Oh Hey, It’s the Pixel 9a!

Google and hardware secrets – these two things could not dislike each other more. You see, every phone that Google has attempted to release over the past few years has found its way to the internet early, typically in prototype form before turning into renders, only to then go official in marketing materials that retailers across the globe are horrible at hiding. It’s a familiar cycle that is now starting for the Pixel 9a.

Thanks to a Pixel-friendly Facebook group, we may have a first look at the Pixel 9a in prototype form, Google’s expected mid-range phone that would complete the Pixel 9 series following the four (!) Pixel 9 devices that Google just announced.

Two images were shared of the device that show a squared-off side design with rounded corners, matching the Pixel 9 series we’ve been playing with for the past couple of weeks. It also shows a missing camera bar that instead features a dual camera housing sitting almost flush with the backside.

We know this is a prototype because the “G” logo that usually sits on the backside of Pixel phones has been replaced with a similar shape that is most definitely not a “G.” This is imagery that Google typically brands their prototype devices with. But look, it’s close to the “G” and we all know what it is at this point.

The user who posted these images to the Pixel Facebook group apparently deleted them somewhat quickly. You know the story of what that means on the internet, though.

I don’t have many thoughts on the design. If this is legit, it looks like a cheaper Pixel 9, which is what the A-series represents. The smaller camera module would mean a lower-end camera, but the overall design would slip right in next to the higher-end Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro with ease. I think the biggest question I have is – this seems early, so when is it coming? Any chance Google drops the A-series on us before the following year, which is when A-series phones tend to drop? I don’t know, but the Pixel 9 series certainly came two months early.

// @ShrimpApplePro