We put the Google Pixel 9a through our rigorous DXOMARK Display test suite to measure its performance across four
criteria. In this test results, we will break down how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key display specifications
- 6.3 inches pOLED (~84.8% screen-to-body ratio)
- Dimensions: 154.7 x 73.3 x 8.9 mm (6.09 x 2.89 x 0.35 inches)
- Resolution: 1080 x 2424 pixels, (~422 ppi density)
- Aspect ratio: 20:9
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Scoring
Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.
Google Pixel 9a
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display
Pros
- Faithful and well-rendered colors in most tested conditions.
- Well-adapted for readability in most environments.
- HDR10 videos are well rendered in low light and indoors.
- Fast and accurate touch.
Cons
- Undersaturated colors in a dark environment.
- Slightly low luminance when viewing SDR video.
- Occasional unwanted touches when holding the device in landscape orientation.
The Google Pixel 9a delivered impressive performance in our display tests, especially for a device in its class, coming remarkably close to the capabilities of its higher-end sibling, the Pixel 9.
Across all measured attributes, the Pixel 9a consistently performed well, making it a strong choice for a wide range of use cases—from casual web browsing to video playback in various lighting environments. Its color rendering was generally faithful and natural, particularly in well-lit settings. However, in darker conditions, colors occasionally appeared slightly desaturated, resulting in a minor reduction in color gamut.
Readability was solid overall, with luminance adapting effectively to most lighting conditions. Outdoors, the Pixel 9a outshined some competitors by delivering higher brightness levels. In extremely bright environments (over 90,000 lux), such as direct sunlight, the display reached a peak luminance of 2,549 cd/m² with high brightness mode enabled.
HDR10 content looked especially good on the Pixel 9a in low-light and indoor settings, showcasing rich detail and smooth playback with no frame mismatches. SDR content, on the other hand, appeared slightly dim at the default brightness setting.
Touch responsiveness was another strong point. Interactions were fast and accurate, though holding the device in landscape mode occasionally triggered unintended touches from the palm. Overall, the display felt smooth and fluid across all tasks—including web browsing and UI navigation—especially when the refresh rate was manually set to 120 Hz, as the default is 60 Hz.
Test summary
About DXOMARK Display tests: For scoring and analysis, a device undergoes a series of
objective and perceptual tests in controlled lab and real-life conditions. The DXOMARK Display score takes into
account the overall user experience the screen provides, considering the hardware capacity and the software tuning.
In testing, only factory-installed video and photo apps are used. More in-depth details about how DXOMARK tests
displays are available in the article “A closer look at DXOMARK Display testing.”
The following section focuses on the key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyses performed in DXOMARK
laboratories. Full reports with detailed performance evaluations are available upon request. To order a copy, please
contact us.
Readability
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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
How Display Readability score is composed
Readability evaluates the user’s ease and comfort
of viewing still content, such as photos or a web page, on the display under different lighting conditions. Our
measurements run in the labs are completed by perceptual testing and analysis.
Luminance under various lighting conditions
This graph shows the screen luminance in environments that range from total darkness to outdoor conditions. In our labs, the indoor environment (250 lux to 830 lux) simulates the artificial and natural lighting conditions commonly seen in homes (with medium diffusion); the outdoor environment (from 20,000 lux) replicates a situation with highly diffused light.
Contrast under various lighting conditions
This graph shows the screen’s contrast levels in lighting environments that range from total darkness to outdoor conditions. In our labs, the indoor environment (250 lux to 830 lux) simulates the artificial and natural lighting conditions commonly seen in homes (with medium diffusion); the outdoor environment (from 20,000 lux) replicates a situation with highly diffused light.
Photo EOTF
The Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) defines how bits are converted into luminance out of the display. Gray levels (horizontal axis) represent the different shades from pure white (100% gray level) to pitch black (0% gray level). The standard for still images follows a 2.2 gamma. The flatter the curves, the harder it is to perceive differences between consecutive shades. This phenomenon is more frequent under intensive lighting conditions (20,000 lux) in the low gray level regions.
Photo EOTF
The Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) defines how bits are converted into luminance out of the display. Gray levels (horizontal axis) represent the different shades from pure white (100% gray level) to pitch black (0% gray level). The standard for still images follows a 2.2 gamma. The flatter the curves, the harder it is to perceive differences between consecutive shades. This phenomenon is more frequent under intensive lighting conditions (20,000 lux) in the low gray level regions.
Photo EOTF
The Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) defines how bits are converted into luminance out of the display. Gray levels (horizontal axis) represent the different shades from pure white (100% gray level) to pitch black (0% gray level). The standard for still images follows a 2.2 gamma. The flatter the curves, the harder it is to perceive differences between consecutive shades. This phenomenon is more frequent under intensive lighting conditions (20,000 lux) in the low gray level regions.
Luminance vs Viewing Angle
This graph presents how the luminance drops as viewing angles increase.
Skin-tone rendering in an indoor (1000 lux) environment
From left to right: Google Pixel 9a, Samsung Galaxy A56, Xiaomi Redmi
Note 14 Pro+ 5G
(Photos for illustration only)
Skin-tone rendering in a sunlight (>90 000 lux) environment
From left to right: Google Pixel 9a, Samsung Galaxy A56, Xiaomi Redmi
Note 14 Pro+ 5G
(Photos for illustration only)
Average Reflectance (SCI) Google Pixel 9a
Google Pixel 9a
Samsung Galaxy A56
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G
SCI stands for Specular Component Included, which measures both the diffuse reflection and the specular reflection. Reflection from a simple glass sheet is around 4%, while it reaches about 6% for a plastic sheet. Although smartphones’ first surface is made of glass, their total reflection (without coating) is usually around 5% due to multiple reflections created by the complex optical stack.
Average reflectance is computed based on the spectral reflectance in the visible spectrum range (see graph below) and human spectral sensitivity.
Reflectance (SCI)
Wavelength (horizontal axis) defines light color, but also our capacity to see it; for example, UV is a very low wavelength that the human eye cannot see; Infrared is a high wavelength that the human eye also cannot see). White light is composed of all wavelengths between 400 nm and 700 nm, i.e. the range the human eye can see. Measurements above show the reflection of the devices within the visible spectrum range (400 nm to 700 nm).
Uniformity
This graph shows the distribution of luminance throughout the entire display panel. Uniformity is
measured with a 20% gray pattern, with bright green indicating ideal luminance. An evenly spread-out bright green color
on the screen indicates that the display’s brightness is uniform. Other colors indicate a loss of uniformity.
PWM Frequency Google Pixel 9a
240 Hz
Bad
Good
Bad
Great
Google Pixel 9a
Samsung Galaxy A56
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G
Pulse width modulation is a modulation technique that generates variable-width pulses to represent the amplitude of an analog input signal. This measurement is important for comfort because flickering at low frequencies can be perceived by some individuals, and in the most extreme cases, can induce seizures. Some experiments show that discomfort can appear at a higher frequency. A high PWM frequency (>1500 Hz) tends to be less disturbing for users.
Temporal Light Modulation
This graph represents the frequencies of lighting variation; the highest peak gives the most important modulation. The combination of a low frequency and a high peak is susceptible to inducing eye fatigue.
Color
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Google Pixel 8
Google Pixel 8
How Display Color score is composed
Color evaluations are performed in different lighting
conditions to see how well the device manages color with the surrounding environment. Devices are tested with sRGB and
Display-P3 image patterns. Both faithful mode and default mode are used for our evaluation. Our measurements run in the
labs are completed by perceptual testing & analysis.
White point color under D65 illuminant at 830 lux
This graph shows the white point coordinates for the image pattern using the default or the faithful mode. D65 illuminant (6500 Kelvin) is a standard that defines the color of white at midday; it is used for display calibration as a white reference, therefore devices are expected to be at or close to the D65 white point.
Color fidelity
Each arrow represents the color difference between a target color pattern (base of the arrow) and its actual measurement (tip of the arrow). The longer the arrow, the more visible the color difference is. If the arrow stays within the circle, the color difference will be visible only to trained eyes. The tested color mode is the most faithful proposed by each device, and a color correction is applied to account for the different white points of each device.
White color shift with angle
This graph shows the color shift when the screen is at an angle. Each dot represents a measurement at a particular angle. Dots inside the inner circle exhibit no color shift in angle; those between the inner and outer circle have shifts that only trained experts will see; but those falling outside the outer circle are noticeable.
Circadian Action Factor Google Pixel 9a
Google Pixel 9a
Samsung Galaxy A56
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G
The circadian action factor is a metric that defines how light impacts the human sleep cycle. It is the ratio of the light energy contributing to sleep disturbances (centered around 450 nm, representing blue light) over the light energy contributing to our perception (covering 400 nm to 700 nm and centered on 550 nm, which is green light). A high circadian action factor means that the ambient light contains strong blue-light energy and is likely to affect the body’s sleep cycle, while a low circadian action factor implies the light has weak blue-light energy and is less likely to affect sleeping patterns.
Spectrum of white emission with Night mode ON
Spectrum measurements of a white web page with BLF mode on and off. This graph shows the impact of blue light filtering on the whole spectrum. All other settings used are default, in particular, the luminance level follows the auto-brightness adaptation from the manufacturer.
The wavelength (horizontal axis) defines light color but also the capacity to see it. For example, UV, which has a very low wavelength, and infra-red, which has a high wavelength, are both not visible to the human eye. White light is composed of all wavelengths between 400 nm and 700 nm, which is the range visible to the human eye.
Spectrum of white emission with Night mode OFF
Spectrum measurements of a white web page with BLF mode on and off. This graph shows the impact of blue light filtering on the whole spectrum. All other settings used are default, in particular, the luminance level follows the auto-brightness adaptation from the manufacturer.
The wavelength (horizontal axis) defines light color but also the capacity to see it. For example, UV, which has a very low wavelength, and infra-red, which has a high wavelength, are both not visible to the human eye. White light is composed of all wavelengths between 400 nm and 700 nm, which is the range visible to the human eye.
Video
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
How Display Video score is composed
The video attribute evaluates the Standard Dynamic Range
(SDR) and High Dynamic Range (HDR10) video handling in indoor and low-light conditions . Our measurements run in the
labs are completed by perceptual testing and analysis.
Video peak luminance vs Lighting conditions
This bar chart presents the peak luminance measured for SDR and HDR10 content on a 10% window white pattern.
Video peak luminance vs Lighting conditions
This bar chart presents the peak luminance measured for SDR and HDR10 content on a 10% window white pattern.
Video rendering in a low-light (0 lux) environment
Clockwise from top left: Google Pixel 9a, Samsung Galaxy A56, Xiaomi
Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G
(Photos for illustration only)
SDR video EOTF curve
These curves represent the SDR video tone distribution for white color.
The Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) defines how bits are converted into luminance out of the display. Gray levels (horizontal axis) represent the different shades from pure white (100% gray level) to pitch black (0% gray level). The standard for SDR videos follows a 2.2 gamma. The flatter the curves, the harder it is to perceive differences between consecutive shades. This phenomenon is more frequent under bright lighting conditions (830 lux) in the low gray levels region (< 30%).
SDR video EOTF curve
These curves represent the SDR video tone distribution for white color.
The Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) defines how bits are converted into luminance out of the display. Gray levels (horizontal axis) represent the different shades from pure white (100% gray level) to pitch black (0% gray level). The standard for SDR videos follows a 2.2 gamma. The flatter the curves, the harder it is to perceive differences between consecutive shades. This phenomenon is more frequent under bright lighting conditions (830 lux) in the low gray levels region (< 30%).
HDR10 video EOTF curve
These curves represent the HDR10 video tone distribution for white color.
The Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) defines how bits are converted into luminance out of the display. Gray levels (horizontal axis) represent the different shades from pure white (100% gray level) to pitch black (0% gray level). While the PQ (Perceptual Quantizer) standard is reminded here for reference, it cannot be a target for smartphones as it is an absolute standard whereas smartphones adapt their brightness to lighting conditions. The flatter the curves, the harder it is to perceive differences between consecutive shades. This phenomenon is more frequent under bright lighting conditions (830 lux) in the low gray levels region (< 30%).
HDR10 video EOTF curve
These curves represent the HDR10 video tone distribution for white color.
The Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) defines how bits are converted into luminance out of the display. Gray levels (horizontal axis) represent the different shades from pure white (100% gray level) to pitch black (0% gray level). While the PQ (Perceptual Quantizer) standard is reminded here for reference, it cannot be a target for smartphones as it is an absolute standard whereas smartphones adapt their brightness to lighting conditions. The flatter the curves, the harder it is to perceive differences between consecutive shades. This phenomenon is more frequent under bright lighting conditions (830 lux) in the low gray levels region (< 30%).
Gamut coverage for video content under 0 lux environment
The primary colors are measured both in HDR10 and SDR. The solid color gamut measures the extent of the color area that the device can render in total darkness. The dotted line represents the content’s artistic intent. The measured gamut should match the master color space of each video.
Gamut coverage for video content under 830 lux environment
The primary colors are measured both in HDR10 and SDR. The solid color gamut measures the extent of the color area that the device can render in total darkness. The dotted line represents the content’s artistic intent. The measured gamut should match the master color space of each video.
SDR Video Frame Drops FHD at 30 fps
Google Pixel 9a
Samsung Galaxy A56
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G
HDR Video Frame Drops UHD at 30 fps
Google Pixel 9a
Samsung Galaxy A56
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G
These gauges present the percentage of frame irregularities in a 30-second video. These irregularities are not necessarily perceived by users (unless they are all located at the same time stamp) but are an indicator of performance.
Touch
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Google Pixel 7 Pro
Google Pixel 7 Pro
How Display Touch score is composed
We evaluate the touch attributes under many types of
contents where touch is key, and requires different behaviors such as gaming (quick touch to response time), web (smooth
scrolling of the page) and images (accurate and smooth navigation from one image to another).
Average Touch Response Time Google Pixel 9a
Google Pixel 9a
Samsung Galaxy A56
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G
Touch To Display response time
This response time test precisely evaluates the time elapsed between a single touch of the robot on the screen and the displayed action. This test is applied to activities that require high reactivity, such as gaming.
