Google Pixel 9a price leak confirms what we all feared

The Google Pixel 9a is expected to launch in March and we’re starting to learn more about the affordable Android phone. While most of this news has been positive, today’s discovery could sour one of the best cheap phones for some buyers.

The prices for the Pixel 9a have been circulating for some time. Android Headlines – who brings us a lot of details about Pixel launches – shared the Pixel 9a price as $499 for the 128GB version and $599 for the 256GB model, meaning a bump of $100 between them.

Currently, the Pixel 8a costs $499 for the 128GB model, while the 256GB costs $559, only $60 more expensive.

Unfortunately, it looks like that price increase for the larger storage model is reflected in other regions too. Thanks to Dealabs we have the prices for the UK and Europe, with the Pixel 9a reportedly costing £499 / €549 for the 128GB and jumping up to £599 / €649 for the 256GB.

So if you’re after the model with more storage, you’re going to have to pay more for it.

What else do we know about the Pixel 9a?

While the date of the announcement is currently unknown, it’s been reported that the Google Pixel 9a could be open for pre-order on 19 March 2025, which is a Wednesday. It could be that the phone is announced and the pre-orders go live immediately. Shipping is said to be from 26 March.

The Pixel 9a is expected to change design slightly, dropping the camera bump from the rear of the phone, so this year’s cheaper model from Google is alleged to be flatter and have an IP68 rating.

We think that it’s going to come with a range of freebies to sweeten the deal, while it will also pack in the Tensor G4 processor, along with 8GB RAM. Exactly what this means for its AI capabilities compared to the Pixel 9 remains to be seen.

Elsewhere, a big 5,100mAh battery is expected, with 23W charging, while the screen is expected to come in at 6.2-inches, with an impressive 2,700 nits brightness, which will be great for showing off your HDR photos.

The camera is said to be the star of the show, with Pixel’s customary performance that’s boosted by great processing and AI editing skills. The camera hardware itself is said to be a 48-megapixel main camera, supported by an ultra-wide camera.

The launch of this phone is approaching, but with the Nothing Phone 3a expected on 4 March and the iPhone SE 4 just about to launch, the affordable phone segment could suddenly become very competitive.