The Pixel A series is the best way to get Google’s custom software features and great cameras at a lower price, and the Pixel 8a takes things to a new level. It features extensive upgrades, including a 120Hz OLED panel, a larger battery and Tensor G3, and it will receive the same seven years of software updates as the regular Pixel 8 models.
Hardwired
In Hardwired, AC Senior Editor Harish Jonnalagadda covers all things hardware, including phones, storage servers, and routers.
But there is a problem. All of the new features come with an inflated price: The Pixel 8a retails for $499 – $50 more than the Pixel 7a and $100 more than the Pixel 3a. The Pixel 8a is still a good bargain considering it offers most of the same features as the $699 Pixel 8, and if you need a mid-range phone it’s the best choice overall.
While Google is doing the right thing with the Pixel A series, I think the company needs to focus its attention on the budget segment. There aren’t as many choices in this category as in previous years. Aside from the Moto G 5G, OnePlus Nord N30, and a few TCL options, you’re not getting much if you’re interested in a sub-$350 phone. Even the Galaxy A35 starts at $399.
This is not limited to North America either. I’ve always recommended Xiaomi’s Redmi Note series in the past, but the brand has decided to move up a segment with its recent launches, and the result is that the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is now the equivalent of $495 costs, a really ridiculous situation. The only budget model in the series is the standard Redmi Note 13, which simply doesn’t have the same hardware quality.
The only budget phone I would recommend is the Nothing Phone 2a; It has a great design, good internal hardware and clean software with unique extras. The cameras aren’t as good as the Pixel 7a, but you get two usable lenses – which isn’t the case with most budget options.
Google sees a lot of momentum with the Pixel A series, but the only way to truly scale its hardware ambitions is to focus on the budget segment. This is the only possible area where Google can meaningfully expand its business in countries like India. Although Google sells its phones in the region, they are significantly more expensive than the competition – the Pixel 8a starts at an absurd ₹52,999 ($634), and that practically breaks the phone before it even goes on sale.
Ideally, Google needs to introduce a model in the sub-$350 segment to compete with Samsung and Xiaomi. But it’s unlikely the search giant will ever do that; in an interview with the Austrian publication The standardNanda Ramachandran, Google’s Pixel division, confirmed that the brand would not release a budget device, saying, “We would have to make too many compromises for that.”
A low-cost Pixel makes sense in many ways. Google’s camera magic combined with its unique software features would clearly set a budget Pixel device apart from the crowd, but it’s clear that Google has no intention of going down that route. Google says it wants to become a major hardware player, but it doesn’t have a strategy that will allow the brand to get there. While Pixels are still excellent devices, they remain out of reach for buyers interested in affordable phones.