Head to head
Google Pixel 9vsGoogle Pixel 8a
The short answer
Choose the Pixel 9 for peak brightness, typical brightness, battery life per charge and faster charging. The Pixel 8a wins no row by a gap you’d notice. The Pixel 9 gets security updates for longer: until August 2031, against May 2031 for the Pixel 8a.
- Released
- 2024-08-22endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Price
- £799Google Store UK, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Security updates until
- 2031-08-01endoflife.date — Pixel, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Released
- 2024-05-14endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Security updates until
- 2031-05-01endoflife.date — Pixel, retrieved 2026-08-20
4 wins for Pixel 90 wins for Pixel 8a5 gaps borderline2 differences you won’t notice
Verdict: Pixel 9 ahead on 4 rows, Pixel 8a on none
On the makers’ figures and the named third-party sources, the Pixel 9 wins on peak brightness (2,700 nits against 2,000 nits), typical brightness (1,800 nits against 1,400 nits), battery per charge (49.2 h against 40.1 h) and fast charging (45 W from the maker against 18 W from GSMArena). 5 gaps are borderline, differences most people would not notice: display size (6.3 in against 6.1 in) for the Pixel 9, HDR peak brightness (1,800 nits against 1,400 nits) for the Pixel 9, RAM (12 GB against 8 GB) for the Pixel 9, wireless charging (15 W against 7.5 W, both from GSMArena) for the Pixel 9 and Geekbench 6 (CPU, multi-core) (3,797 against 3,404, both from Geekbench Browser) for the Pixel 9. The differences in weight and battery capacity are below the thresholds you would notice. Both state the same refresh rate, storage (base) and battery lifespan. The other 31 rows have no threshold or no direction to judge by, so nobody wins them.
True to scale
Outlines from each maker’s published dimensions, drawn to scale. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.
Specifications
A win is marked only where the figures can be ranked and the gap is one you could notice. A row the site has no threshold for says whether the two differ, and that it is not ranking them. = marks the same figure on both, ≠ not ranked a difference with no ranking. Every figure carries its source.
Body
Display
Platform
Memory
Camera
Battery
Connectivity
Benchmarks
6 attributes neither phone has a sourced figure for
OS versions supported · Google Mobile Services · Telephoto · Claimed video playback · AnTuTu benchmark · 3DMark Wild Life Extreme. Rows appear as sources are cited — a gap in our data, not a statement about either phone.
Questions
Is the Pixel 9 better than the Pixel 8a?
On the figures, the Pixel 9 is ahead wherever there is a gap you’d notice: peak brightness, 2,700 nits against 2,000 nits (both Google), typical brightness, 1,800 nits against 1,400 nits (both Google), battery per charge, 49.2 h against 40.1 h (both EU energy label) and fast charging, 45 W (Google) against 18 W (GSMArena). The Pixel 8a wins no row by such a gap. That is a count of rows, not an overall score.
Which has the better battery?
The Pixel 9, by a gap you’d notice: battery per charge, 49.2 h against 40.1 h (both EU energy label). The Pixel 9 is ahead on paper, but not by a gap you’d notice: battery capacity, 4,700 mAh against 4,492 mAh (both Google).
Which is lighter?
The Pixel 8a is lighter on paper, but not by a gap you’d notice: weight, 189 g against 198 g (both Google).
Which has the brighter screen?
The Pixel 9, by a gap you’d notice: peak brightness, 2,700 nits against 2,000 nits (both Google). The Pixel 9, by a gap you’d notice: typical brightness, 1,800 nits against 1,400 nits (both Google). The Pixel 9 is brighter, narrowly: HDR peak brightness, 1,800 nits against 1,400 nits (both Google), a borderline gap most people would not notice.
Which gets updates for longer?
The Pixel 9 gets security updates for longer: until August 2031, against May 2031 for the Pixel 8a. Sources: dates from endoflife.date.
Other comparisons
The pairs a buyer of either phone would also weigh. Any two phones in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.