A new Pixel A series phone is usually announced at Google I/O. Unfortunately, this means that the affordable handset sometimes gets lost among all the other news during the company’s annual developer conference. Therefore, Google has taken a small step forward for 2024 to give the new Pixel 8a additional attention. And after seeing it in person, I can see why. It combines pretty much everything I like about the regular Pixel 8, but at a lower price of $499.
You will immediately see a very familiar design. Compared to the standard Pixel 8, which has a 6.2-inch screen, the 8a has a slightly smaller 6.1-inch OLED display with significantly larger bezels. Apart from that, the Pixel 8 and 8a are almost the same size. Google says that the material covering the display should be fairly durable since it’s made of Gorilla Glass, although it hasn’t specified an exact type (e.g. Gorilla Glass 6, Victus or something else).
Other changes include a higher refresh rate of 120Hz (versus 90Hz on the previous model), a slimmer camera bar, and a new matte finish on the plastic back that Google says mimics the texture of cashmere. I don’t think I would go that far, but it felt surprisingly luxurious. Thanks to the IP67 protection rating, the 8a still offers decent water resistance, although it is slightly worse than the IP68 certification of a normal Pixel 8. The battery is also slightly smaller at 4,492 mAh (instead of 4,575 mAh). However, Google says the new model should run longer than the previous model thanks to some energy efficiency improvements.
As far as brand new features go, the most important news is that Google is offering a 256GB version alongside the base model with 128GB of storage. This is a first for any A-series Pixel. And like last year’s flagships, the Pixel 8a gets seven years of software and security updates, a big jump from last year’s 7a’s three years of Android patches and five years of security. Finally, the Pixel 8a gets a partially updated color selection, including laurel, porcelain, obsidian, and a brand new aloe shade that’s similar to the Mint variant of the Pixel 8 earlier this year, but even brighter and more saturated. I have to say, even after just playing around with it a bit, it definitely looks the best.
One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the Pixel 8a’s photography hardware. It uses the same 64MP and 13MP sensors for its main and ultra-wide cameras. However, since the Pixel 7a offers the best image quality of any phone in its price range, it’s hard to get too excited about it. And since this device is powered by a Tensor G3 chip, it supports pretty much all of the AI features that Google introduced on the regular Pixel 8 last fall, including Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser, Circle to Search, Live Translate, and more. While Google is giving everyone access to its Magic Editor in Google Photos later this month, free users are limited to 10 saves per month, while there is no cap for users with Pixel 8s and now 8a.
However, there are some features available on the flagship Pixels that you don’t have on the 8a. The biggest omission is the lack of professional camera controls, meaning you can’t manually adjust photo settings like shutter speed, ISO, white balance, and more. Google also hasn’t improved the 8a’s Qi wireless charging speed, meaning you only need 7.5 watts instead of up to 18 watts. Finally, the phone offers a digital zoom, but no special telephoto lens like the Pixel 8 Pro.
But that’s not a bad trade-off when you get a device that offers 90 percent of what you get on Google’s top phones for just $499, which is $200 less than the Pixel 8’s regular starting price . And for anyone who likes the Pixel 8a but maybe isn’t that interested in AI, the Pixel 7a is still available at a discounted price of $349. However, if you want one of these, you might want to get it soon because there’s no telling how long supplies will last. (To update: The Pixel 7a has returned to its standard price of $499.
The only downside to all this is that at the time of writing, the standard Pixel 8 has been reduced to $549, just $50 more than the Pixel 8a. So unless an additional Ulysses S. Grant is in or out of your budget, I would probably go for it. (To update: Google’s Pixel 8 discount has expired, so the regular price of $699 is back. Even though the Pixel 8a doesn’t bring many surprises like its predecessor, it’s once again shaping up to be the mid-range Android phone to beat.
Pre-orders go live today, with official sales starting next week on May 14th.