With all of the talk about tariffs driving up prices, the phrase “cheaper” ought to deliver consolation to simply about anybody. That’s why I’m delighted to share that the cheaper smartphone from Google has arrived, a number of months after Apple launched a considerably cheaper entry-level iPhone — and that each merchandise are superb.
Google this week launched the Pixel 9a, the $500 sibling of its $800 flagship smartphone, the Pixel 9. It competes straight with the $600 iPhone 16e launched in February, the cheaper model of Apple’s $800 iPhone 16.
Each of the brand new telephones have the staples that individuals care most about — nice cameras, good screens, zippy speeds, trendy software program and lengthy battery life. To chop prices, they omit some fancier extras, like superior digital camera options.
Is it a clever thought to avoid wasting bucks, or higher to spend extra on the fancier telephones? To seek out out, I strapped on a fanny pack and carried all 4 telephones with me for the final week to run assessments.
The upshot: As is usually the case, you get what you pay for. The $800 telephones are barely higher by way of options and efficiency than the cheaper variations, and the $600 iPhone is quicker and has a greater digital camera than the $500 Pixel.
However extra vital, the cheaper Pixel and iPhone had been practically indistinguishable from their $800 counterparts in a number of of my assessments. In some circumstances, like battery life, the cheaper telephones had been even higher.
The way forward for telephone costs stays unsure, however prices will most likely go up. On Wednesday, when President Trump introduced a pause on most “reciprocal” tariffs, he raised tariffs on China, the place many telephones are manufactured. So loads of us might quickly be motivated to compromise and take into account inexpensive alternate options.
Apple declined to touch upon whether or not it could improve costs of its iPhones, however analysts estimate that tariffs may drive up the price of some iPhone 16 Professional fashions to anyplace from $1,300 to $2,300. Google stated there have been no deliberate adjustments to the $500 worth for the Pixel 9a, nevertheless it declined to touch upon whether or not it could amend the value of its $800 Pixel 9.
The cheaper iPhone and Pixel look practically equivalent to their dearer siblings. Right here’s a rundown of how they evaluate:
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The screens on the telephones are the identical measurement. (The iPhones measure 6.1 diagonal inches, and the Pixels measure 6.3 diagonal inches). The iPhone 16e’s display screen is barely dimmer than the iPhone 16’s, however the distinction is hardly noticeable.
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Each cheaper telephones lack some digital camera options discovered on the dearer variations. The Pixel 9a’s digital camera sensor is smaller than the Pixel 9’s, that means it should seize much less element and lightweight. The iPhone 16e’s digital camera has one digital camera lens as a substitute of two, so it may’t create sure sorts of particular results, corresponding to “ultrawide” images with a broader area of view for scenic photographs of the Grand Canyon.
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Each inexpensive telephones are barely much less highly effective than their nicer counterparts. All 4 telephones embrace the identical laptop processors. However the Pixel 9a has much less reminiscence for operating a number of apps on the similar time, and the iPhone 16e has a barely weaker graphics processing unit for operating video games with heavy animation.
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The iPhone 16e lacks the iPhone 16’s MagSafe function, which makes use of a magnet to connect equipment corresponding to energy chargers and wallets to the again of the telephone. The telephone can nonetheless be charged wirelessly, nevertheless, utilizing a slower charging commonplace referred to as Qi.
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Each telephones can make the most of synthetic intelligence. The iPhone 16e can use Apple Intelligence to summarize textual content, generate photographs and take away picture bombers from photos. And the Pixel 9a can run Google’s A.I., together with the Gemini chatbot and comparable picture enhancing instruments. However each corporations are nonetheless growing their A.I. software program, which stays largely unfinished, so this function might not be that vital to most telephone customers.
Battery
Lengthy battery life is excessive on the precedence checklist for individuals shopping for a brand new telephone, and the cheaper Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e are the clear winners right here. They’ve bigger batteries partly as a result of they’ve more room for them, because the telephones lack some options discovered of their more-expensive counterparts.
The iPhone 16e and Pixel 9a lasted a few day and a half with common use, together with net shopping, picture capturing and video enjoying, earlier than their batteries had been depleted. The iPhone 16 and Pixel 9 each lasted a few day.
Digital camera Checks
The downsides of shopping for cheaper telephones had been most pronounced of their cameras.
I took my corgi, Max, to a park to take images of him in numerous lighting circumstances, together with shiny daylight, within the shade and in partly shaded areas. Generally, images taken with each the Pixel 9a and Pixel 9 regarded constantly clear, with correct colours.
However the Pixel 9a’s weaknesses had been seen in tougher lighting circumstances, corresponding to when Max sat on a shaded path with daylight filtering by way of the timber. The Pixel 9a struggled to differentiate the sunshine from the shade, and Max regarded blown out by the solar. (The Pixel 9 did high-quality on this scenario.)
Once I examined the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 cameras, they excelled in all these assessments, and the outcomes had been practically indistinguishable.
Each iPhones outperformed the Pixel telephones in capturing movies. Movies recorded of Max strolling by way of the park had been clearer and smoother on the iPhones; the Pixel telephone’s movies regarded choppier.
So the primary draw back of the cheaper iPhone digital camera is solely what it may’t do. As a result of the iPhone 16e lacks a second lens, I wasn’t in a position to take an ultrawide shot of Max operating in a area of grass.
Velocity
The dearer telephones barely outperformed the cheaper telephones by way of velocity.
In line with the speed-testing app Geekbench, the Pixel 9a is about 4 p.c slower than the Pixel 9, and the iPhone 16e is 3 p.c slower than the iPhone 16.
In real-world use of the telephones, most individuals most likely gained’t discover a distinction. Once I put the telephones aspect by aspect and launched completely different apps and video games, their efficiency felt about the identical to me.
What This Means for You
When you care principally about having a smartphone with lengthy battery life and a superb digital camera, you’d be pleased with both the iPhone 16e or Pixel 9a. However should you care so much about any of the premium options lacking from the cheaper telephones, corresponding to taking extra detailed, better-looking images or utilizing Apple’s MagSafe to cost your iPhone, then spending extra remains to be a high-quality thought.
Simply prepare to think about a smartphone as a longer-term funding, similar to a car, since costs are more likely to go up quickly.
