Google briefly delays Pixel 9A release to investigate ‘component quality issue’

Google’s brand new midrange phone, the Pixel 9A, won’t be shipping until sometime in April. That’s not strange in and of itself, but it turns out you can’t even preorder one from the Google Store yet. The latter situation is fairly unusual, as Google normally starts taking orders for new hardware right after announcing it. There’s a reason for this vague release timeframe: Google initially wanted to get the Pixel 9A out the door in March, but it’s been held back for some last-minute quality checks.

“We’re checking on a component quality issue that’s affecting a small number of Pixel 9A devices,” Google spokesperson Matt Flegal told The Verge by email. Review units of the new phone haven’t yet been distributed to media, which is another indication that Google discovered something worth investigating at the eleventh hour. We’ve asked Google if it can specify which component is at issue here.

Earlier this year, the company issued an urgent firmware update for the long-discontinued Pixel 4A to address battery overheating concerns. (The 5,100mAh battery in the Pixel 9A is the largest of any Google phone to date.) Google has also had to extended warranty coverage for display defects on the Pixel 8. But otherwise, aside from earlier Tensor chips running uncomfortably warm at times, the Pixel lineup has a decent track record when it comes to hardware reliability.

Whatever the problem might be, it’s reassuring to see Google playing it safe here. Pixel 9A buyers will just have to wait a bit longer than they might’ve hoped to say goodbye to the camera bump.