If there’s one thing the Google Pixel series is famous for, it’s the camera. But close behind is the immense value offered by Google’s own smartphones, which often come onto the market at lower prices than the competition but offer more updates in the long term.
The Google Pixel 8a was just announced and is the company’s crown jewel, offering the best Pixel A series experience yet. The hardware appears to be almost identical to that of the Google Pixel 8, although the Pixel 8a is $200 cheaper. I’m definitely wondering why anyone would bother buying the more expensive Pixel 8 at this point.
But is the Pixel 8a the right phone for you? First, let’s take a look at the specs compared to last year’s Pixel 7a to see if it makes sense for you to order a Pixel 8a today.
| category | Google Pixel 7a | Google Pixel 8a |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Google Tensor G2 | Google Tensor G3 |
| Memory | 8GB LPDDR5 RAM | 8GB LPDDR5x RAM |
| storage | 128GB UFS 3.1 | 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 |
| Advertisement | 6.1-inch AMOLED, 2400 x 1080 resolution (429 ppi), 90 Hz, HDR10+, 1,000 nits, Gorilla Glass 3 | 6.1-inch AMOLED Actua display, 2400 x 1080 resolution (430 ppi), 120 Hz, HDR10+, 1,400 nits, Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Rear view camera 1 | 64MP, ƒ/1.89, 0.8μm pixel size, OIS, 4K video at 30/60 FPS, 240 FPS super slow motion video | 64MP, ƒ/1.89, 0.8μm pixel size, OIS, 4K video at 30/60 FPS, 240 FPS super slow motion video |
| Rear view camera 2 | 13MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.12μm pixel size, 120 degree FoV, OIS, 4K video at 30FPS | 13MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.12μm pixel size, 120 degree FoV, OIS, 4K video at 30FPS |
| Front camera | 13MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.12μm pixel size, 95 degree FoV, 4K video at 30FPS | 13MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.12μm pixel size, 95 degree FoV, 4K video at 30FPS |
| battery | 4385mAh, 18W wired charging, 5W Qi wireless charging | 4492mAh, 18W wired charging, 5W Qi wireless charging |
| Dimensions | 152mm x 72.9mm x 9.0mm | 152.1mm x 72.7mm x 8.9mm |
| Weight | 193.5 grams | 188 grams |
| Water and dust resistance | IP67 | IP67 |
| Security | Titan M2 security chip, Google One VPN, in-screen fingerprint sensor | Titan M2 security chip, Google One VPN, in-screen fingerprint sensor |
| Colors | Coal, sea, snow, coral | Obsidian, porcelain, laurel, aloe |
| operating system | Android 14 with Pixel features | Android 14 with Pixel features |
| Update guarantee | Five years of pixel updates | Seven years of pixel updates |
Based on specs alone, the Pixel 8a is a fairly modest upgrade over the Pixel 7a. You get the Tensor G3, a processor that’s a year newer and runs noticeably cooler than the Tensor G2 in the Pixel 7a. However, if you have a Pixel 7a, upgrading to a Pixel 8a doesn’t make sense. There just isn’t enough change to justify the cost.
Based on specs alone, the Pixel 8a is a fairly modest upgrade over the Pixel 7a.
Google has also upgraded the display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,400 nits brightness, although we’re not yet sure if they’ve improved the PWM rate like Samsung has done on some of its 2024 phones. In comparison, the Pixel 7a has a 90Hz display with 1,000 nits of brightness and a PWM rate of 360Hz at all brightness levels.
Despite increasing the size of the battery by just over 100 mAh, Google managed to reduce the weight by just over 5 grams. This slight increase in battery size, coupled with the slightly more efficient Tensor G3, gives us hope that battery life will improve somewhat.
In addition, Google has replaced the Pixel 7a’s ugly glossy back with a “matte composite back” and an aluminum frame on the Pixel 8a. The shiny fingerprint magnet on the back of the 7a was easily the most annoying part of the phone’s design, so it’s great that it’s been addressed head-on this year.
The most exciting upgrade, however, may be the inclusion of Gemini Nano. That makes the Pixel 8a the only phone under $500 to feature Gemini Nano, a big change from last fall when Google reserved its updated AI assistant and only offered it with its most expensive phone, the Pixel 8 Pro. delivered.
The Pixel 8a has all the AI features that Google touts as important for its most expensive Pixel phones.
This means the Pixel 8a has all the AI features that Google advertises as important for its most expensive Pixel phones, including Best Take, Magic Editor, Audio Magic Eraser, Real Tone in Video, Guided Frame on both the front and back also on the rear camera as well as Circle to Search, Call Assist and more.
Plus, owning a Pixel phone will be a priority by the end of this year only Here’s how to get Google One’s free VPN feature. The best VPN services for Android all offer better features than Google’s VPN, but of course you have to pay extra for these services.
Considering most phones in this price range don’t have this any These features add even more value to the Pixel 8a. Plus, all of these upgrades are possible without increasing the price of the base model – at least as long as you’re in the US.
While it’s not unreasonable for Google to raise prices for better products, the Pixel 7a already received a price increase in all regions last year.
However, some regions like Canada are seeing a price increase with this year’s release of the Pixel 8a. Considering that Pixel 7a deals often let you get this phone for $350 or less, it would be much harder to recommend the 8a in these regions.
Last year, Google increased the price of its Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro by $100 to offset the company’s offering of seven years of support, among a number of other improvements, including better hardware build quality.
While it’s not unreasonable for Google to raise prices on better products, the Pixel 7a already received a price increase last year all Regions, not just a few. Being chosen as a region to receive higher prices certainly doesn’t feel very nice.
Pixel phones have had a lot of problems in recent years, but the Pixel A series has bypassed most of them.
And you really can’t ignore the countless problems Google has had with Pixel phones and updates over the years. Google’s Tensor processors are incredible for many reasons, but they tend to run hotter than processors from Qualcomm or MediaTek.
Just search “pixel overheating” on Google and you’ll find a number of articles and forum posts over the years addressing this issue. The Tensor G3 runs cooler, but the processor hasn’t improved performance significantly compared to the Tensor G2 to prevent it from getting hot on a regular basis.
Google also seems to have a QS problem with some of its updates. Back in October, Pixel 6 owners encountered a serious memory error that made it nearly impossible to use the phone until a fix was issued. An almost identical bug surfaced earlier this year and affected almost all Pixels, not just the Pixel 6, leaving some users with a useless phone until a patch was released over a week later.
We’ve also found that updates lead to terrible battery drain issues, cellular connectivity issues, and overheating, just to highlight a few problems that have accumulated over the years.
The silver lining? Almost none of these issues appear to have affected the Pixel A series phones. That’s because Google has a history of changing some key hardware components between a standard Pixel phone like the Pixel 7 and this generation’s budget A-series – in this example, the Pixel 7a.
However, according to our sources, Google appears to have used the Pixel 8’s hardware as the basis for this phone, meaning it could be vulnerable to update errors that could cause problems on the main Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro models.
But even if these things cloud the launch a bit, I’m still more confident than buying a Pixel 8a than a mainline Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro, especially because the A series has the problems that the mainline has -Pixels were faced with, has long been avoided. Plus, there’s just something satisfying about knowing you’re getting features previously reserved for more expensive phones at a fraction of the price.