Google Pixel 9a Allegedly Spotted With A Bigger Display And Refreshed Design

Leaked images of what might be a Google Pixel 9a prototype has caught the industry by surprise with a major change to one of the Pixel's biggest design elements. Sporting flat sides and sharper edges like its pricier Pixel 9 brethren, the leaked device eschews the signature camera island altogether. It seriously looks like something straight out of Cupertino.

Pixel 9a
Source: some random post on Facebook pic.twitter.com/y8jwaQM6Z8

— ShrimpApplePro 🍤 ずっと真夜中でいいのに (@VNchocoTaco) August 26, 2024

Par for course, we'd like to remind you that the photos and information presented here should be taken with a grain of salt. According to a tipster on X, photos of a supposed Pixel 9a was posted on a Vietnamese Google Pixel Facebook Group recently. 

It's easy to be skeptical about a new Pixel this soon, especially since the smoke and fanfare have barely faded for the flagship Pixel 9 series (announced a couple of weeks ago at Google I/O). But for some reason, Vietnam has, in recent years, been the hotbed for previous A-series leaks, such as the Pixel 7a and Pixel 8a, so perhaps there's some credence to these REALLY early images of the 9a.

If this purported device is actually that of the 9a, then the two most obvious highlights would be the flat screen and side rails, plus the missing camera island we've come to expect. In the photos, the imaging setup is twin cameras in a gloss black module (likely to hide things like depth and autofocus sensors) with a large flash on the far right. Instead of the wide camera bar of the previous generation, the dual camera module is merely raised about 1mm. 


Such a change would be quite fitting for Google to further differentiate the 9a from the 9-series, to keep in line with the flattened aesthetic of the phone itself, as well as to keep costs down. Over at the front, we're also liking the narrow display bezels all around. 

Beyond this, there isn't much known about Google's next mid-budget smartphone. It'll likely use the Tensor G4 processor and carry over camera sensors from the previous generation (Pixel 8, in this case). Many Google fans and insiders have balked over the price creep within the Pixel 9 lineup, so we're crossing our collective fingers that Mountain View bean-counters maintain the $500 price point of the 8a. 

In terms of launch date, we think Google may wait till the first half of next year to announce the 9a. This would make sense to give the 9-series sales ample room to expand and peak towards holiday shopping, among other things. 

Photo credits: ShrimpApplePro (via X)