This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Modern flagship smartphones are quite expensive. We're constantly breaching the $1000 threshold every year, and all big names in the industry have at least one flagship phone that costs north of that.
If we're to track the roots of the affordable flagship back in history, we might remember the first OnePlus phone, the so-called "flagship killer." But we're not here for the history lesson. Let's focus on the present.
Nowadays, all those big names in the smartphone world have an affordable flagship of some sort. Samsung has its FE line, Apple ran the SE models (now morphed into the iPhone 16e), and Google does the affordable flagship under its A-series lineup.
Other brands also use different designations for their stripped-down, essential models, offering core flagship features at a more affordable price, such as the OnePlus T series (now discontinued), Xiaomi T series, and so on and so forth. The affordable flagship is here to stay, and we're here to tell you why the Pixel 9a, Google's upcoming A-series device, will be the best among all others in that category in 2025.
Pixel 9a vs iPhone 16e
Let's pit those two against each other first, as the iPhone 16e is a hot topic and the latest attempt from Apple at the affordable flagship phone. We can, in fact, consider the iPhone 16e the first attempt of Apple at the affordable flagship because the starting price of $599 puts this model out of the midrange space.
We can think of the iPhone 16e as a stripped-down iPhone 16 in the iPhone 14's clothing. It comes with the latest A18 processor, albeit the non-pro version; it has only one wide-angle main camera, and it comes with the same 60Hz OLED display as the other non-pro Apple flagships of late.
The price of the iPhone 16e puts it outside the SE category
Where does the upcoming Pixel 9a win then? Well, almost everywhere. For starters, the Pixel 9a is expected to be cheaper, starting at $499. Then there's the display—while Apple is still stuck in the past with the choppy 60Hz on all of its non-pro phones, the Pixel A-series moved to 90Hz a long time ago with the Pixel 7a.
And if all the information about the Pixel 9a turns out to be correct, this $499 phone will sport a 120Hz refresh rate, the same as the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The Pixel 9a is expected with a dual camera setup, with one 48MP main wide-angle camera, accompanied by a 13MP ultrawide. As you all know, the iPhone 16e comes with only a single wide-angle camera, which, while quite good, can't take ultrawide photos.
One camera in 2025? Controversial...
It's down to flexibility, and many people might not need an ultrawide camera (63% according to our latest surveys), but it's better to have it and not need it than vice versa, right? And the Pixel 9a has it for $100 less than the iPhone.
Let's quickly touch on the design. It's a very subjective area, but the notch is kind of getting old in 2025, and using a design similar to the iPhone 14 doesn't make the 16e original and fresh.
The notch design is getting dated in 2025
The Pixel 9a, on the other hand, does a great job of following the Pixel 9 series design philosophy while at the same time looking fresh with its flush oval camera housing and popping colors (at least that's what all the leaks point toward).
Finally, the software situation is again swaying in favor of the Pixel 9a. We expect the phone to land with the same seven years of major OS pledge as the other members of the Pixel 9 family, and being launched in 2025, this means it will be supported all the way to 2032.
The iPhone 16e is no slouch and will be supported up until 2031 but a one year more still counts as an advantage.
Apple Intelligence is still work-in-progress
Furthermore, Gemini is already a pretty polished and complete package (even Samsung offers it in its latest S25 flagships), while Apple Intelligence is still playing catch-up on many fronts.
So, to reiterate, for $100 less, you're getting a more modern-looking phone with a 120Hz display, two cameras, a big battery, and robust software support. The iPhone 16e has been defeated! Moving to the next challenger.
Pixel 9a vs Galaxy S25 FE/Galaxy S25 Edge
Things with the next Fan Edition Galaxy phone are a bit uncertain at the moment. Samsung teased a completely new device during the Galaxy S25 Unpacked event, and it might very well replace the FE in the portfolio.
According to Forbes, the Galaxy S25 Edge is set to compete with the iPhone 16e and the Pixel 9a. This points toward Samsung making the same shift with the S25 FE as the one Apple did with the iPhone SE. Moving the model closer to the core lineup and (possibly) abandoning the FE idea.
The Galaxy S25 Edge could cost north of $1000
But no matter what the phone will be called, it won't pose a threat to the Pixel 9a, and here's why. The starting price of the Galaxy S25 Edge is expected to be somewhere between the regular S25 and the S25 Ultra. Some sources suggest the device will start at $1099 and that's a lot of money for a slim Galaxy S-series with only two cameras.
The S25 Edge is also expected to have a larger 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, the latest Qualcomm chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Elite (or Exynos 2400), and a rather small 3900 mAh battery.
Just by looking at those specs, we can clearly see that the Galaxy S25 Edge is a different animal. It's more of a slim premium flagship than an affordable one. Granted, it might beat the Pixel 9a in some areas, but it's also more than twice as expensive. So this comparison is not quite relevant.
Minus one camera compared to the S24 FE but still more expensive? Doesn't make sense
If Samsung decides to keep the FE line alive, we should expect the Galaxy S25 FE sometime this autumn, but the rumors and leaks about that model are even scarcer than what we have about the S25 Edge.
We can extrapolate what the S25 FE might look like, for the sake of the comparison, from the specs of the Galaxy S24 FE. We're talking about the same big 6.7-inch, 120Hz, Super AMOLED screen, an Exynos 2400e processor, an additional 8MP telephoto camera (accompanying the 50MP main and 12MP ultrawide), and a 4700mAh battery.
Just like the S25 Edge, these specs put the phone in a different market, and so does its price. The Galaxy S24 FE launched at $649, and we don't see a reason for the successor (if we ever see one) to be cheaper than that.
Conclusion
And the winner is...
Out of these three phones, the Pixel 9a is looking the most promising. The small disclaimer here is that it's still unofficial, and specs might change, but it's unlikely (most of the leaks so far come from pretty reliable sources with decent track records).
So, the Pixel 9a ticks a lot of boxes. It gets the price right, it comes with the tried-and-tested dual camera system on the back, it has a 120Hz screen, a big battery, the latest Tensor G4, and a seven-year software support pledge that may actually be honored.
We're pretty excited about this upcoming Pixel A-series device, and if Google sticks to the $499 price tag, it might have a big winner on the affordable ring this year. What do you think about it? Which model will take the affordable crown in your opinion? You can vote in the poll and share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Vote for the best affordable flagship of 2025
Google Pixel 9a
64%
Apple iPhone 16e
11.16%
Samsung Galaxy S25 FE/Edge
17.26%
Other (leave a comment)
7.58%
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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