When the first renders of the Pixel 9a leaked, I had a very negative gut reaction to the phone’s design. It looked cheap, it lacked personality, and I thought Google had ruined one of its Pixel line’s most iconic design features — the camera bump. Going for a nondescript flat camera module seemed to reduce the Pixel 9a to a generic-looking budget Android phone, not a unique one filled with Google’s personality and its camera and AI wizardry.
I wasn’t too excited about testing the phone, but when it dropped at my doorstep and I unboxed that eco-friendly cardboard, I was a little stunned. Maybe it’s the flashy — really flashy — “Peony” fuchsia-pink color, maybe it’s the aluminum frame with flat edges, but the Pixel 9a looks anything but cheap. And now that I know why exactly Google went for this design, I am much more inclined to look at it positively.