Can the $500 Pixel 9a outperform Google’s $1,100 flagship?

Flagship tier performance at just $499 sounds to good to be true. Is it?

Apr 11, 2025 - 12:46

Can the $500 Pixel 9a outperform Google’s $1,100 flagship?

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Google’s custom smartphone chips might not claim the performance crown, but one major benefit upside is that it can afford to use its latest Tensor G4 processor across its flagship Pixel 9 series and the new, affordable Pixel 9a. Of course, the budget model isn’t exactly alike; Google pairs it with just 8GB RAM, the packaging wrapping up the G4 appears to be cheaper, and the chip is paired with an older and less efficient modem.

Still, the core parts of the Tensor G4 processor that crunches through apps, gaming, and image processor tasks remain fundamentally unchanged across Google’s latest phones. $499 for essentially the same performance as the $1,099 Pro XL sounds too good to be true, so is it? I benchmarked the Pixel 9a, 9, and 9 Pro XL to find out.