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With the Pixel 9a, Google is about to repeat a huge mistake it made with the Pixel 6

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By Alan Friedman

Published: Mar 17, 2025, 10:50 PM

Pixel 9a render shows off both sides of the mid-ranger.

Google hoped to re-energize the Pixel series with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. With the new Tensor application processor under the hood, Google was hoping to use AI features like the Magic Eraser to entice iPhone owners into making the switch. But Google made some mistakes that made the phone less attractive. First of all, instead of using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G modem chip, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro used the Samsung Exynos 5123 modem and as far as mistakes go, that was a huge one.

Soon, Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users started complaining that they were unable to make or receive calls during certain scenarios when they needed to be connected to their wireless provider the most. None of the modem-related issues would have occurred had Google decided that it would pay up to equip the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro with Qualcomm's more expensive but higher quality 5G modem chip.

They say history repeats itself and that seems to be the case with the mid-range Pixel 9a according to a video made by Sahil Karoul. A YouTube content creator out of Dubai, Karoul was able to obtain a Pixel 9a in advance of its unveiling and recorded an unboxing. The phone that Karoul bought was the purple Iris model. The video noted that the mid-range Pixel 9a is powered by the Tensor G4 application processor with 8GB of RAM.

The Google 9a is primed to have the same connectivity problems as the Pixel 6 series. | Image credit-PhoneArena

The video also showed history repeating itself with the 5G modem chip used on the Pixel 9a apparently the Exynos 5300. The problem with this is that all other Pixel 9 models use the Exynos 5400 modem and the Exynos 5300 was used on the Pixel 8 line. So once again Google skimps out on the modem for a Pixel model opting to use an older and cheaper component. We could be just a couple of days away from the official unveiling of the device which could take place on Wednesday, March 19th.

You might have thought to yourself that Google had learned a lesson with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Too many users found themselves without the ability to make a phone call when they really needed to get in touch with someone. This type of issue repeated itself on the Pixel 8 series with users complaining about poor 5G connectivity, and excessive battery drain when using mobile data.

Considering that the 5G modem on the Pixel 8 series appears to be the same one being used on the Pixel 9a, we wonder whether you might be better off waiting a few months for the Pixel 10 to buy instead of purchasing the Pixel 9a. After all, you don't want to get caught with a phone sporting a poor modem and not being able to dial out during an emergency. And as a Pixel 6 Pro owner, I know this first hand.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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