Google Pixel 9 vs Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

Google Pixel 9

The 6.3-inch 120Hz OLED is significantly brighter than the Pixel 8 with thinner, more uniform bezels. Reviewers rate it among the best displays of the year, with one caveat about PWM and a slightly hollow tap feel.

• The display is significantly brighter than the Pixel 8 and has thinner, more uniform bezels.
• The new Actua display is called one of the best displays of any phone this year — brighter and far more responsive to touch than the Pixel 8.
• Even 10 months later the display still holds up really well — one of the areas where the Pixel 9 ages best.
• The 6.3-inch panel is small but is an excellent screen for watching movies and shows.
• The display can feel a little hollow when tapped compared with a Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the lower PWM number makes it a less comfortable screen for some long-term users.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

A 6.77-inch 120Hz AMOLED that's a genuine class leader — bright enough that outdoor use is never a squint.

• The 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED at 120Hz peaks at an eye-searing 3,000 nits, among the brightest displays in its class.
• It hits ~700 nits typical and up to 1,300 nits for HDR, an always-on display and 120Hz — brighter than the company's last phone.
• Independent measurement put real-world brightness at ~700 nits SDR / ~1,550–1,600 nits HDR despite the 3,000-nit headline — still very usable.
• HDR content looks excellent — specular highlights really stand out thanks to the 3,000-nit peak — and outdoor use is never a squinting exercise.

Google Pixel 9

The dual 50MP main + ultrawide system is the Pixel 9's headline strength for stills — consistent, reliable and class-leading. Video is its relative weakness versus the S25 and iPhone, and the lack of a telephoto limits zoom to 8x digital.

• The camera is described as simply awesome and a defining reason to buy — Pixel image processing remains a standout.
• 10 months on the Pixel 9 is still one of the most consistent shooters available for stills, even if no longer untouchable.
• Video is where the Pixel 9 shows cracks — slight jitter and weaker low-light detail versus the S25 or even the prior iPhone.
• The base Pixel 9 loses only the dedicated periscope telephoto versus the Pro — zoom is limited to 8x versus 30x on the Pixel 9 Pro — but still shoots RAW.
• Reddit owners across communities repeatedly call the Pixel 9 camera the best in its class — 'the Pixel 9 Pro does have the best camera' and the standard 9 shares the core system.
• Manual video controls are missing — using a third-party app like Blackmagic regains control but loses Google's processing smarts.
• The camera can record up to 4K at 24/30/60fps with stabilization, and Google's Video Boost feature has matured into a genuinely useful tool over the phone's life.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

The reason to buy the Pro: a genuinely rare 3x periscope plus telemacro on top of a 50MP Samsung-co-engineered main — flagship-style versatility for budget money, with a weak ultrawide the main miss.

• The periscope is the real deal — a 50MP sensor with 3x optical zoom, 6x in-sensor zoom and up to 60x digital, co-headlined by a 50MP OIS f/1.8 main co-engineered with Samsung.
• Spending the extra $80 over the base 3a gets you the best camera experience in this mid-range class.
• The telephoto doubles as a tele-macro at 70mm and produces excellent close-up shots — versatility you don't expect at the price.
• It's a shame the camera still doesn't stack up against the Pixel 9 series, and the 3x zoom is comparatively weak versus dedicated cameras.
• It's rare to get 4K video from a 50MP selfie camera on a sub-$500 phone — a genuine standout for budget creators.

Google Pixel 9

The Tensor G4 with 12GB RAM handles everyday tasks and multitasking smoothly, but it is the consensus weak link — trailing Snapdragon 8 Elite and Apple silicon, running warm under sustained load, and forcing graphics settings down in demanding games.

• The Tensor G4 with 12GB RAM makes everyday multitasking a breeze and animations stay smooth with no performance issues in normal use.
• Compared to Snapdragon-chip phones the Tensor G4 'just doesn't hold up' — the single biggest long-term complaint about the phone.
• To hit high frame rates in Call of Duty Warzone Mobile the settings have to drop to super low, while a Snapdragon 8 Elite S25 ran the same game at medium-high and 90–120fps.
• The phone gets noticeably warm to the touch under sustained video or use because the Tensor G4 has far less headroom than a Snapdragon 8 Elite.
• Reddit users note the Tensor chip is known to underperform versus Snapdragon, a recurring criticism of Pixel hardware.
• After Android 16 the Pixel 9 got significantly better — enough that one long-term reviewer questioned whether the Pixel 10 brings enough to justify upgrading.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 is upper-mid — smooth daily and well thermally managed, but raw benchmarks are weak and demanding games drop frames.

• It runs a 4nm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 with up to 12GB RAM (plus virtual RAM) and 256GB UFS 2.2 storage.
• Even under prolonged stress testing the chipset loses very little performance, with excellent thermal-throttling behaviour and no major dips.
• Nothing claims it's 33% faster in CPU, 11% in GPU and 92% better at AI tasks than the Phone 2a — ~40% better CPU / ~90% better GPU than the two-year-old Phone 2.
• Gaming holds 120fps in BGMI and 90fps in Call of Duty, but heavier titles like Asphalt run at 60fps with missing visual effects and drop to ~30–35fps in action.
• You can find ways to get the phone stuttering when moving through heavy apps or gaming, but the performance still can't be faulted for the price.

Google Pixel 9

The 4700mAh battery delivers genuinely good, much-improved endurance — 5+ hours of screen-on time is typical. Charging is the catch: 27W wired tops out around 80–100 minutes to full, well behind OnePlus rivals.

• Battery life is much improved over the mediocre Pixel 8 — regularly 5+ hours of screen-on time with 20–30% left at the end of the day.
• Battery-test reviewers confirm Google's longer-battery-life claims hold up in real-world Wi-Fi and 5G scenarios.
• The 4700mAh battery is slightly larger than the Pixel 8's 4575mAh and Google's claimed longer endurance was confirmed by battery testing.
• Charging is slow: roughly 80 minutes wired and over 2 hours wirelessly to full — 27W wired, 12W Qi, 15W on the Pixel Stand.
• Lab charging test: 50% in 28 minutes, 80% in 53 minutes, 100% in 1 hour 44 minutes — peaking around 25W and 36.6°C front temperature, similar to an iPhone.
• Slow charging is a recurring competitive knock — OnePlus rivals charge fully in under 20 minutes versus the Pixel's ~80–100.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

A 5,000mAh cell that's exceptionally well optimised — a day and a half of use that out-endures the Pixel 9a — with fast 50W wired charging, but no wireless charging.

• In an extreme multi-task drain test the 3a Pro lasted 9h08m, beating the Pixel 9a's 7h30m — a great improvement showing how well Nothing has optimised it.
• In regular medium-to-heavy use you can expect about 7–8 hours of screen-on time, and a day and a half with moderate use.
• 50W wired charging fully replenishes the 5,000mAh battery from zero in about 56 minutes (50% in under 20 minutes).
• At 5,000mAh it's starting to look modest against newer 6,000–7,000mAh rivals, but it's far from bad.
• There's no wireless charging and no reverse charging — and no charger in the box.

Google Pixel 9

Pixel OS is repeatedly named the best version of Android — clean, near-bloatware-free and fluid — backed by 7 years of updates. Gemini and on-device AI features are a headline draw, though the post-trial Google One cost and Gemini-Nano version gating draw criticism.

• Pixel OS is many reviewers' favorite version of Android — smooth, enjoyable and packed with useful built-in features, with the 7 years of updates 'the cherry on top'.
• 7 years of OS and security updates means the Pixel 9 will still be supported until 2031 — one of the most underrated aspects of the phone.
• After 10 months on Android 15 the Pixel 9 still delivers one of the cleanest, smartest software experiences available, with almost no bloatware — its strongest asset.
• Google front-and-centered AI on the Pixel 9 — Reddit users argue Apple and Samsung 'are not even close' on software/AI advancements, making it the AI phone of its moment.
• Post-launch updates fixed real issues — audio delay in video apps and camera-lens-switch stability — and all Pixel 9 devices get day-one updates.
• AI longevity is questioned — the Pixel 9 reportedly isn't compatible with Gemini Nano version 3, raising doubts about how meaningful 7 years of support stays as AI requirements escalate.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

Nothing OS is the phone's quiet superpower — one of the cleanest Android experiences outside a Pixel with strong support — but the Essential Key underwhelms and the Glyph still feels unfinished.

• Nothing OS is one of the best ways to experience Android — Pixel-clean but even more minimalist.
• Nothing promises 3 years of OS updates and 6 years of security patches (some now report OS support extended to 4 years) — reasonable for the price.
• Essential Space is the best use of on-device AI seen outside Google and Samsung — capture a rambling monologue and it saves the details accurately.
• Even months in, the Essential Key still isn't very useful — and the rumoured ~$120/year Essential Space cost is unwelcome.
• Nothing has begun diluting what makes it special — lock-screen ads and pre-installed bloatware are being added across the lineup.

Google Pixel 9

At $799 (a $100 hike over the Pixel 8) the Pixel 9 is positioned against the OnePlus 12 and Galaxy S25. Verdicts split between 'best Pixel ever / best in its price range' and 'no longer the best base model' as rivals offer faster silicon and charging for less.

• Called 'perhaps the best Pixel ever made' — a strong all-round hardware-and-software package.
• TechRadar's verdict: 'a fantastic phone (added fees may apply)' — the asterisk being the $100 price increase.
• Android Authority's framing: the Pixel 9 costs more but still matches the Galaxy and iPhone.
• One long-term verdict: 'good, but no longer the best base model' — competitors caught up over the phone's life.
• If you can get it for $700 or less it's an excellent choice for non-power-users; at full $799 the value is harder to defend versus rivals.
• OnePlus owners argue the OnePlus 12 offers significantly faster performance, a bigger battery and far faster charging for less money.
• Reddit owners still call it a hard phone to ignore — top-tier battery, decent fast charging, excellent camera, great screen and gorgeous build, often $1000 cheaper than comparable Apple/Samsung over its life as prices drop.

Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

At $459 it's repeatedly named the best affordable premium phone — chosen over the Pixel 9a and the only budget phone worth buying in India — thanks to camera versatility unmatched at the price.

• It's the favourite affordable premium smartphone over the Google Pixel 9a.
• It's the only budget phone worth buying in India.
• A stylish, almost-flagship experience for $459 — bigger 6.77-inch AMOLED, periscope camera, telemacro, all keeping the price in check.
• It's a bold declaration of style in a sea of lookalike devices, absolutely worth your money if you crave personality in your tech.
• For mobile photographers, clean-software lovers and those tired of bloated UIs it's an emphatic recommendation — it stands out in a sea of generic phones.