It’s tempting when choosing a new smartphone to go for the latest and greatest model. In Google’s corner, there’s the Pixel 10 series, including the brand-new Pixel 10a. But tech has advanced a lot in recent years, to the point where the value of a last-gen smartphone is often just as good—if not better—than the latest model. Take, for example, the Pixel 9a. You can pick up the predecessor to the Pixel 10a right now for just $399, $100 off its MSRP, during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale.
The Pixel 9a is a capable Android device that doesn’t reach the $1,000 premium price we’ve seen from many flagships in recent years. It comes with a 6.3-inch 1080p OLED display with a variable refresh rate of 60-120Hz; Google’s Tensor G3 chip with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage; a single 48MP rear camera with a 13MP selfie cam; support for 5G, Wi-Fi 6e, and Bluetooth 5; and an average battery life of just over 12 hours (30 hours of talk time). In her review of the Pixel 9a back in August, former Lifehacker associate tech editor Michelle Ehrhardt said the device was “arguably the best Google phone yet.” She praised the lack of a camera bar—a fixture of the Pixel series for years now—its long battery life, its brighter screen, and how lightweight the phone felt.
The Pixel 9a isn’t perfect, of course. This is Google’s “affordable” phone, which means there are some compromises here over the main Pixel line. Notably, Michelle found the camera to be “just OK,” and expressed concern than Google’s battery update would weaken the battery life overtime. She also found fault with the 9a’s Tensor chip, thought that’s not a unique issue with the phone itself. Google uses its in-house Tensor chip for all its smartphones, and it’s simply not as powerful as some others on the market, like the Snapdragon SoCs you’ll find in the Samsung Galaxy series.
What do you think so far?
You might think things would only go up with the Pixel 10a, but Michelle didn’t agree. In her review, she found the 10a to be more of a Pixel 9a rerelease than a sequel, carrying over plenty of the benefits of the phone, without doing much to differentiate itself from its predecessor. If you need a new Android phone, especially one that runs stock Android (this is Google, after all), for a decent price up front, this is a solid deal. That said, while this is a great price for the 9a, it isn’t the cheapest it’s ever been. According to Keepa, Amazon sold the phone for $349 for about a week in early February, before raising it back up to $399. It has been over $400 for over a month, though, reaching as high as $470, so this is still a great deal.
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