Exclusive: Google Pixel 9a to come with Tensor G4 but an older modem

Google Pixel A series phones are regarded as some of the best budget Android phones, and for good reason. While they make some sacrifices when it comes to hardware, they more than make up for it with lower price tags and access to Google’s sought-after software and camera magic. Even better, the last iteration of the series, the Pixel 8a, came even closer to the flagship tier Pixels, with a brighter 120 Hz display and seven years of updates.

All this, however, put the A series Pixels in a somewhat awkward place — the Pixel 8a was so close to the Pixel 8, both in terms of price and hardware, that it seemed to be redundant. This might change soon, however. Thanks to a source inside Google, we’ve learned that Pixel 9a is coming with some important differences compared to the Pixel 9 series.

New processor, old modem

As expected, the Pixel 9a — codename “tegu” — is coming with the Google Tensor G4, which we’ve already seen in the Pixel 9 series. The chip is a rather minor upgrade over the Tensor G3, but the change is welcome nonetheless.

Similarly to the Pixel 8a, the Pixel 9a uses a slightly different version of the G4 than the Pixel 9 series. While the silicon die inside the chip is identical, the plastic package differs. While the regular G4 uses FOPLP (Fan-Out Panel Level Packaging), the 9a’s G4 uses IPoP (Integrated Package on Package). According to Samsung, IPoP is thicker and hotter than FOPLP, but it is also cheaper, which explains the decision. In practice, the performance differences shouldn’t be huge, and the chip should still be a reasonable upgrade on last year’s model.

While the Tensor G4 wasn’t a huge upgrade to the Pixel 9 series, the new modem that was added alongside it was. The Exynos Modem 5400 has features such as Satellite SOS and support for 5G 3GPP Rel. 17, but more importantly, it runs considerably more efficiently and is cooler as a result.

Unfortunately, the new modem is absent from the Pixel 9a, which instead keeps the Exynos Modem 5300 that was used on the Pixel 8 series. The omission is disappointing, but it should hopefully let Google hit lower prices for the new device without sacrificing too much.

The previous A series Pixel devices hit somewhat of an identity crisis — they weren’t quite a budget bargain and were only a slightly downgraded version of the regular Pixels. The Pixel 9a might be the first affordable modern Pixel to break this trend. The use of the older modem is the first major “technical” silicon difference in the A series since the Pixel 6a, which started the trend of using the same SoCs as the regular Pixels.

Not only that, but a recent alleged photo leak shows the Pixel 9a with a completely different design than the older A series Pixels as well as the Pixel 9 series. However, we’re a bit skeptical about that one, given the Pixel 9’s premium design overhaul.

Still, it seems like Google might finally want the A series Pixels to be its own thing instead of slightly discounted variations of the flagship Pixels. It will be interesting to see if Google has the same idea for the rest of the Pixel 9a’s specs.