New Pixel 9a leak, Circle to Search gets stronger, Samsung wants your Pixel 9, and more!

Hello Pixel fans! It’s been a busy 24 hours in the world of Google’s favorite little slab of tech, so let’s dive into what’s new and exciting.

Google is tweaking Circle to Search again, and this time, it’s making sure you feel it. A new update adds a more forceful and extended vibration when you long-press the navigation bar to activate Circle to Search. The change is subtle but effective — no more second-guessing whether you triggered it or just brushed your screen weirdly.

This update is rolling out with the latest stable Google app (version 16.4.36) on Pixel devices. If you’re using a non-Google phone, sit tight — it’s probably heading your way soon.

Also, Circle to Search is now a bit smarter. It will highlight phone numbers, email addresses, and links for easy one-tap actions, and when you search for places, images, or objects, you’ll get AI-powered overviews for richer, more detailed results. Google keeps refining this feature, and it’s turning into one of the most useful tools on Android.

Samsung is continuing its aggressive trade-in program, and this time, it’s eyeing Pixel 9 users. If you’re willing to jump ship to the new Galaxy S25 series, Samsung will now give you up to $650 for a Pixel 9 Pro and $550 for a Pixel 9. That’s roughly 65-70% of the phones’ retail value — better than what you’d get selling them privately in most cases.

Previously, Samsung’s trade-in program only accepted the Pixel 8 series and older, so this is a notable expansion. That said, the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold are still left out. If you’re tempted to switch, remember that these high trade-in values are only available on Samsung’s website, and they could change at any time.

If you like talking to your phone more than typing, you’ll love this one. Gboard’s Assistant voice typing toolbar, previously only available on the Pixel Tablet, is now coming to Pixel phones.

When you activate voice typing, you’ll now see a new “Toolbar” button (two downward arrows). Tap it, and the full keyboard disappears, leaving you with a floating pill-shaped bar that lets you dictate text while keeping more screen space visible.

The toolbar includes:

• A microphone icon (obviously)
• A delete button
• A settings menu with options for clipboard, translation, and emoji
• The ability to switch to a vertical pill layout for even more space

Notably, the toolbar remains persistent across apps until you manually bring back the keyboard. So if you’re someone who dictates a lot of messages, this might be a game-changer.

It looks like Google is breaking tradition with the Pixel 9a. Leaked images of the official Pixel 9a cases show a major design shift — the signature camera bar is gone. Instead, the cutout for the cameras is positioned on the left side of the case, confirming earlier leaks that suggested a design more in line with the Pixel 9 series.

The cases come in four colors: pink, black, purple, and white. These likely correspond to Google’s fancy marketing names — Peony, Obsidian, Iris, and Porcelain. No surprises there.

While we don’t yet have a specific launch date for the Pixel 9a, this design shift suggests Google is looking to further unify the look of its lineup. Whether that’s a good thing or not is up for debate, but at the very least, it’ll be a noticeable change.

That’s a wrap for today’s Pixel news! Are you feeling the Circle to Search upgrade? Thinking of trading in your Pixel for a Samsung? Let us know your thoughts!