The Google Pixel 9a could get a much-needed battery boost

News about the Google Pixel 9a budget phone continues to emerge, and the leaks are promising. According to a new report from Android Headlines, the new phone will feature a larger battery than its predecessor, the Pixel 8a.

The Google Pixel 9a is expected to have a battery capacity of 5,000mAh, which is an increase of 11%. Phone battery capacities typically rise between 3% and 4% yearly, meaning this could be significant news. The Pixel 8a has a 4,492mAh battery, which Google promises should last over a day between charges. That’s about what we found during our review. It will be interesting to see whether the Pixel 9a offers improved battery life because of the larger battery and/or enhanced efficiency.

Earlier this week, the same site indicated that the Pixel 9a will be equipped with a 48-megapixel sensor, replacing the 64-megapixel primary sensor found in the Pixel 7a and Pixel 8a. The report noted that despite the lower resolution of the Pixel 9a’s sensor, the larger pixel size should result in better-quality photos. The Pixel 9a is also expected to feature a 13MP ultrawide camera and a front-facing 13MP sensor like its predecessor.

As previously reported, the Pixel 9a’s rear camera bar is set to be redesigned. Unlike earlier models’ protruding camera island module, the Pixel 9a will feature a dual-camera system flush with the phone’s back. While a small ring around the camera module may protrude slightly, it won’t be as noticeable as the camera bar that has become synonymous with Pixel devices.

When it is released next year, the Pixel 9a may be the last Pixel device to use a Samsung-made processor. Starting with the Pixel 10 series in 2025, Google plans to introduce fully customized chips developed by TSMC. The current Pixel 9 series phones utilize Google Tensor G3 chipsets made by Samsung, the manufacturer of the Galaxy S series.

The Pixel 9a has already been shaping up to be a promising release, so adding on a potentially huge battery life improvement only makes it that much more exciting. Especially considering that battery was one of the main complaints in our review, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this rumor going forward.

Google will likely announce the Pixel 9a in the spring. The Pixel 8a was released in May of this year, while the Pixel 7a launched in May 2023.