Google solves its mysterious Pixel problem, announces 9a launch date

Google has sorted out its Pixel problems and will begin the 9a rollout on April 10.

Google revealed the Pixel 9a last week, but its release plans were put on hold by a mysterious "component quality issue." Whatever that was, it's been worked out. Google now says its new budget smartphone will arrive as soon as April 10. The date varies by market, but the wait is almost over.

The first wave of 9a releases on April 10 will include the US, Canada, and the UK. On April 14, the Pixel 9a will arrive in Europe, launching in Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, France, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Poland, Czechia, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Finland. On April 16, the phone will come to Australia, India, Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

You may think that takes care of Google's launch commitments, but no—Japan still has no official launch date. That's a bit strange, as Japan is not a new addition to Google's list of supported regions. It's unclear if this has anything to do with the previous component issue. Google says only that the Japanese launch will happen "soon." Its statements about the delayed release were also vague, with representatives noting that the cause was a "passive component."

The 9a comes in Obsidian, Porcelain, Iris, and Peony.

Credit: Google

The Pixel 9a runs the same Tensor G4 chip as the flagship Pixels, but there are a few downgrades. It has an older cellular modem that may be less efficient and lacks satellite support, and there's just 8GB of RAM. That last limitation means Google had to develop a new version of Gemini Nano to run on the phone. It's text-only, so some of Google's coolest AI features won't work on this phone.

The Pixel 9a will start at $499 in the US, with an upgrade from 128GB of storage to 256GB for an additional $100. The base price is unchanged from last year, but the storage upgrade is $40 higher. Canadian pricing will start at $679 CAD. In the UK, it will be 499 GBP, and the rest of Europe is looking at 549 euros to start. You still can't preorder the phone, but you can sign up to be notified when it's available on the Google Store.

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