Google Pixel 8a
Accessible, affordable, and, based on your location, readily available. The “A” in Google’s A-series gadgets can be interpreted in a variety of ways. The A-series has been the entry point for Pixel phones, launching with the Pixel 3a and offering some of the features that consumers adore about the more costly models at a more reasonable, accessible price. It was also, for a while, the sole Pixel phone available in some areas.
Being the least expensive model in the most recent generation of Pixel smartphones is a tradition that the Pixel 8a carries over. This year, it comes with a speedier CPU, a few extra functions, and a redesigned design that matches the previous two models. But with a starting price of $499, is it still affordable and accessible, or awkward and alienating? Let’s find out.
Google Pixel 8a Specs :
- Body: 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9mm, 188g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, plastic back; IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min).
- Display: 6.10″ OLED, HDR, 120Hz, 2000 nits (peak), 1080 x 2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 430ppi; Always-on display.
- Chipset: Google Tensor G3 (4 nm): Nona-core (1×3.0 GHz Cortex-X3 & 4×2.45 GHz Cortex-A715 & 4×2.15 GHz Cortex-A510); Immortalis-G715s MC10.
- Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
- OS/Software: Android 14.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.9, 26mm, 1/1.73″, 0.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 1.12µm.
- Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, 20mm (ultrawide), 1.12µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, OIS; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps.
- Battery: 4492mAh; 18W Wired, PD3.0, 7.5W wireless.
- Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi region; BT 5.3; NFC.
- Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers.
Unboxing
The Pixel 8a is packaged simply, as is customary with current Pixel devices. Along with the phone, you also get a USB-C to USB-A adapter and a USB-C charging cord.
Design
First, let’s address the huge bezels—the elephant in the room. The nominally sized bezels of the older A-series phones were typical for phones at that time. But since then, a lot has changed. Not only do we have phones with thin bezels around the sides, but businesses like Nothing have demonstrated that even on reasonably priced devices, it is possible to have uniformly thin bezels around the entire display.
The Pixel 8a’s bezels, in contrast, have a nostalgic vibe to them. We noticed that the Pixel 7a from the previous year had thick bezels, so we compared the two phones side by side to check if the Pixel 8a had thicker bezels overall. It’s difficult to tell or quantify, but the Pixel 8a does have somewhat thicker bezels than the Pixel 7a.
The bezels on our black review unit appear even thicker than they are since they blend in with the black frame. When the display is lit up, it appears as though there is a frame around all of your material, making the screen appear smaller than it actually is. Even worse, the bottom bezel is still thicker than the side and top bezels, which are only 4 mm thick.
One can only speculate as to why this is the case. Cost might be a factor, however, we have seen noticeably thinner and more consistent bezels on less expensive phones. The only explanation that makes the greatest sense is that this is a purposeful design choice to give the A-series model a less expensive visual to set it apart from the more expensive Pixel 8, which otherwise has a nearly identical appearance.
These choices make sense in a world where there are only Pixel phones, but in the real world, it’s not hard to find a phone that costs half as much and has a more upscale appearance, which doesn’t do Google’s latest “budget” device any favors.
The remaining features are largely the same as those of the other Pixel 8 versions. The squared-off edges of earlier versions have been replaced with softer corners that also better fit the palm. The nearly seamless integrated camera bar is a separate plastic element, not part of the nearly seamless aluminum frame found on the more expensive models. In place of glass, the phone’s rear is likewise made of plastic, although this plastic is quite beautiful overall and has a smooth, silky texture similar to that of the Pixel 8 Pro’s glass.
Though it is smaller than the Pixel 8, the Pixel 8a is nonetheless a more pleasant smartphone to hold. The phone is slippery due to its slick back, even if it feels good to the touch.
Compared to the more costly Pixel 8 models, which have an IP68 rating, the Pixel 8a has an IP67 classification for dust and water resistance. In contrast to Gorilla Glass Victus on the Pixel 8 and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the Pixel 8 Pro, it also has the older Corning Gorilla Glass 3 glass on the front. The Pixel 8a lacks what Google refers to as “Edgeless design,” which refers to the 8 and 8 Pro’s seamless integration of glass with an aluminum frame that has no discernible corners.
The Pixel 8a has a decent overall design, solid build quality, and a pleasant feel to it, but its ridiculously thick bezels detract from the design and make it seem less expensive.
Display
A 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 and a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz is featured on the Pixel 8a. Because of its tremendous brightness, Google refers to this display as Actua, and it can reach up to 1400 nits with HDR content and 2000 nits at its peak. In theory, the Pixel 8 and its display are almost the same, with the more costly model boasting a somewhat larger 6.2-inch screen.
The Pixel 8a display offers superior color accuracy, viewing angles, response times, and image quality. Additionally, the display becomes bright enough when watching HDR content or outside in the sun. You will only be able to enjoy the amazing brightness for a little period of time because the phone is unable to sustain this level of brightness for longer than a few minutes in warmer regions. The display is still readable but not very bright after that.
The move from 90Hz to 120Hz last year was a pleasant one, even if Google still sells the phone with the frequency set to 60Hz by default. In contrast to other Android manufacturers who have begun to give per-app refresh rate settings, Google does not provide as much freedom in terms of how the high refresh rate might be used. But unlike other manufacturers, Google doesn’t restrict arbitrary apps to 60Hz, and the phone typically operates continuously at 120Hz.
Although none of the games we played performed faster than 60 frames per second, the Pixel 8a can handle higher refresh rates in games. It appears that the phone only supports 60Hz and 120Hz, not 90Hz, hence games that support 90 frames per second are compelled to run at a maximum of 60 frames per second.
All things considered, the Pixel 8a’s display performance is excellent overall and in line with what we now anticipate from contemporary smartphones.
Software
Stock Android 14 is pre-installed on the Pixel 8a. The Pixel 8a is supposed to receive software upgrades for seven years starting on the day of release, just like other recent Pixel devices.
The software on this device is typical of a Google smartphone. You receive the purest version of Android right out of the box, with only Google’s own bloatware pre-installed instead of any from third parties. Additionally, neither built-in customization options nor customization of the user interface have been made. If that’s your jam, a different brand might be more suited for you.
Naturally, not everyone finds that interesting, and there has always been a subset of customers that adore Android’s stock look to the point where some other manufacturers have started to market it. Though companies like Nothing and Motorola could provide a near-stock user interface, they also give additional customization choices for their consumers, something Google does not offer.
What Google does is provide a set of software tools that are only available on Pixel smartphones and improve usability. Your phone call experience can be greatly enhanced by features like Call Screen, Direct My Call, and Hold For Me, which screen out spammers and facilitate communication with automated systems. With the help of the new Circle to Search feature, finding anything on the screen is as simple as encircling it with a circle. Then there are the Top Shot and Astrophotography modes, in addition to camera functions like Best Take, Magic Editor, and Audio Magic Eraser. These all make the Pixel phones distinct from other Android smartphones.
The monthly software updates, however, are arguably the nicest feature of Pixel phones. This is something that only Google does because your phone is updated every month, exactly on schedule. And while the modifications it brings with it could vary (mostly just security updates), occasionally the firm releases a Pixel feature drop that adds a ton of new features to the device.
This puts the Pixel phones among the best-supported smartphones available, combined with the seven-year guarantee. And with the Pixel 8a—the least priced device in the series—all of this remains unchanged, as it receives the same degree of support as the more costly models.
Performance
The latest Google Tensor G3 chip powers the Pixel 8a. It includes 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage in addition to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM. These specifications are the same as those of the more costly Pixel 8, with the exception of the memory size, which is 12GB for the Pro variant.
Most of the time, the Pixel 8a feels like it performs well enough. It might not sound like high praise, and it really isn’t. This is a result of the performance’s tendency to fluctuate and not always be excellent or awful.
The problem of thermal management is another. For people who live in warmer climates, the Tensor chips’ tendency to run heated is a drawback. The Pixel 8a simply runs constantly warm, even when performing simple tasks, in a country like India where summer temperatures consistently reach 40°+ Celsius. The phone’s low thermal headroom has an impact on its performance when used outside. Even while it would appear like a severe testing environment, not all devices have the same issue.
On the Pixel 8a, gaming performance is respectable. While the majority of the games we tested performed flawlessly, they sometimes only ran at 30 frames per second, which is more than the device can handle.
Camera
The Pixel 8a maintains the same basic camera setup as the Pixel 7a, featuring a 64MP quad-pixel main camera and a 13MP ultra-wide camera on the back, and a 13MP front camera. The device lacks a telephoto camera, relying on Google’s Super Res Zoom for digital zoom up to 8x. The camera app offers enhanced options for adjusting brightness, shadows, and white balance, along with RAW shooting and Display P3 color space saving. However, it lacks manual focus, ISO adjustment, and high-resolution capture, features reserved for the Pixel 8 Pro.
Despite these limitations, the Pixel 8a delivers excellent image quality with good exposure, dynamic range, resolution, detail, and mostly accurate colors. Minor issues include occasional color discrepancies, white balance shifts, purple fringing, and some noise in shadows. The ultra-wide camera performs well but shows less detail and more noise reduction than the main camera.
4K video quality is adequate with good colors and stabilization but appears softer than expected for 4K resolution and exhibits purple fringing. Overall, while the Pixel 8a offers strong camera performance for its class, it does not significantly surpass the Pixel 7a, making it a modest upgrade at best.
Conclusion
The Pixel 8a is a skillfully constructed phone. It boasts some of the greatest cameras available, a great display, and good build quality. It is a clean program with lots of exclusive features for Pixel alone and excellent support. On the other side, the Tensor G3’s performance is mediocre at best, the thick bezels are embarrassing, and the 18W charging is excruciatingly slow.
However, the cost is now the main disadvantage. Given that it isn’t all that different from the Pixel 7a from last year and is frequently much cheaper, the Pixel 8a, at $499, is in a difficult situation where the latter is a far better value. Additionally, if you want to spend a little bit more, you can often buy the Pixel 8, which has superior design, cameras, and quicker charging.