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Our Google Pixel 8a Review

Affordable yet still competitive, the Google Pixel 8a completes the Pixel 8 lineup and in doing so, provides a solid bit of kit comparable to its siblings at a lower price.

Our Google Pixel 8a review

The Google Pixel 8a is the perfect option for those interested in the latest Pixel range but don’t want to splash out too much money, offering an alternative to the Pixel 8 that keeps a lot of its best features - and even improves on some.

Google Pixel 8a: Display

The Pixel 8a’s display actually does somewhat better than its immediate sibling, the Pixel 8, delivering a smoother and more efficient display that has an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1 to 120Hz, helping make animations look smoother and preserve battery life. This is also equal to the 8 Pro, which is a big plus.

The 8a matches the 8 with a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution but is slightly more pixel-dense at 430ppi compared to the 8’s 424ppi. It also matches it in the brightness department, maxing out at 2000 nits, enough to clearly see the screen under direct sunlight.

Google Pixel 8a: Camera

The Pixel 8a has a very solid camera setup, sporting a 64MP Quad PD wide camera with 1.89 aperture and up to 8x super res zoom, as well as a 13MP ultrawide camera with a 2.2 aperture and lens correction.

There are lots of brilliant camera software tricks that help produce stunning images with the 8a, such as Magic Editor, Best Take and Phot Unblur.

With videos, the rear camera can shoot in 4k or 1080p at 30 and 60 FPS, while the front camera can shoot 4k or 1080p at 30 FPS. It also comes with Google’s revolutionary Audio Magic Eraser, which helps clean up any noise in the background of your videos.

Google Pixel 8a: Design

The new Pixel 8a features a more rounded design than that of its siblings. Despite coming in at 6.1 inches to the 8’s 6.2 inches, the 8a is actually slightly taller, wider and heavier, coming in at 152 x 73 x 9 mm and 188g.

One place where it is let down is with the protection, as the 8a features the older Corning Gorilla Glass 3 as opposed to the Gorilla Glass Victus on the 8, which is stronger and more durable.

It also has an IP67 dust/water resistance rating, down from the IP68 on the 8 and 8 Pro, making it less durable if dropped in water.

Google Pixel 8a: Performance

The Pixel 8a follows the 8 and 8 Pro in boasting the new Google Tensor G3 processor, which provides better performance and helps the built-in AI to perform better. It also helps to power a lot of the new features, such as Magic Editor.

It has an all-day battery life thanks to the upgraded 4492 mAh battery that can extend up to 72 hours on extreme battery saver and supports fast charging.

Google Pixel 8a: Features, Android 14 & Google AI

Android 14 was introduced along with the 8 and 8 Pro, allowing for more customisation with AI-generated wallpapers and new accessibility options. 

Arguably the best new feature on the 8 range has been the implementation of Google AI, which performs brilliantly in many ways, including in the camera software listed earlier as well as for things such as quick transcribing and translating.

How much is the Google Pixel 8a?

The new Pixel 8a keeps to the same price tag as the 7a but has no variations as it only comes with the one storage option of 128GB.

The Pixel 8a is available at £499.

Google Pixel 8a: Our verdict

The Google Pixel 8a stands as one of the best midrange phones on the market and even makes a strong claim to being one of the very best phones out there when considering value for money.

With a strong camera setup and vivid display, choosing between the three latest editions of the Pixel range is hard. But if your choice comes down to price, then you are not losing out at all with the Pixel 8a.