, details about unreleased Pixel phones don’t tend to stay in secret for too long, and things are no different for the Pixel 9a. The upcoming Google mid-ranger is said to sport the Tensor G4, which should offer about double the performance compared to the Tensor G2 that powers the Pixel 7a.

Design and Size

You can barely make the connection

Pixel 9a renders hint that Google might be moving away from the iconic camera bar design that made the Pixel 7a and other Pixel phones stand out. The renders show the 9a with a flush camera module that barely sticks out of the back panel. The two cameras are still positioned on the top left side of the back, but the flash is now outside the camera module.

The dimensions are also expected to be different. The Pixel 9a will be a bit larger than the 7a, which is possibly to accommodate the somewhat larger display and battery that it is also rumored to get. The exact expected dimensions are 154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm with a weight of 186 g vs the 152 x 72.9 x 9 mm and 193.5 g of the Pixel 7a.

Google probably won’t be using any new materials for the new body, which means the back will still be made out of plastic and the frame out of aluminum.

Leaks also state that the Pixel 9a will come with an IP68 water and dust resistance rating compared to the IP67 certification on the Pixel 7a. This is not exactly the most meaningful upgrade as the difference between the two certifications is not significant, but it is nice to have that extra peace of mind.

Display Differences

Leaked images show the new Pixel 9a to have almost symmetrical bezels around a larger 6.3-inch screen (vs 6.1 inches on the 7a). Rumors are also saying that the display will now be capable of a smoother 120Hz refresh rate and higher brightness levels. 

The thinner and more uniform bezels, the higher brightness and refresh rate—all of these will undoubtedly make the Pixel 9a look and feel like a genuinely modern phone in comparison to the 7a. And that’s even more true when you factor in the new design.

Now, something we really hope Google also improves on is the fingerprint sensor embedded in the display. The Pixel 7a, like other older Pixels, was known for having some issues with that part, and this didn’t really get much better with last year’s model. So, despite the lack of leaks on this front, fingers crossed that we see some improvements here.

Performance and Software

We expect double the performance

Besides the new design and improved display specs, another greatly improved area will be the performance. The Pixel 9a is expected to sport Google’s Tensor G4 chipset, which is the same processor that powers the Pixel 9.

The Tensor G4 should also be considerably more power-efficient. We also expect to see better heat management and therefore less thermal throttling.

The RAM is still expected to be 8 GB, just like on the Pixel 7a, but we do expect to see an additional 256 GB storage variant. In contrast, the Pixel 7a was only available in 128 GB.

This means that you can expect most of the basic Google AI features that come with the Pixel 9a to also be available on the Pixel 7a. That said, some could only be available on the newer model, and new features that come out with Android 17 and later have a lower chance of being supported on the older model.

Camera

New main camera, possibly the same as Pixel 9 Pro Fold

The look that Pixel cameras achieve is one of the main reasons people buy them, and while usually it’s not exactly on par with the flagship models, the “a” series has sometimes come pretty close in terms of image quality.

This new main camera should bring better low-light performance and higher dynamic range, which ultimately should mean higher detail and less noise. Unlike the main image sensor, however, the 13 MP ultra-wide and selfie cameras will probably stay the same.

Also, some of the camera-related features like Best Take and Audio Magic Eraser that are not available on the Pixel 7a will most likely be available on the Pixel 8a.

Battery Life and Charging

A much larger battery promises a fix to one of the main “a” series issues

The Pixel 9a might come with a significantly larger 5100 mAh battery compared to the 4385 mAh one in the Pixel 7a. Alongside the new G4 chip that’s more power-efficient, the 9a might have much better battery life compared to its older predecessor.

The Pixel 7a got an estimated battery life of only 6 hours and 4 minutes after our battery tests. The Pixel 8a got even less than that, so we really hope the new chip and larger battery bring the Pixel 9a to at least 6 hours and 30 minutes.

But if Google wants to keep the same charging times with the larger battery, it will have to increase the charging speed. That’s probably why the 9a is also rumored to have 23W of wired charging vs the 7a’s 18W. The 7.5W wireless charging, however, will probably remain unchanged.

Specs Comparison

So, to summarize these spec sheets, we are looking at an increase in battery size, a new main camera, additional storage option, two-generations newer chipset and an improved display. In other words, in just two years Google has upgraded every part of its more affordable phone series.

Summary