00:00If you've seen my videos here before, you know I'm a fan of budget, or maybe I should say more value-conscious phones.
00:06I'm willing to settle with some trade-offs just as long as it's closer to that $500 range, especially these days.
00:11This is why I'm in love with the Pixel 9a, especially after I reviewed the iPhone 16e.
00:16I'll explain more in my review right now.
00:21First things first, let's talk about the Pixel 9a price because it really does matter for a phone like this.
00:26For $499, Google is offering a seriously compelling package that has more value, in my opinion, over the $600 iPhone 16e.
00:34You get a flagship chipset, dual cameras for more utility, and in my opinion, better AI features as well.
00:39And oh yeah, you have more colors to choose from, like this peony one I'm using.
00:43I'll be talking about the design as a whole later on in this video as a reason I don't necessarily like the Pixel 9a.
00:49But if you're talking just about what you're getting for the price, there's a lot to like here.
00:53Another reason I've been liking the Pixel 9a is because of the display.
00:58Not only is it bigger than the Pixel 8a with a larger 6.3-inch actual display,
01:02but it puts a lot of other phones in its category to shame when it comes to brightness.
01:07Our lab measured a peak brightness of 2,076 nits, which makes it much more visible outdoors when the sun's out.
01:13It's spring.
01:13Everyone is outside.
01:14You need a phone that you can actually see as you're out and active.
01:17Best of all, it still looks fluid thanks to an adaptive 120Hz display refresh rate.
01:22Unlike the iPhone 16e that's still stuck on 60Hz.
01:25One caveat I noticed, however, while it technically has an OLED screen,
01:29the 9a lacks the iridescence I see from other OLED panels, like the one on the Pixel 9.
01:34Meaning, the colors don't pop as much.
01:36Still, it's easily a much better screen than most other budget phones.
01:40The reason that we're even talking about the Pixel 9a in the first place
01:44is because it has the same Tensor G4 chip found on the Pixel 9 Pro.
01:48This is a big deal because it's a flagship caliber chip that can make a phone
01:51that's several hundred dollars less run very smoothly.
01:55Now, compared to the iPhone 16e, it's interesting because the results don't indicate
01:59that the Pixel 9a performs better than the iPhone 16e,
02:02but I've been using the 9a for a week,
02:04and I haven't noticed any performance issues or hiccups whatsoever.
02:07I linked our benchmark scores in the description if you want to check those out.
02:12Also, the latest Gen Tensor chip gives the Pixel 9a nearly the same set of AI features
02:16as you'll find in the rest of the Pixel 9 lineup.
02:19It's running stock Android out of the box,
02:21but the AI features really add more value here,
02:24which I'll go as far as they are better than Apple Intelligent features on the iPhone 16e.
02:29This includes AI-assisted photo and editing features such as Magic Editor,
02:33AutoFrame, Reimagine, Photo on Blur, and Pixel Studio,
02:36which I can now generate images with people in them.
02:39Beyond that, you have Call Screen that leans on Google Assistant to take phone calls for you,
02:43Circle to Search to look up stuff on your phone without switching apps,
02:46and Gemini Live.
02:48And, oh yeah, did I mention you get seven years of software support?
02:52Let me say this about the camera.
02:54I prefer this over the iPhone 16e.
02:57So to all of you who would say that I always pick iPhones in our camera comparison videos,
03:01you can chill, okay?
03:03The 9a comes with a new 48 megapixel paired with a 13 megapixel ultrawide.
03:08The main camera is down from last year's 64 megapixel one with the Pixel 8a,
03:12but don't be alarmed because this has a faster f1.7 aperture.
03:15I like this camera setup more than the iPhone 16e
03:18because of the ultrawide camera's wider coverage,
03:21which is perfect for the landscapes and group photos.
03:23The Pixel 9a has better selfie and low-light performance too.
03:27iPhones still might have the edge when it comes to processing zoom,
03:29but the 9a can get much closer up for those macro shots.
03:33On top of all this,
03:33the 9a comes with the same AI-assisted photo features
03:36as the rest of the Pixel 9 series,
03:38like Admi that makes it a breeze to stitch in the photographer into the shot.
03:43The last reason to buy the Pixel 9a
03:46before I get into reasons to skip is the battery life.
03:49It's a slightly larger phone,
03:50and as a result, Google gave it a larger 5,100 mAh battery,
03:54and paired with the power efficiencies of the Tensor G4,
03:57it easily cruises past the Pixel 8a and iPhone 16e
04:00at 13 hours and 8 minutes on a single charge.
04:04That's a significant jump from the Pixel 8a,
04:06which topped out at 11 hours and 21 minutes.
04:09Let's go back to design.
04:11I kind of indicated this earlier,
04:13but I'm not totally sold on the Pixel 9a's design as a whole.
04:16Don't get me wrong.
04:17It's great that Google went after a flush camera design,
04:20but it sort of takes away from the Pixel identity
04:22I'm used to getting with the camera bar.
04:24I'll say this about design.
04:26It now has flat edges and rounded corners,
04:28which many of you were quick to point out
04:29on our socials that it looks awfully like an iPhone.
04:32I think that makes the Pixel 9a a bit boring,
04:35but hey, I guess that's what phone cases are for.
04:39The biggest difference between the Pixel 9a
04:42versus Pixel 9 Pro phones,
04:43and probably my biggest disappointment with the 9a overall,
04:47is that you only get a month's worth of Gemini Advance
04:49with the purchase of your new phone.
04:51Most people might not care as much,
04:53but I know how handy it is
04:54because of how it has deep research,
04:56which can basically do research for you
04:58on certain topics using resources I ask from the web.
05:01It's just the type of thing
05:02where you probably can't even learn
05:04all the ways to use Gemini Advance in only a month,
05:07and then all these awesome features get paywall.
05:09Then you'll have to pay $20 per month
05:11or $240 per year,
05:13and I'd argue that it undermines the value proposition
05:15that's so key to a phone like this.
05:18So, all things considered,
05:19is the Google Pixel 9a the smart choice
05:22for your next smartphone?
05:23If you prioritize affordability,
05:25long battery life,
05:26a bright display,
05:27and access to incredibly useful AI features,
05:29then absolutely.
05:31It offers a compelling package
05:32that easily surpasses the Pixel 8a,
05:34but it's a much stronger challenger
05:35to the iPhone 16e.
05:37But what do you guys think?
05:38Let me know your thoughts in the comments below
05:39and what phone you want me to review next.
05:42Don't forget to like and subscribe
05:43if you enjoyed watching.
05:44I'm John V,
05:45and I'll see you in my next video.
05:47We'll see you in the next video.
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