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Google Pixel 9a leaks suggest a dramatic redesign is coming

Photo credit: Max Buondonno / The Shortcut
  • 📱 The Google Pixel 9a has just been leaked in new renders

  • 📸 Google may be ditching its signature camera bump on the back

  • 🤖 Pixel 9a will reportedly come with Android 15 out of the box

  • 📅 The Pixel 9a's release date is rumored to be sometime in early 2025

Hot on our heels Pixel 9 Pro XL reviewGoogle is getting ready to unveil its next budget Pixel A series phone to the world, and we have a new leak that details what to expect.

The latest Pixel 9a leak shows new renders of the phone thanks OnLeaks And Android Headlinesboth of which are responsible for the leak Galaxy S25, S25 PlusAnd Galaxy S25 Ultraas well as the entire thing Pixel 9 Preparation in advance of publication. The renders suggest a device that looks virtually identical to the Pixel 9, except with one glaring design choice that some will no doubt find disappointing.

Pixel 9a leaking

While the front of the Pixel 9a looks like any other Pixel, the back is a completely different story. Instead of a bar on the back that houses the cameras and flash, Google seems to have decided to integrate the camera sensors directly into the 9a's body, leaving the back flat, featureless and nowhere near as noticeable as the 9a Pixel 8a. The look reminds me a lot of that Essential phone from 2017, except with a larger cutout for the Pixel 9a's larger cameras.

This, my friends, will be a very divisive change if it is true. Google has made it a signature part of its Pixel design since the Pixel 6, and it's sad to see the company move away from it – even if just for a single phone. It's a cool look that stands out from the competition, and it's a shame that it's going to get a lot duller once the 9a comes out. We hope the Pixel 10 retains the signature camera visor.

Google Pixel 9a leaking

Otherwise, the Pixel 9a looks like any other Pixel phone, with a large screen, narrow bezels (albeit thicker than the flagship Pixels), and a metal frame. Accordingly, the phone will be slightly thinner and lighter than the Pixel 8a Android Headlinesand it will be shipped four colors: Porcelain, obsidian, peony and iris (a bluish, purple color).

According to the report, the phone will ship with Android 15 out of the box, and it's likely that the Pixel 9a will be the last to support a Google Tensor chip not made by Google. Until now, Samsung has made the chips in Pixel phones, but that is expected to change later in 2025 with the Pixel 10, which will reportedly be the first device designed, engineered and manufactured entirely by Google.

As for the Pixel 9a, if history is any indication, you can expect the Tensor G4 as well as around 8GB of RAM.

Google is expected to announce the Pixel 9a in 2025. We already saw the launch of Pixel A series phones at the I/O developer conference in May, so this could be the first time we've seen this device. Stay tuned.