Images of the Pixel 9a and its official cases confirm the death of the Pixel camera bar

The Pixel 9a has been reported to be getting an early launch — instead of a second quarter release, which is usually during Google I/O, the smartphone will be announced in March. And as has become the norm with new Pixel devices, there have been lots of leaks and there's barely anything we don't already know about the upcoming phone. Nevertheless, another leak has surfaced, revealing the Pixel 9a in all the colors it will be available in.

The leaked images posted by Android Headlines confirm an earlier report that revealed the Pixel 9a will be available in four colors which are dubbed Peony, Iris, Obsidian, and Porcelain. They also give us a better look at the Pixel 9a's redesign which includes a nearly flush camera island, a flat frame, and a flat back.

The colors of the phone also match the colors of the official first-party cases which were shared earlier by Android Authority. The cases are made of soft silicone but have a microfiber lining inside. There's also a Google G logo on the outside and the word Pixel inscribed on the inside. Unlike the cases of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, there's no protruding lip for the camera island since the Pixel 9a has ditched the raised camera bar design.

Google is expected to announce the Pixel 9a on March 19. The phone will have a bigger footprint than the Pixel 8a thanks to having a bigger battery capacity. The 5,100mAh battery, which is the biggest ever in a Pixel smartphone will charge at 23W using a wired charger and 7.5W using a wireless charger.

The new Pixel smartphone will also be getting a camera upgrade. Instead of a 64MP primary rear camera, it will have a new 48MP sensor. However, it will retain the 13MP ultrawide angle camera and 13MP front-facing camera of its predecessor. The Pixel 9a will retain the $499 starting price of the Pixel 8a (curr. available for $399 on Amazon) but the 256GB version will cost $100 more, a $50 increase from the Pixel 8a with the same configuration.

Notwithstanding, the Pixel 9a will be facing stiff competition this year. There's the already announced OnePlus 13R which also costs $599 (12GB RAM + 256GB), has a triple rear cameras including a 50MP telephoto sensor, and a 6,000mAh battery with support for 80W fast wired charging. There's also the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A56 and iPhone SE 4.