Summary
- The Pixel 8a offers 7 years of updates and on-device AI features for $500, making it a value-packed midrange phone.
- A new Audio Emoji feature shipping with the device allows users to play sound effects during calls, potentially confusing telemarketers and spammers.
- There’s a cooldown period after each Audio Emoji reaction, so you can’t rapidly spam someone with it, but it could be an effective way to end an awkward conversation.
Google’s annual developer conference I/O is still a few days away, but the company has already announced the new mid-range monster, the Pixel 8a. There are several reasons you might want to buy this phone, such as the seven years of software updates, a newer Tensor G3 chip, and a more Pixel 8-style design than the outgoing Pixel 7a. However, on the software front, this little phone has one particular feature that telemarketers could soon come to dislike with passion.
The Pixel 8a is Google’s cheapest phone to promise on-device AI and 7 years of updates — but only just
All this for $500? It might be time to cross the Pixel 8 off your list
Like almost every Google smartphone we’re expecting this year, the Pixel 8a has the usual Pixel-exclusive bits like Call Screen, Hold for Me, and Clear Calling alongside a healthy smattering of Gemini AI features. If scammers and annoyingly persistent telemarketers get through those filters, we are usually left with no option but to explain why the call bothers us, wag the proverbial finger with half-hearted threats, or just hang up immediately.
Emoji to the rescue
However, the Pixel 8a ships with a new feature called Audio Emoji, which essentially allows playing easily identifiable sound effects like a drumroll, applause, or piano riff during a call (via Android Authority). In a utopian world, this would help you express your reaction to the caller with fewer words and interruptions, but spamming these sounds could be a confusingly new and inoffensive way to befuddle telemarketers, robocallers, and spam callers.
While we don’t condone being outright rude to anyone doing a job to make ends meet, there are always instances where some callers just don’t read the room before hastily redialing. If that happens, you could just spam the sad trombone sound till they hang up — although there is a bit of a cooldown period after each reaction, so you won’t be able to go nuts with it.
Google has confirmed Audio Emoji are available on the Pixel 8a and are rolling out to other Pixel phones as well. Even if this feature isn’t available right off the bat, though, the Pixel 8a offers fantastic value for its $500 asking price.
Google Pixel 8a
Google’s new Pixel 8a packs a load of features at a price usually reserved for phones with less impressive software support. With 7 years of promised updates and fun, Google-y features like the new Audio Emoji, it might just be the new king of software among midrange devices.
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