Google Pixel 9a vs Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

Google Pixel 9a

A 6.3-inch P-OLED with 2,700 nits peak brightness (100 nits brighter than the Samsung S25 Ultra), 120Hz adaptive refresh, 1080p resolution, and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Reviewers love the brightness in sunlight and the dynamic refresh between 60 and 120 Hz, but some flag a visible 'mura' or grain pattern on the panel and slightly chunky bezels for the price tier.

• 6.3-inch 1080p P-OLED, 120Hz adaptive (switches between 60 and 120 Hz), 2,700 nits peak brightness with excellent visibility in sunlight per Tech Chap review.
• 2,700 nits peak is '100 nits brighter than the S26 Ultra, which also costs around $1,000 more' — per Linus Tech Tips, a remarkable spec parity at flagship prices.
• P-OLED 'mura' pattern issue: 'once you see the mural or the grains on the display itself, you can't really unsee it' — SuperSaf flags panel uniformity issues.
• Off-axis viewing angles significantly improved over the Pixel 8a per Dave2D — addressed a key complaint from the prior generation.
• Hole-punch cutout is 'overly large' compared to flagships — Tech Chap notes the punch hole is bigger than Samsung S25's, producing a less clean look.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

A 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED at 144Hz with 2,160Hz PWM dimming — reviewers agree it's the best screen Nothing has built, with realistic outdoor brightness around 1,600 nits. The headline 5,000-nit peak, though, only materialises with special HDR test files; everyday brightness is far lower.

• Nothing's best-ever display: a 144Hz panel with 1,600 nits of outdoor brightness and a claimed 5,000 nits peak; the main camera is solid too with nice detail and well-reproduced colours.
• A claimed 1,600-nit outdoor brightness is realistic — no major visibility issues outdoors even in strong sunshine, putting it among the best affordable phones, and Nothing OS has some of the best design consistency of any Android UI.
• The 4,500-nit HDR peak was only validated with specific HDR test files, not actual video playback — real-world output is around 700 nits in SDR and 1,550–1,600 in HDR.
• The '5,000-nit peak brightness' spec means nothing in practice — a marketing figure pulled from a single-pixel measurement.
• 144Hz refresh (vs 120Hz on the regular 4a) and 1,600 nits white brightness / 5,000 nits peak, marketed as 66% brighter than the Phone (3a) series — though there's no extra output on a small 10% window.

Google Pixel 9a

48MP main camera (f/1.7, OIS, smaller sensor than Pixel 9 but bigger than Pixel 8a's 64MP) + 13MP ultrawide. Pixel image processing produces 'classic Pixel HDR look' that reviewers consistently rate the best camera in the under-$500 price bracket. Macro mode, Add Me, Night Sight, and Magic Editor all included; video capped at 4K 60fps rear / 4K 30fps front and ultrawide.

• 48MP main camera 'is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best camera on a phone in its price category' per The News Minute long-term review.
• Main sensor is smaller than Pixel 9 — 'a substantially smaller sensor than the one on the Pixel 9, but this compromise is what has allowed Google to make the camera bump so tiny' per Tech Chap.
• Macro mode now built into the main camera as a Pixel 8a upgrade — newly added at the 9a price tier.
• Add Me feature included from flagship Pixel 9 — combines two photos into a group shot via AI overlay.
• Ultrawide camera is 'pretty weak and something that has been an issue on previous Pixel A cameras' per Dave2D — secondary lens still trails the flagship Pixels.
• Video output capped: rear records 4K 30/60fps, front camera limited to 4K 30fps. Ultrawide only does 4K 30fps. iPhone 14 supports 4K 60fps from front and ultrawide at this price tier.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

The headline value play: a 50MP Sony LYT-710 main with OIS, a true 50MP 3.5x periscope telephoto (80mm) with OIS, and an 8MP ultrawide — flagship-tier hardware Samsung and Apple don't put in phones at this price. Output is characterful and the telephoto is a genuine win, but reviewers consistently flag inconsistency, average low-light and a gimmicky 140x digital zoom.

• Triple rear system: 50MP Sony LYT-710 main (f/1.9, OIS), 8MP ultrawide, and a 50MP periscope telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom (80mm, f/2.9, OIS).
• Both the main and periscope-zoom cameras are 50MP and deliver strong results for this price range; the zoom in particular stands out from competitors and even allows for extreme digital zoom.
• Having a proper dedicated telephoto shooter is a genuine love, although the camera experience itself is a little bit inconsistent at times.
• It's not clinically the best camera, but the shots have a bit more soul to them.

Google Pixel 9a

5,100 mAh battery is the largest in any Pixel ever — bigger than the $1,299 Galaxy S25 Ultra's. Tom's Guide measured 13h 8m web surfing on a single charge; reviewers consistently report 7-8 hours of screen-on time and comfortable two-day light usage. Charging is the obvious weak point: 23W wired (full charge in ~1h 41m) and 7.5W Qi wireless are slow vs midrange competitors hitting 50W+.

• 5,100 mAh battery 'exceeds even that of the premium $1,299 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra' — per MacRumors, the largest battery ever in a Pixel.
• Tom's Guide measured 13h 8m on single charge — 'a significant jump from the Pixel 8a, which topped out at 11 hours and 21 minutes.'
• Active use score 12h 30m in lab tests — 'solid active use score' per Tom's Guide review; comfortable two-day life under light use.
• Real-world: 'continues to give me between 8 and 10 hours, sometimes a little bit more, of screen-on time' per long-term Linus Tech Tips review.
• 23W wired charging is slow — 'a full charge took an hour and 41 minutes' per Tom's Guide; way behind midrange OnePlus 100W or Xiaomi 50W charging.
• 7.5W Qi wireless charging is slow and non-Qi2 — no Pixelsnap, no magnetic accessories; takes 2-3 hours to fully charge wirelessly.
• Battery Health Assistant kicks in at 200 charge cycles to gradually reduce max voltage — 'designed to extend battery lifespan' per Google but reviewers report 'slight charging-speed drops' afterward.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

The ~5,080mAh cell reliably gets through a day and endurance improved across all of GSMArena's tests versus the 3a Pro — but it's only an 80mAh bump over last year and looks small next to 6,000–7,000mAh budget rivals. 50W wired charging is the trade-off win; there is no wireless charging at all.

• Endurance has improved across the board in all tests compared to last year's Nothing Phone (3a) Pro; with a 68W USB-PD charger the phone peaked at around 42W.
• The review unit gets through a day without problems, but it'll certainly be into the red and close to done after about 15 hours of use; the OnePlus 15R has a much meatier battery to last longer.
• It's only an 80mAh increase over last year — small fry next to budget rivals like the Poco M8 Pro, which uses silicon-carbon tech to reach 6,500mAh.
• 50W wired charging is very respectable at this price — besting anything Google, Apple or Samsung offers below £500.
• Because the processor isn't power-hungry and the battery is large for the chip, real-world battery life is excellent.

Google Pixel 9a

At $499 retail (with frequent sale pricing of $349-$399), the Pixel 9a is the consensus best value in the midrange. Reviewers position it favorably against the iPhone 16e ($599), Samsung A56, Nothing Phone 3a Pro, and Xiaomi Poco F7 Pro. The $300 price gap with the flagship Pixel 9 makes the 9a 'almost comical' to choose against, per Trusted Reviews.

• Trusted Reviews: 'The Pixel 9a closes the gap between it and the flagship Pixel 9 more than any 'a' series device that came before it, so much so that the £300/$300 price difference between the two seems almost comical.'
• Currently selling at all-time low of $399 (128GB) and $349 (sale) per Gizmodo — 'Save over $100 on an unlocked Google Pixel 9a' makes it among the best deals in midrange Android.
• vs iPhone 16e ($599): 'Look at any Android smartphone at the same price point and you get a punch hole camera, which gives the display a far slicker and more contemporary look than the iPhone 17e's notch.'
• Wired's verdict: 'Google Pixel 9a: Still the Best Smartphone' — full headline endorsement after months of comparison testing.
• vs Pixel 10a: '10a now charges faster at 30W versus 23W on the Pixel 9a, and it does have a newer modem' but '9a remains a more financially-reasonable upgrade, unless you can find a deal on the 10a that brings its price down massively.'
• Linus Tech Tips final verdict: 'If you want a $300 value beast, absolutely 100% yes' — at sale prices the Pixel 9a is the no-brainer recommendation.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

At $499 it directly undercuts the experience-per-dollar of the same-priced Pixel 10a and iPhone 17e, and several reviewers would take it over the 10a without hesitation. The closest internal threat is its own cheaper sibling, the standard Phone (4a), which shares the same cameras for $150 less.

• From the design to the software and cameras, this is a phone that should absolutely not be slept on — at the price of a Pixel 10a, 'I'd take this 10 out of 10 times over a 10a.'
• Vibes and great value for under $500 — a balanced all-rounder.
• Against its immediate rivals the Pixel 10a and iPhone 17e it looks impressive: a larger, brighter, faster display, more cameras, and Nothing's unique design including the Glyph Matrix.
• A premium balanced package with polished software and really good cameras — recommended, even if it's not perfect on the IP rating or front-camera 4K.
• The biggest problem for the 4a Pro is its own little brother — the standard 4a costs much less and gets the exact same cameras.