(Credit: Eric Zeman/PCMag)
Google’s newest phone, the Pixel 9a, finally has a launch date: Consumers in the US, Canada, and the UK will be able to buy it starting Thursday, April 10.
Google delayed the phone’s arrival to address a faulty component found inside a small number of affected product units. Google didn't disclose which component experienced the problems, but it told us, "A passive component in Pixel 9a didn’t meet our rigorous quality standards for device longevity, and rather than ship it, we made the difficult decision to delay the on-shelf and take corrective action on the small number of affected units.”
It looks like Google has since addressed the issue. The company is preparing to sell the Pixel 9a through the Google Store and retail partners. For now, though, the Google Store isn't offering preorders, only the option to receive a notification for when it becomes available.
A support document adds the phone will be available in European countries on April 14. The product will then arrive in Australia, India, Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia on April 16. Consumers in Japan will get the device at a later date.
We got some hands-on time with the $499 Pixel 9a earlier this month. On the plus side, the phone features the same Tensor G4 processor as the $799 Pixel 9, the $999 Pixel 9 Pro, and the $1,099 Pixel 9 Pro XL. But to get to that lower price, the Pixel 9a features downgraded cameras and a thicker bezel around the 6.3-inch OLED display. Stay tuned for our full review.