The highly anticipated Pixel 9a has finally received the green light for its international launch. Officially announced for the end of March 2025, Google's latest mid-range smartphone was delayed after the discovery of a mysterious "component quality issue" that affected a small portion of the units produced. Rather than rushing the launch and taking risks, Google preferred to wait before distributing its Pixel 9a. Its launch date is now official.
The Mountain View firm is opting for a gradual rollout for its latest smartphone. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom will be served first with a launch starting on April 10. France is part of the second group of countries that will welcome the device on April 14, alongside Germany, Spain, Italy, and other European nations. Finally, the Google Pixel 9a will be available in Asian markets such as India, Singapore, and Australia starting April 16. Japan is still waiting for a specific availability date.
What happened to the Pixel 9a?
As of this writing, the Pixel 9a is still not available for pre-order on Google's French store. It is only possible to activate notifications to be notified by email of its availability.
The Californian firm is not going into details regarding the "quality issue" encountered by some units. A Google spokesperson explains to The Verge that "the rumors and speculations regarding this delay are false." It adds that a "passive component" in the Pixel 9a did not meet the company's quality standards, which decided to "take corrective action on the small number of affected units" rather than launch. In electronics, a passive component refers to a component that does not require an external power source to function. This could be, for example, a resistor, a capacitor, or a coil.
Also read: Google Pixel 9a vs Apple iPhone 16e: which one to choose in 2025?
The Pixel 9a arrives in France starting at 549 euros, with improvements over its predecessor. It has a larger screen, as well as a Tensor G4 chip and a new design that abandons the photo strip on the back. This more affordable model supports Gemini, but it can't access some advanced features like Pixel Screenshots and Call Notes due to its limited RAM. It only offers 8GB of RAM, compared to 12GB on the 16GB of RAM for other models in the Pixel 9 family.
All Google Pixel 9a launch dates:
- April 10, 2025: United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom
- April 14, 2025: Several European countries, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and others
- April 16, 2025: Australia, India, Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia
- The Japanese launch is planned for later, with no specific date announced.
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