The Google Pixel 9a is expected to get a redesign on the camera array, losing the edge-to-edge bar we've grown to know. The camera itself will get an internal change that sounds like a downgrade compared to the previous model.
The leak comes to us from Android Headlines, who report that Google will put a 48-megapixel primary sensor in the main camera in next year's Pixel 9a. If true, this would be a significant downgrade from the Pixel 8a, which runs a 64MP primary camera.
The new camera would be slightly less powerful than the current Pixel 9 lineup, which features 50MP main cameras across the entire series.
Based on previously leaked renders, it does appear that the Pixel 9a will still have a two-lens setup with the main camera and a 13MP ultrawide. The ultrawide is much weaker than the 48MP sensor on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. Like the Pixel 8a, it will not have a telephoto camera. According to the leak, the front-facing camera will retain the same 13MP sensor.
As noted by AH, despite the lower resolution, the 9a should still take better images than the 8a, thanks to the larger size of the megapixels.
This is the first real leak of the cameras' capabilities for the Pixel 9a. We should see more information closer to the phone's release date.
Beyond that, as mentioned, the camera array should be different with a flat design rather than the thick bar across the entire rear of the camera.
The Pixel 9a is expected to be released in March of 2025, a marked change from previous years when Google released the A series of phones in May, just before the company's annual I/O conference.
Supposedly, this change will be "permanent" going forward, alongside moving the mainline launch up from October to August, as was done this year for the Pixel 9 series.
