Apple iPhone SE 4 vs. Google Pixel 9A: Which is better?

Apple iPhone SE 4 vs. Google Pixel 9A: Which Budget Phone Reigns Supreme?

Written by: Supriya Kadu

Edited by: Omkar Devadkar

Last Updated: October 14, 2024

Summary: Comparison between the iPhone SE 4 and the Google Pixel 9A to help you choose the best phone for yourself.

Given that both the Google Pixel 9a and the iPhone SE 4 will be released in the upcoming year, it seems early to compare them. But the iPhone SE and Pixel A series devices have the power to completely alter our expectations for midrange smartphones, so it makes reasonable that there might be some enthusiasm surrounding the anticipated debuts of these phones.

New AI features have already been made available to a large audience via Google's yearly upgrades, which have reduced the cost of Pixel flagships on some recent models. A perfect example of this is the current Pixel 8a, which supports many of the same AI features Google unveiled in 2023 with the Pixel 8 series thanks to Google's Tensor G3 processor.

That, with the amazing cameras Google incorporates into the A Series phones, explains why the Pixel 8a is considered the best smartphone under $500. We expect the Pixel 9a to continue this pattern when it launches in 2025.

Following Apple's introduction of a two-year upgrade cycle with the release of the iPhone SE 2022 two years after its predecessor, some expected the iPhone SE 4 to be released this year. That didn't happen, and according to most sources, the iPhone SE 4 will launch next year. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has suggested that the device might launch as early as 2025.

The Android headlines claim that the Pixel 9a will be 1 mm larger and 2 mm taller than the Pixel 8a, but it will have a similar design. Google may choose to go with the existing 6.1-inch OLED panel, this would mean a major change to the phone's screen size. The revamped design will likely result in a different screen size for the iPhone SE 4; most rumors point to a 6.1-inch screen size.

Given that Google is likely to remain with a 120Hz rate for its midrange phone, the Pixel 9a should still outperform the iPhone SE 4 in terms of display refresh rate. Apple does not intend to use fast-refreshing displays on screens other than the iPhone Pro versions until the iPhone 17 is released in the fall of next year.

If the rumors are believed to be true, the Pixel 9a may go on pre-order two months before its usual debut in May. The device may arrive on store shelves in mid-March 2025.

Pixel 9a may surprisingly launch before the iPhone SE, like the reports indicate. Apple's eagerly anticipated mid-range device would likely make its debut in March or May of 2025. These handsets, which come with flagship-caliber chipsets, might pose a serious threat to some of the top mid-range phones on our list.