Pixel 9a leak reveals Google's budget phone keeps this disappointing design feature

Leaked render of the Google Pixel 9a.

The Google Pixel 8a is currently our pick of the best cheap phones, and only one handset looks capable of displacing its superb price-to-performance ratio: its upcoming successor, the Pixel 9a.

But Google had to make compromises to get the Pixel 8a in at under $499, and one visibly obvious one is the size of the bezels impinging on-screen space. The phone has an 81.6% screen-to-body ratio, and for context, flagships tend to be over 90%. The iPhone 16 Pro Max, for example, is at 91.4% while the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hits 92.5%.