On Wednesday, Google announced the Pixel 9A. Just a couple of hours later, we found out there's been a minor delay in actually getting the phone into people's hands.
The Verge reported that pre-orders have not been opened for Pixel 9A yet, despite Google usually doing so right as a device is announced, due to an unspecified hardware problem with the phones. In a statement to The Verge, Google confirmed that there is a "component quality issue" affecting a "small number" of Pixel 9A devices, which means the phone will not be on shelves until sometime in April.
This certainly explains a couple of odd things about the Pixel 9A rollout. The lack of pre-order availability was the biggest sign that something was wrong, but as The Verge noted (and Mashable can confirm), nobody in the media has gotten a review unit, either. As to what the actual problem is, all anyone can do is speculate. Maybe it's the battery, maybe it's the display, or maybe it's something else entirely.
It's a shame because the Pixel 9A is one of the more interesting Google hardware launches in a minute. Unlike most of the Pixel A-series phones, it's a fairly radical redesign of the Pixel 9 that it's based on, as it removes the rear camera bump that has defined the Pixel aesthetic for years. At just $499 with a Tensor G4 chip and a 120Hz refresh rate, one could argue the Pixel 9A is a substantially better value than the $599 iPhone 16e, which is still stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate.
Keep an eye out for more info on this in the next few weeks.
