The just-upgraded Pixel 9a is cheaper than ever

Google has quietly added a cool new flagship feature to the Pixel 9a and, with a new low price, makes it even more appealing in the chaos of the 2026 phone market.

Reddit user Intelligent-Trip-882 (via Piunikaweb) has spotted that Google has added the ability to unlock your Google Pixel 9a phone using the fingerprint sensor while the screen is off, just adding to the reasons to buy it instead of the almost identical Pixel 10a.

Up to this point, this convenient feature has only been accessible on the company’s more recent premium phones, including the entire mainline Google Pixel 9 and Google Pixel 10 series.

Now, following Google’s March Pixel Drop, the telltale Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock toggle has appeared in the Fingerprint Unlock section of the Settings menu on Pixel 9a phones.

The rollout for Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock has been somewhat spotty to say the least, with the feature appearing in early developer previews of Android 16 only to disappear when customers finally get their hands on the final build.

With Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock active, you can gain entry to your phone with a single tap, rather than needing to wake the screen first. It’s a small quality-of-life feature, but a welcome one nonetheless.

The best mid-range deal this year?

While we like Google’s new mid-range phone option, the simple fact is that it’s virtually no different to the Pixel 9a, with the same processor, camera, display, battery, and much the same design. Google’s seven-year software update promise means that you’ve still got at least six years of support for it, too.

Add to this the fact that you can get some seriously good deals on the Pixel 9a right now. Giffgaff is selling the phone for just £299, which is £50 less than Google’s lowered RRP and other third-party retailers like Amazon. It’s the lowest price ever seen for the phone.

More importantly, that’s £200 less than the Pixel 10a’s starting price. You’ll have to make do with the black or white colours (Obsidian and Porcelain), and you’ll need to pay £10 for a Giffgaff SIM (there’s no obligation to continue the contract), but otherwise this is a great deal.

Possibly, the best mid-range deal of 2026, especially considering all the price rises going on.