How the Google Pixel 9a balances gaming, camera tech and an affordable price, plus hands-on with Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm and more.
As the cost of living continues to skyrocket, budget smartphones have become more and more important for gamers, tech lovers and general consumers around the globe. Enter the Google Pixel 9A – the tech giant’s latest attempt at offering flashy features at a much friendlier price. But does it nail the brief?
Well let’s start with that price. Starting at $849, the Pixel 9A is still likely to cause some degree of sticker shock for what is being pitched as a ‘budget offering’. Still, it manages to undercut the mainline Pixel 9 by a respectable $500 and bests Apple’s competitor, the iPhone 16e, by $150. What I appreciated most about the device though is that it doesn’t feel cheap as a result.
The phone still has a sufficiently weighty feel to it and retains a naturally similar formfactor to the mainline Pixel 9 series, just with Gorilla Glass 3 on the front. To help keep costs down the rear of the phone does rely on plastic, but thankfully that doesn’t cheapen the look and feel of the Pixel 9A and most people are going to throw some sort of case on the back of the thing anyway. If anything, the move to plastic may actually bode well with some due to less potential shattering from accidental drops.
At the front you’ve got a 6.3-inch 1080 x 2424 OLED screen and it looks pretty darn nice and gets as bright as you’ll need it to. There’s also a welcome 120 Hz refresh rate, but you will sadly have to contend with some pretty chunky bezels that I really wish Goggle would have tried to avoid purely for aesthetics. Regardless, whether you’re mindlessly doomscrolling or watching content, this screen is perfectly placed among its competitors.
The most interesting switch up though in the Pixel 9A’s design is the camera. Gone is the camera bar that has become synonymous with the Pixel line-up, ditched in favour of a more traditional cut-out that actually looks more in line with the iPhone 16e.
I was instantly impressed with how little the cut-out protrudes from the rear of the device, meaning it actually sits flush on a table without a case, and that truly feels like a rarity for modern phones these days.
The reduction in camera bump does come at a cost though – the Pixel 9A lacking the range of sensors found in the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. Instead, you’ll nab a 48MP wide sensor (the primary driver) as well as a 13MP ultrawide and 13MP selfie camera.
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As a full suite of sensors, the phone isn’t going to blow you away with its snaps but it’s still remarkably serviceable for the price point. With great lighting you’re going to take some truly great photos that deliver on contrast, detail and colour. Where things suffer a little more are with both digital zoom and low light conditions, both of which can cause a grainer end result.
Gaming on the other hand, fares much better in comparison to the rest of the Pixel family. Also powered by Google’s own Tensor G4 chip, the Pixel 9A is more than capable of handing most mobile offerings in today’s mobile market. That said, also like the Pixel and Pixel 9 Pro the Tensor G4 just isn’t the graphical powerhouse some would have hoped it to be.
That means while many games perform hassle-free (Marvel Snap, Pokemon TCG and a handful of others ran without issue), you are going to encounter the odd hiccup with more demanding titles like Call of Duty: Mobile and Genshin Impact. It’s certainly not every time, and more than playable in every instance, but it’s also not a buttery smooth display of power. Considering the budget-nature of the Pixel 9a, I think this is hardly a deal-breaker for most casual gamers, but if you are looking for raw performance, you’re unfortunately going to have to look elsewhere.
Instead, think of the Pixel 9a as Google’s best all-rounder offering. Where the 9 Pro and 9 Pro Fold offer more impressive specs or fancy new technology, the 9a walks a tight balance between features and feasibility. If you’re shopping for a new device on a budget, the Pixel 9a is hard to overlook.
The Google Pixel 6a is available from $849 via the Google Store.
The Google Pixel 6a is available from $849 via the Google Store.
Also out now…
Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm
If you’re a Magic: The Gathering fan you’re absolutely feasting right now. But before things get truly wild with the highly anticipated Final Fantasy collaboration in just a few months, you’ve first got to brush up on the card game’s latest set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm.
After the seemingly left-field turn of Aetherdrift which left the fanbase somewhat divided, Tarkir: Dragonstorm looks and feels like a much more traditional offering from the moment you start unwrapping your cards. Long-time fans will be chuffed at the return to the popular Takir plane which just so happens to be dealing with dragonstorms understandably causing all sorts of wild dragons and associated chaos. With the previous dragonlords forced out as a result of the chaos, it also leads to a bit of a power struggle as the five clans within the land battling for dominance. With the threat of the dragonstorms spreading even further, it’s given Wizards of the Coast a rich battleground that thankfully this set capitalises on.
Case in point: there’s a much a heavier focus on commander decks this time around, with five new sets on offer, each themed to a different “clan” – Abzan Armor, Jeskai Striker, Sultai Arisen, Mardu Surge and Temur Roar. While I’m not always the biggest fan of Magic’s Commander decks, the fact that each ready-to-play offering in Takir comes stocked with a mix of new cards and retuning favourites, plus its own unique hook was a great call. Abzan for example is all about a defensive, slower strategy based around counters, while Sultai hopes to overwhelm by exiling creatures from your graveyard for extra buffs.
Temur Roar, the deck I got to spend time with focuses on utilising Harmonize which allows you to not only cast cards from your graveyard, but reduce that associated cost by tapping an uptapped creature in play. Temur Roar is already proving to become the most popular sets of the bunch and it’s not hard to see why, with some truly devastating turns possible here, and I enjoyed the sheer power trip it allows for.
But despite my love of Temur and the fact that I didn’t have the opportunity to trial all the Commanders on offer, I do truly appreciate the sheer variety at play here. The vastly different clans should help those players looking to continue tailoring their game to a specific playstyle and not just focus on pure power output.
Plus, the art across the entire set remains consistently impressive. It’s more traditional than the likes of Aetherdrift, but it’s hard not to be impressed with the truly awe-inspiring dragons you can throw onto the battlefield.
Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm may be seen as a safer release, but there’s little to complain about when it feels this polished and enjoyable. Now bring on Final Fantasy!
Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm is available from $7.95 via The Gamesmen.
South of Midnight (Xbox Series X/S, PC)
It truly feels like Xbox is firing on all cylinders at the moment as it continues to bolster its Game pass offering, and South of Midnight is just another feather in the company’s cap.
At its core, South of Midnight is all about its world. By focusing on its American South-styled setting, it provides the game an incredibly unique flair that clearly wears its influences on its sleeve. The stellar soundtrack embraces all manner of tunes ranging from jazz and bluegrass, while creatures made famous in Southern Folklore (like the legendary Two-Toed Tom) also make an appearance. Coupled with incredibly beautiful stop-motion-styled visuals and the tale of the teenage protagonist Hazel trying to track down her mum following a hurricane is something special indeed.
Where South of Midnight falters is with its combat, which just feels a little too simple and repetitive to remain engaging, which isn’t helped by a relatively linear path (although these encounters can be reduced in your settings). That said, it shouldn’t deter you from checking out and supporting South of Midnight, especially if you already are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass. Recommended.
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