AVAILABLE NOW: Get the Google Pixel 9a smartphone for $499 at the Google Store. It's been just over six months since Google launched the new Pixel 9 generation of Android smartphones. On February 25, Google announced the Pixel 9a . Now, the wait is finally over. You can snag one of the newest Pixel devices for yourself by way of the Google Store.

Google's $499 phone has a lot in common with the pricier baseline Pixel 9. Here's our guide for what you'll get -- and what you won't -- for that lower price.

The Google Pixel 9a continues the tradition of A-series phones offering excellent value for money -- but competition is growing.