Google could be tearing up its copy book for the Pixel 9a

When the Pixel 9 launched on 13 August, Google broke out of its regular launch cadence, delivering the phone a couple of months sooner than normal. It looks like the company is shifting-up its future launch plans for other devices and products too.

We recently learnt that Google could be aiming to deliver Android 16 earlier than expected in 2025 and it seems that the Pixel 9a could also be pulled forward. According to details obtained by Android Headlines, the Google Pixel 9a release date falls in March 2025, rather than in May as the Pixel 8a did.

It's thought that this will be a new launch slot for the cheaper device going forward.

The shift in dates makes sense, as it keeps a gap between the launch of the flagship Pixel devices and the more affordable models, giving each more time to thrive in market.

However it's difficult to ignore that in moving the main Pixel launch to August, Google jumped ahead of the Apple iPhone launch and that, again, could mean that the Google phone gets its time in the limelight before a new iPhone appears.

What to expect from the Pixel 9a

The Pixel 9a is expected to shake up the design so that it takes on a squarer form closer to the other Pixel 9 models, but in a complete departure from the current design language, it could drop the camera housing completely so that it has a flat back.

The phone is expected to come in Porcelain, Obsidian, Peony and Iris colours and as is the custom with these devices, it will likely run on the Tensor 4 hardware that made its debut in the Pixel 9 models.

The Pixel 9a will likely come with a 6.1-inch display and have pair of cameras on the rear centred on the 64-megapixel main camera – capable of great 2x zoom – while the second camera will almost certainly be an ultrawide. This could remain unchanged, but if Google was going to change anything, it could be here to boost the performance.

The Pixel A-series devices have made a name for themselves, offering power and performance at lower prices, making it one of the best cheap phones. In recent years, But, those prices have been drifting upwards, making those devices slightly less competitive against cheaper rivals, like the Motorola Edge 50 Neo.