Honor’s Pixel 9a challengers will arrive on May 22

By Andy Boxall Published May 8, 2025

A teaser image of the Honor 400 series. — Honor

Honor will announce the latest models in its Honor 400 series on May 22, and has released a teaser trailer on its official YouTube Channel. The YouTube Short is brief, but gives away the entire design at the end, along with confirmation at least one of the phones will have a 200-megapixel main camera. Honor has already announced the Honor 400 Lite , which has a 108MP main camera.

There are two phones featured at the end of the YouTube Short, presumably the Honor 400 and Honor 400 Pro, and while there’s a definite family resemblance between them both and the 400 Lite, neither appear to have the “AI Camera Button” found on the side of the 400 Lite. Capitalizing on the trend reinvigorated by the Apple iPhone 16 , it’s surprising to see Honor ditch the button on the 400 Series phones with the most capable cameras.

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The silver phone in the teaser is likely to be the Pro model and is equipped with three distinct cameras on the back of a curvy body. The non-Pro 400 Series has two cameras and a sensor or flash unit on the back, and a squared-off, flatter chassis which more closely resembles the Honor 400 Lite. Honor is promoting its AI technology in both phones.

Specification for the next Honor 400 Series phones is unknown, but in a teaser shared on X it seems at least one of the phones will have a telephoto camera, water resistance, and an advanced cooling system. The Honor 400 Lite has an IP64 dust and water resistance rating, a 10x digital zoom, and a MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra processor. It will be interesting to see if Honor continues with MediaTek power on all its 400 Series devices, but rumors have pointed to the non-Pro phone using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, and the 400 Pro using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip.

Honor decided not to launch the 300 Series phones outside China, but has already released the Honor 400 Lite in the U.K. and other regions. The May 22 launch event will be held in London, suggesting it intends to bring the full 400 Series range to the U.K., and most likely Europe too. Honor does not release its smartphones in the U.S.. Honor will compete with highly regarded phones like the Google Pixel 9a , the Samsung Galaxy A56 , the Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro , and the OnePlus 13R .

Former Senior Mobile Writer

Andy has written about mobile technology for almost a decade. From 2G to 5G and smartphone to smartwatch, Andy knows tech.

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The Google Pixel 9a is missing a crucial life-saving feature

Person holds Pixel 9a in hand while sitting in a car.

Launched earlier this week, the Pixel 9a packs Pixel 9's magic in a condensed, more affordable form. With a lower price, though, the Pixel 9a loses some perks of the more premium Pixel 9 phones, including some defining Gemini AI features.

Despite running the same Tensor G4 chipset as the Pixel 9 and the 9 Pro, the Pixel 9a loses on a life-saving feature: satellite-based SOS functionality. Google confirmed the lack to Android Authority, validating you won't be able to call or text in cases you get stranded without network -- as you would be able to with the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and the 9 Pro Fold phones. Google offers these services on premium Pixel phones in the U.S., Canada, UK, and parts of Europe.
Why Pixel 9a lacks satellite SOS connectivity
The reason behind Google skipping satellite connectivity from the Pixel 9a is an older modem. Unlike the Pixel 9 series, which uses the newer and more advanced Samsung Exynos 5400 modem, the 9a uses the previous generation Exynos 5300. The newer modem is what enables 5G non-terrestrial networking (NTN) that is used to connect with low-orbit communication satellites when cellular network is absent.

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Does the Google Pixel 9a have wireless charging?

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Google has just released the Pixel 9a, giving some people who are shopping for the Pixel 9 another phone in the series that best fits their budget. It comes in four beautiful matte colors -- Obsidian, Porcelain, Iris and Peony -- and runs on the Tensor G4 processor, ensuring your phone receives the most optimal performance. It has a flatter camera frame than the premium models, trimming its weight and giving it an eye-catching design. It costs between $499 and $599, depending on whether you buy the 128GB model or the 256GB model, respectively. No matter what model you get, it runs on 8GB of RAM and brings you optimal performance with Google's Tensor G4 processor.

If you're in the market for a new phone and are looking to get the Pixel 9a, you might be wondering if it has wireless charging capabilities. Most smartphones on the market are able to fill their batteries through wireless charging. Is the Pixel 9a any different simply because it's a budget Pixel phone? The answer will have you decide if it's worth the money.
Does the Google Pixel 9a have wireless charging?
The Pixel 9a has wireless charging, but it's not as powerful as its premium counterparts. It only draws 7.5 watts of wireless charging power, which is similar to that of the Pixel 8a, despite it having a bigger 5,100mAh battery than the Pixel 9's 4,700mAh.

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Does the Google Pixel 9a have a 120Hz screen?

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With Apple's "midrange" device releasing not long ago in the form of the Apple iPhone 16e, it's easy to draw comparisons between the two. The Google Pixel 9a is a more affordable device, and it beats the iPhone 16e in multiple ways.
Does the Google Pixel 9a have a 120Hz screen?
Yes, the Pixel 9a supports refresh rates between 60 and 120Hz. Its screen has a resolution of 1080 x 2424 with just over 422 pixels per inch (PPI) and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display reaches a peak brightness of 2,700 nits — more than enough to comfortably use even in direct sunlight — and up to 1,800 nits with HDR enabled.