Google Delays Pixel 9A Launch Briefly Over' Component Quality Issue'

Google is not yet accepting preorders for a recently unveiled phone, which is uncommon.  A "small number" of early devices had an unspecified fault.

The Pixel 9A, Google's fresh new midrange phone, will not be available until sometime in April.  That isn't unusual in and of itself, but you can't even preorder one from the Google Store yet.  The latter circumstance is remarkable, as Google often begins accepting orders for new hardware shortly after introducing it.  There's a rationale for this limited product "launch": Google had planned to release the Pixel 9A in March, but it was delayed for some last quality tests.

"We are looking into a component quality issue affecting a small number of Pixel 9A devices," Google spokesperson Matt Flegal emailed The Verge.  The new phone's review units have yet to be sent to the media, indicating that Google discovered something worth studying at the eleventh hour.  We've requested Google to identify which component is at fault here.

The Pixel lineup has a good track record regarding hardware stability, although there have been some outliers.  In January, Google released an urgent software upgrade for the long-discontinued Pixel 4A to address battery overheating concerns.  (The Pixel 9A's 5,100mAh battery is the largest in a Google phone.)  Google extended warranty coverage for display faults on the Pixel 8 last year, and the Pixel 4A 5G previously experienced touchscreen issues following a software update in 2021.  The company's early Tensor chips were also known to get uncomfortably hot.

Whatever the issue, it's reassuring to see Google play it safe here.  Buyers of the Pixel 9A will have to wait a little longer than expected to say goodbye to the camera bulge.