Review of the Google Pixel 8a
Our Verdict
The Pixel 8a is a great mid-ranger, with some useful AI features, a fantastic 120Hz refresh rate display, and a lovely matte design. However, its battery life and charging speeds keep it out of the top tier of mid-range devices, even if wireless charging is thrown in as an added bonus.
- Useful AI features
- Gorgeous design
- 120Hz refresh rate
- Reliable performance
- Mediocre battery life
- Slow charging
- Chunky bezels
Every year in the early summer, Google releases a mid-range version of its flagship series, and this year is no exception with the debut of the Google Pixel 8a. Over the years, the 'a' series has continuously pleased us, mostly because of the value each phone gives in the $500 to $500 price bracket and some respectable cameras. The newest model is no exception.
With its strong performance, sharp OLED display at 120Hz refresh rate, and Google's newest Tensor G3 processor, the Pixel 8a is a fascinating little device. In the event that you're considering purchasing one, we thought we'd test drive the gadget before it launches in May 2024. What is the difference between this new Google product and the best mid-range phones available? Let's investigate.
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, andCost and accessibility
For around $499.99 / £449.99 for the 128GB storage option or $599.99 / £549.99 for the 256GB version, you can get the Google Pixel 8a. It may be purchased directly from Google Pixel or via independent merchants like as Best Buy, Amazon, and others. The Pixel 8a is available in Obsidian, Aloe, Bay, or Porcelain hues. We have been utilizing the Obsidian version for this review.
Specifications
Logic and features
Pre-installed on the Google Pixel 8a is Android 14, which is as clean a user interface (UI) as you'll find on a device from the same company. It competes with Apple's iOS and Samsung's ONE UI Android skin in terms of usability and absence of bloatware. For those who are unaware, bloatware refers to all those extraneous programs that sometimes come with a phone, such as cloned puzzle games and the Booking.com app. I'm happy to say that this place is free of it.
Google unveiled a number of innovative AI capabilities with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro last year, and the Pixel 8a is equipped with them all. If you are like me and like losing yourself in internet rabbit holes, Circle to Search is a great tool. Simply choose an image, depress the gesture control handle located at the bottom of the screen, and you will be able to enlarge any area of an image to reveal additional details about any topic. Although I'm not a huge supporter of Google's broader AI push—after all, it will eventually replace my job—this tiny AI technique is quite helpful, and I have to confess that I've become used to using it rather quickly.
Other helpful daily AI functions like Call Assist and Live Translate, which integrates smoothly with Gemini, are available in addition to Circle to Search. Additionally, there are Google's AI-powered photo editing tools, such as Magic Editor and Best Take, which at first glance seem a bit ghoulish and dystopian but are really very useful for producing group shots.
The nice part about each of these aspects is that, unlike AI techniques like text prompt picture creation, they individually serve a specific objective and achieve it. There's a true usefulness there rather than just the ability to make your granny into an animated superhero in a cheesy produced image, so they don't seem like tacky add-ons.
The Google Pixel 8a has fingerprint and face recognition for phone unlocking, much like the majority of modern phones. Both, I must confess, function flawlessly. I've angled my face at my iPhone or the Honor Magic6 Pro for longer than I'd like to admit, but this device unlocks no matter what angle I give it.
Prior to continuing, let me clarify that, similar to the Pixel 8 or 8 Pro, if you purchase a Pixel 8a, you will get seven years of software and security upgrades. Even if it's improbable that you'll use the phone until 2031, having the choice is still convenient. Only Samsung matches Google in terms of the duration of software upgrades it guarantees, but unlike the Korean company, there doesn't seem to be any imminent risk of having to pay for Google's built-in AI capabilities. It seems like a significant victory to me.
Design
Let me say this right away: I adore something about the Google Pixel 8a's look. Despite being about the same size as my iPhone 13, it seems much more compact. The rounded corners and edges add to the comfortable feel, and the matte finish is a great contrast to flashy, glossy devices. Even with my enormous sasquatch hands, the previous several flagship devices I tested were a little too huge, so it's good to have something that fits perfectly in the palm.
Though, surprise, I'm not a huge fan of plastic phones, when done well, as with the Pixel 8a, they can be just as well-made as phones made of any other material. One advantage of the 8a's plastic construction is that it's quite simple to clean—all you need to do is give it a quick wipe with a cloth to get rid of any smudges or pocket detritus. Together with its ergonomic design and relatively small weight of only 188g, this gadget doesn't burden your hand or cause carpal tunnel syndrome after a long day of mobile gaming.
I must discuss the IP rating of the Pixel 8a before continuing. Because I'm a very clumsy man, I also want dependable dust and waterproofing, which this phone's IP68-rated construction provides. Even while this is already almost the industry norm, this mid-ranger has an advantage over competitors like the OnePlus 12R and the new Honor 200 Pro in terms of durability. Not many smartphones are nearly so robust.
Display
One of the main things that draws people to the Pixel 8a is its display. Its 6.1-inch OLED screen is good enough on its own, but what really sets it apart is its 120Hz refresh rate, which is often reserved for premium models. The Pixel 8a's screen really comes to life, providing a fluid experience unmatched at this price range, if you go to settings and activate the Smooth Display option, which more than lives up to its name, or if you just play some casual mobile games at the highest settings.
Despite the immaculate display, it's important to note that the 8a has some of the chunkiest bezels I've seen recently. Although I don't mind a large bezel, this isn't the place for you if you're the kind who demands the most screen real estate.With a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits, using the phone in strong sunlight should not present any problems. As of right now, the UK is experiencing a rare period of sunshine. I've had no trouble using my phone to listen to Honkai Star Rail in the garden or to browse through my Spotify playlist while taking short walks. Although it's not as bright as some other mid-rangers, 99% of the time you don't really need that many nits—especially if you're as determined as I am to stay indoors.Cameras
The Pixel 8a has a 13 MP selfie camera on the front and two cameras on the back: a 64 MP wide and a 13 MP ultrawide. As we've come to expect from Google Pixel smartphones, the photos you shoot with any of these lenses turn out rather amazing. The Pixel 8a's two rear cameras perform better than those of other phones I've tested with three, similar to the newly introduced Honor 200 Pro. It's definitely more about quality than quantity, as the saying goes.
The sample picture above demonstrates the amazing results that the Pixel 8a's primary camera can produce. Especially impressive to me is the degree of definition. My dog's face is visible; the depth of his brown eyes is faithfully captured, and the luster of his fur coat is retained even when captured via the lens. I've used a variety of mid-range phones to snap a ton of photos of my adorable fluffy boy, but I think my Pixel 8a collection is my best yet—only the Honor 200 Pro will make me happier in 2024.The Pixel 8a produces equally amazing wide location images, such as the one below of my tiny landscape. It seems that this phone has a special talent for accurately recording color. Using this picturesque scene as an example, I seldom obtain this much definition from a distance, so I'm happy with how it came out. Although I'm not much of a photographer, I should point out that the camera has a long exposure option. I don't know what I'm doing with it, so I'm afraid I don't have any relevant examples, but feel free to test it out if you do.
Although the Pixel 8a's cameras are excellent for a phone at this price range, they still fall short of those of a Pixel 8 Pro or other flagship. To begin with, low-light photos are a touch soft, even with Night Sight. It's not the greatest at taking really close-up photos, which is to be expected since there isn't a macro camera, but you may have to spend a little more money on an 8 Pro if you like taking pictures of the smallest things. Luckily, the cameras are more than powerful enough in virtually every other way for you to take amateur smartphone photos or take pictures for your social media accounts.Performance The Pixel 8a is surprisingly powerful in terms of performance for a mid-range smartphone. Although its Tensor G3 processor falls short of the competition in its top phones, it outperforms competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE and the Nothing Phone 2a in more reasonably priced models. This implies that you can expect lag-free performance in daily usage, regardless of whether you're streaming media, capturing video, or using many applications at once.There isn't much you can throw this phone at that it finds issues with in terms of gaming. My preferred game for testing is Honkai Star Rail; even though it's not quite strong enough to run settings at maximum, medium settings provide a stable 60FPS experience with little to no latency. That's about appropriate for a mid-range phone, and games like Marvel Snap and Diablo Immortal provide the similar experience. Except maybe for the OnePlus 12R, which is somewhat of a gaming wonder, the 120Hz refresh rate, however, goes a long way toward making the gaming experience as excellent as, if not better than, any other device in the same price range.
Let's briefly discuss heat dissipation now. In this sense, the Pixel 8a is a little odd. It doesn't take much for the device to warm up a little, but even while playing games that are really taxing, it never does. It becomes less obvious if you put a case on it, but because it never gets hot enough, it's not really a big deal.Lightning
The Pixel 8a's battery life is definitely hit or miss. Put simply, it has a respectable battery life but a slow charging pace. That's the quick version; we'll go into more depth about each element later.With irregular usage, a little emailing and texting here and there, and a solid hour or two of mobile gaming thrown in, I was able to test the Pixel 8a and get about a day's worth of use out of it. With a larger battery, the battery life is somewhat better than the 7a's, which is not unexpected, but it's not as good as the OnePlus 12R or the original Pixel 8. If you don't mind, charging your phone before bed isn't a huge concern, but if you often find yourself out and about without a trustworthy portable charger, it could be something to think about.
The Pixel 8a's charging time of over ninety minutes from full to flat is just unacceptable in this day and age. This sluggish juice pace, which lags well behind other mid-rangers like the OnePlus 12R and Honor 200 Pro, is mostly due to the fact that it is still only capable of 18W charging. It was strange to wait around for the device to eventually charge up to the halfway mark from flat during testing since I'm so accustomed to receiving at least a 50% charge from a half-hour plugged in. That is most likely the phone's worst flaw and the only reason I haven't recommended it yet.In addition, you get 7.5W wireless charging, which, if you don't have a wired charger, can charge your device from flat in a few hours, although slowly. Yes, this is a wonderful addition, however to be completely honest, I'd much sooner have faster cable charging than wireless charging. The cables are still alive.