Igeekphone news on February 10, informant Evan Blass exposed the rendering of Google Pixel 9a, from the picture, the screen design of the model does not seem to have made significant changes on the basis of the previous generation. Previously, in order to keep the Pixel 8a’s price under $500, Google adopted a smaller screen ratio design, resulting in a wider black border around the screen. The leaked images suggest that the Pixel 9a May continue this design.
Igeekphone noted that the leaked image, although at a lower resolution, still gives a rough idea of the screen size and bezel situation. The four corners of the phone are very similar to the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. In addition, the front-facing camera appears to be larger. The wallpaper displayed on the phone is from the “Rotating Petals” series, which is a new wallpaper that is not yet available in the current Pixel 9 series. The home screen and app layout of the phone is still controlled by Pixel Launcher, which is also expected, as major updates to the home screen are usually only made when a new Android version or flagship model is launched.
Although the image’s low resolution makes it difficult to make a definitive judgment, the bezels on the left and right sides of the screen and at the bottom appear to be the same width, while the top bezels are slightly wider. This suggests that the Pixel 9a’s screen design could be similar to the Pixel phones of 2024. It is worth mentioning that the Pixel 8a’s screen proportion is 81.6%, compared to high-end phones that usually account for more than 90% of the screen, such as the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s screen proportion is 91.4%, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s screen proportion is as high as 92.5%.
It follows that Google may have once again made a trade-off between screen share and cost-effectiveness, prioritizing the latter. This strategy is more common in the mid-market and aims to offer consumers more competitive prices.
For many consumers, the “a” series Pixel phones are known for their cost performance, and it is reasonable to make some compromises in order to control the price. Google’s successful strategy in the U.S. mid-market has been recognized by the market, as the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”