The Pixel 9a should be the end of the road for Google's budget series

We got our first glimpse at what could be the Google Pixel 9a a few weeks ago, and it looks sharp. Taking cues from the Google Pixel 9, the alleged Pixel 9a features flatter side rails and a minimal pill-shaped camera bump with no metal "bar" around it. Like all the Pixel A series phones we've seen, I expect the Pixel 9a will be a good value that brings many of the Pixel 9's best aspects down to an affordable price point. Still, I think it's time for Google to hang up the Pixel A series and take a different approach to budget phones.

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Google's Pixel A phones used to be more budget-friendly

The Pixel 3a was half the price of the Pixel 3

When Google introduced the Pixel 3a in 2019, it was priced at $399, which is half the price of the Pixel 3 it was based on. The 4a was cheaper still, starting at $349. The earliest Pixel A phones made waves in the budget space.

The conversation around the recent Pixel 8a's launch was also largely centered around price, but not for the reasons Google may have hoped. The 8a launched at $499 when the standard Pixel 8 retailed for $699 and was regularly available at a discount for $550. The Pixel 8 hit $499 a month before the 8a was released.

We haven't seen any indication of what the Pixel 9a could cost, but seeing as the base Pixel 9 got a $100 price bump from the $699 Pixel 8, it's reasonable to assume the Pixel 9a will get a similar increase from the 8a to come in around $550 or even $600.

On its current trajectory, the Pixel A series feels redundant. The price gap between flagship and midrange Pixel phones has been shrinking for some time. Barring some unexpected economic miracle that sees the 9a hit store shelves at $399 or less, it might be time for a more practical solution: permanent price cuts on past-gen flagships.

Old phones are staying relevant longer

Good hardware and extended software support goes a long way

The Pixel 9 series is the fourth Tensor-powered Pixel generation and an achievement for Google. However, last year's Pixel 8 stood out among Google's recent efforts for several reasons. Its hardware is a cut above previous Pixels, making 2022's Pixel 7 look and feel conspicuously dated. It's also the first Google phone to carry the promise of seven years of software updates.

A new Pixel 8 for $499 (which is what the phone costs now on Amazon) is a better deal today than the Pixel 8a at the same price. Sure, the Pixel 8 has burned through a year of updates, but even six years of support for $500 is a great deal.

If history repeats itself, by the time the 9a rolls around, the standard Pixel 9 will get regular discounts that bring it down to the same $550 or $600 price tag we expect to see on Google's next dedicated midrange phone. Google may as well get ahead of this cycle in future generations by skipping the A series or reimagining it as an entry-level option.

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What would retiring the Pixel A series mean?

Probably not a whole lot

A price cut on last year's flagships runs the risk of cannibalizing sales of the current models. Sales data shows Apple shipped nearly as many iPhone 14s in the first quarter of this year as it did iPhone 15s. But whether Google officially drops the price or not, people will be able to find last year's models for less.

Google's no stranger to selling multiple generations of Pixel phones concurrently. Right now, the Google Store sells the Pixel 9-series phone, Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, Pixel 8a, and Pixel 7a (the last two are at the same $499 price point). The company also said it plans to bring the first-generation Pixel Fold back to the Google Store at some point.

Google's A series phones have historically launched months after the flagships of the same generation. This cadence gives the company's pricier phones plenty of time in the spotlight and gets Google phones in the mainstream news twice a year. However, at the quantities Pixel phones sell, I still think Google would do well to save the money spent on R&D, marketing, manufacturing, and software maintenance for an extra model and make previous-gen price cuts official. It seems worth the trade-offs.

We won't need a Pixel 10a

The Pixel 8 will make a great midranger in 2025

If the A series is going to stick around, I'd like to see it get cheaper, priced to compete directly with the likes of Samsung's A-series phones (the eminently fine Samsung Galaxy A25 retails for $300). I also think it'd be fine to ditch them altogether.

Google is cultivating several good phones that it pledged to keep updated for a long time. When the Pixel 10 launches in 2025, I'd love to see the Pixel 9 stay on sale with a permanent price cut to $599. Heck, keep the Pixel 8, too. It's already $499 on sale. If Google can throw a new color on it and sell it for $449, it'll fill the niche currently occupied by Pixel A phones nicely.