Pixel 9a’s 3 big design updates

Pixel 9a, the latest phone in our more affordable A-series line, just hit shelves. You may have noticed that this A-series phone switches up its design a bit while still holding on to that essential Pixel look. “It’s its own device but still feels like a Pixel, and that was the goal. It belongs in the family!” says Soniya Jobanputra, a product management director who works on Pixel devices. “But this time, it’s less like a little brother or sister and more like a cousin to our incredible premium devices.”

Here’s a look at a few of the aesthetic changes you’ll see in Pixel 9a, and what Googlers who worked on the new device love about the updates.

1. Goodbye to the Camera Bar

The team started the design process by identifying Pixel 9a’s personality, which they define as playful, approachable and family-friendly. “We wanted to have a physical interpretation that would match the personality of the device,” says Soniya. So the team came up with a new design that kept the iconically Pixel pill-shaped camera but allowed them to have fun with other elements, like embracing a new minimalism that prioritized simplicity and ease of use.

Case in point: the omission of the Pixel Camera Bar and shrinking of the camera lens’ bump. Pixel 9a has a nearly flat back, so it slides easily into a pocket and sits flatly on a surface. The slight curve of the remaining camera bump (more of a dome, really) is also reminiscent of the water droplet shape of the Pixel Watch. “And if you put a case on it, there’s no bump at all,” industrial designer Yomi Matsuoka says. “The rear camera bump is actually shallower than the case itself.”

The team was able to make all of these changes while still meeting Pixel’s high standard for camera quality, too. Soniya points out that Pixel 9a has the best camera experience of any phone in the market at its price point, with an advanced dual rear camera system featuring a 48MP main camera and a 13MP ultrawide camera. “It’s also the first A-series phone to feature Macro Focus,” she says.

2. New build, bigger battery, brighter screen

The decision to streamline the camera design was driven by practical reasons, too. "We wanted to boost the battery while maintaining our current phone thickness," Soniya says. Switching to a plastic OLED (or pOLED) display, which is thinner, created more internal space for the battery and allowed the team to lower the camera placement to minimize the bump, all while maintaining that durable, mid-frame architecture. It also resulted in the brightest display ever on an A-series phone with a 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate, making visuals smoother. “It wasn’t our intention to deliver an even better display,” Soniya says. “We had a pretty awesome display with 8a. But we were able to boost up the brightness and power efficiency by opting for a new pOLED panel.”

3. An introduction to Iris

Pixel 9a also comes in a cheery new color that speaks to its playful personality: Iris. It’s an homage to Pixel 3a’s “Purple-ish” color option, a lighter, almost purple that was a fan favorite. “Iris is like an update to that colorway,” says Pixel CMF design manager Jess Ng. The design team took cues and inspiration from their surroundings, as well. “Our user research indicated a desire for versatility — things that are both joyful and functional,” Jess says. After lots of experimentation, they landed on Iris.

“At first glance, Iris can appear blue or purple. It feels calm yet confident, opinionated yet widely appealing, making it the perfect hero color for the new A-series,” Jess says. As a bonus, Yomi points out, the new cases for Pixel 9a deliver a fun surprise. “You don’t have to take the case off to see the color inside,” he says. “So you can make these really nice color combinations.” In Pixel 9a’s case, it’s what’s on the inside and outside that counts.