Closer to flagship than ever

• 

  Almost flagship

  Google Pixel 8a

  Last year, we were pleasantly surprised just how similar Google’s midrange Pixel was to its more expensive sibling. This year, we’re almost surprised at how few differences exist between the Pixel 8a and the full-on Pixel 8. With high-end internals and long-term software support, it’s the best Pixel A yet.

  Pros

  • Camera still works fantastically
  • Seven years of Android updates
  • Few noticeable compromises compared to the flagships

  Cons

  • Camera isn’t actually upgraded
  • Bezels are big and inconsistent
  • Costs nearly as much as the Pixel 8

• 

  Midrange masterclass

  Google Pixel 7a

  $405 $499 Save $94

  Easily one of the best value phones of its time, the Pixel 7a makes just the right sacrifices to offer a lower price point without significantly compromising on the pure Pixel experience. While it saw a price increase that brought it close to the Pixel 7, frequent discounts mean it’s now often much cheaper than the new 8a.

  Pros

  • Gets some near-flagship features
  • One of the best affordable point-and-shoot cameras
  • Cool new colors

  Cons

  • Battery life could be better
  • MSRP is slightly high
  • Performance is merely OK for the price

Google’s Pixel A series offers budget-conscious consumers the chance to be part of one of the leading Android smartphone families. For the last couple of years, they’ve blurred the line between midrange and flagship, with powerful hardware, vibrant displays, and the premium software support the Big G’s become known for. And the tradition lives on with the Pixel 8a. The 8a delivers a top-notch experience, at the same list price as the 7a. But how does it compare to its older sibling?

Price, availability, and specs

Thankfully, Google defied some of the rumors and kept the Pixel 8a at the same $500 MSRP as its predecessor. It’s readily available from Google itself, as well as major third-party retailers and carriers, the latter of which will practically beg you to take one home by way of trade-ins and phone plan discounts.

The Pixel 7a remains available through most of those channels, but take care where you buy it. At press time, it commanded an identical $499 from Google, and similar prices over $400 elsewhere. While it’s definitely worthwhile with deals like the $374 we routinely saw in previous months, you definitely don’t want to accidentally pay full or near-full price.

• 	Google Pixel 8a	Google Pixel 7a
  SoC	Google Tensor G3	Google Tensor G2
  Display type	OLED, 120Hz	OLED, 90Hz
  Display dimensions	6.1″, 20:9	6.1″ 20:9
  Display resolution	1080 x 2400	2400 ×1080
  RAM	8GB	8GB LPDDR5
  Storage	128GB, 256GB	128GB
  Battery	4492mAh	4,385mAh
  Charge speed	18W wired, 7.5W wireless	18W fast, 5W wireless
  Charge options	USB-C wired, Qi wireless	USB-C wired, Qi wireless
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C
  SIM support	Nano SIM, eSIM	Dual SIM (Nano SIM and eSIM)
  Operating System	Android 14	Android 14
  Front camera	13MP, f/2.2	13MP, f/2.2
  Rear camera	64MP f/1.89 OIS main, 13MP f/2.2 wide	64MP, f/1.89 main; 13MP, f/2.2 ultrawide
  Cellular connectivity	Sub-6 5G (optional mmWave)	LTE, 5G sub-6 (all carriers), mmWave (Verizon model only))
  Wi-Fi connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 6E
  Connectivity	NFC	NFC
  Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
  Dimensions	152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9mm	152.4 x 72.9 x 9mm
  Weight	188g	193g
  IP Rating	IP67	IP67
  Colors	Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, Aloe	Charcoal, Snow, Sea, Coral
  Stylus	No	No
  Price	Starting $499	$499 / $549 (mmW)

Design

Near-identical appearances with subtle, meaningful changes

There’s no mistaking anything else for a Pixel, and that’s true of both the 2023 and 2024 A-series offerings. The camera visor and rounded corners are nothing short of iconic at this point, and Google’s leaned into them more than ever — the 8a, like the 8, is as rounded as the Pixel’s been for years.

Like the Pixel 7a compromised somewhat on materials, we expected the same from the 8a. But after Android Police Phones Editor Will Sattelberg expressed dismay last year at Google’s apparent abandonment of all things matte, he’s one of many who appreciate the non-glossy plastic back of the Pixel 8a. Our Pixel 8a review actually went so far as to laud the matte back’s feel more than the glossy glass of more expensive Pixels, a big win for the budget handset.

But sacrifices must be made to check in below flagship price, and the 2024 A series brings with it the same camera bar seam and wide, inconsistent bezels we criticized during our in-depth Pixel 7a coverage. Of course, these are just cosmetic issues, and using one of the many great Pixel 8a cases largely mitigates both.

Display

The biggest difference, and most flagship-oriented upgrade

The Pixel 7a brought a welcome 90Hz upgrade and above-average brightness for its day, but remained one of the device’s few weak spots. The 8a sends that weakness to the shadow realm, with a full-on 120Hz panel boasting the same 2,000-nit rating as its more expensive relative. In real-world measurement, the 8a bests the 7a by roughly 400 nits in adaptive brightness mode, for about 1,500 nits that make for great visibility, even in direct sunlight.

Nearly identical to what the $700 Pixel 8 offers, the 8a’s panel is a significant upgrade over the 7a’s. To take advantage of it, though, note you’ll have to jump into the settings and enable Smooth Display, which is turned off out of the box. Regardless, we’re happy to report that last year’s biggest con has been overcome, and all but the most demanding users should be satisfied with the midranger’s new display.

Software

Same great, pure Pixel experience with newly extended longevity

Given that Google’s responsible for the overarching Android Open Source Project that all operating systems are based on, it’s just slightly ironic that its launcher doesn’t offer as much flexibility as, say, Samsung’s One UI. Nonetheless, Google does a good job presenting the interface it thinks most people want to use, and if you like the Pixel experience, the 8a delivers more of the same. In that respect, it’s identical to the 7a, at least for the time being.

Where the software experiences diverge is in their long-term promise. The 8a finally gets the nod for Google’s seven-year update lifespan, and should handle it well, since it uses the same hardware as the more expensive Pixels. It’ll continue to perform better than the 7a during that time, too, since the Tensor G3 does make some notable performance and efficiency upgrades over the G2.

We’re hesitant to imply that it’ll see the same advanced AI features as its more expensive alternatives, but it will almost certainly get more than the 7a, which we’re afraid might get left to languish in that respect, considering Google’s push to integrate machine learning tricks into its high-end models.

Performance

Similar to the flagships, for better or worse

In day-to-day use, plenty of Pixel owners run into zero performance issues. Compared to the many Qualcomm-powered alternatives, though, Google’s in-house Tensor system-on-a-chip doesn’t quite hold up. The 8a’s G3 does offer marked improvements that could enable, for example, some on-device AI processing down the line. You’re much less likely to notice slowdowns or overheating with the newer chip.

Things do get slightly muddy when comparing these to the Pixel 7 and 8, because while they technically use the same Tensor chipsets; they’re packaged slightly differently on the die and fall short a tiny bit compared to the flagship hardware. While that shouldn’t significantly impact performance, we’re still not sure Google plans to implement the same resource-intensive computational features on its midrange devices.

Battery life

Nothing to write home about, but finally pretty good

Heavy use repeatedly pushed the Pixel 7a’s battery to its limit, one of our biggest knocks against it outside the display. It could last all day if you don’t push it, but you aren’t getting any more than five hours of screen time on a regular basis.

The 8a’s slightly larger battery works alongside the more efficient Tensor G3 to provide passable, though not excellent, battery life. If you’re not frequently switching networks or playing demanding games, it consistently reaches the roughly five hours of screen-on time we consider a decent benchmark. Dipping into 3D games, intensive photo or video editing, or extensive use of the on-device AI tools will necessitate periodic top-offs or having a good power bank on standby.

Unfortunately, both devices sport less-than-stellar 18W charging, somewhat unsurprising given Google’s reluctance to include true fast charging on even its more costly devices. The nearly two hours required from empty to full remains mostly unchanged with the Pixel 8a, so don’t expect much from a midday, 15-minute plugin. Wireless charging’s even less useful, as the 7.5W limitation makes it good for overnight charging, and that’s about it.

Camera

Don’t fix what isn’t broken

Pixels routinely rank among the best phones for taking pictures (with the international-only Xiaomi 14 Ultra arguably its closest competitor), and that holds true with both of these — to the exact same degree. The 8a sports identical camera hardware, with the Ultra HDR image support being the only tangible difference, and that’s only for viewing photos on your device. In other words, expect the same great high-convenience, point-and-shoot experience we’ve come to know and love from the Pixel series.

The only other thing potentially setting the cameras apart is the extra three years of Android updates due on the Pixel 8a. There’s always a chance that updated algorithms and possibly some AI- or AI-adjacent features could make their way to Google’s midrange devices, but sometime after the Pixel 7a has reached the end of its update lifespan. That’s largely speculation, and for the time being, they both perform essentially the same.

Which is right for you?

The Pixel 8a is an objectively better device, and a better buy right now mostly due to its improved display, better SoC, and extended software promise. It’s one of the best midrange phones today, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it sees periodic discounts throughout the rest of 2024. If you know you love the Pixel experience, or you want to get in on it without splashing out on the high-dollar model, it deserves strong consideration.

But if you already own a Pixel 7a, there’s no reason to upgrade unless you’re particularly up in arms over the display quality. It’s an excellent phone that outperforms most other midrange options, even a year after its release. If you’re not a Pixel owner, but considering one of Google’s two most recent lower-cost releases, only consider the 7a if you can find it at a steep discount in the neighborhood of $350 or less. And even then, make sure to double-check the Pixel 8a’s sale price before pulling the trigger because it might not be far off.