Head-to-head with Google’s premium phone, the Pixel 9 Pro, the new mid-tier model is a lot closer than the price difference might suggest.

AVAILABLE NOW: Get the Google Pixel 9a smartphone for $499 at the Google Store. It's been just over six months since Google launched the new Pixel 9 generation of Android smartphones. On February 25, Google announced the Pixel 9a . Now, the wait is finally over. You can snag one of the newest Pixel devices for yourself by way of the Google Store.

The Pixel 9a runs on Android 15 out of the box. Being a Google smartphone, you will always be first in line when it comes to Android updates. Also,