According to Android Police, it’s the same hardware, slightly different colors, and more AI features that I can only assume are being artificially withheld from the 9a.
You didn’t have a screen protector though? One of my old iPhones took a faceplant to rocks and it shattered TF outta the screen. I was going to a concert so i left it like that. Came home, peeled off the screen protector, phone was 100% fine. The 6s was a beast, but all credit to that screen protector. Slapped a new one up there and it was mint when I traded up.