Google has announced the Pixel 8a, its new mid-range handset that follows the pattern established by previous mid-year launches. The aim of the Pixel A-Series range is to increase accessibility to Google’s hardware offering, launching with a cheaper price and making a few hardware sacrifices along the way.
What’s interesting about the Google Pixel 8a is that it comes equipped with AI, with Google using it as a method of opening up its Gemini skills, rather than saving those for the flagship phone, the Pixel 8 Pro.
It’s the camera where this impact will be felt the most: the Pixel 8a will get AI editing skills in the camera, including the enviable Magic Editor, allowing those on a mid-range device to make sophisticated edits right on the phone. Magic Editor is one of the stand-out features of the Pixel 8 making the choice between these two phones even more difficult.
This also stands Google apart from other brands: the Samsung Galaxy A55, for example, doesn’t have all the Galaxy AI skills that the Galaxy S24 offered, meaning that Google stays a step ahead in the AI wars.
IMAGE CREDIT: GOOGLE
The Pixel 8a has a 6.1-inch display and offers 120Hz smoothness, while offering 2,000 nits peak brightness. It is powered by the Tensor G3, so the same hardware the Google’s flagship devices, making this powerful for a phone that cost less than £500.
The camera remains the same as the Pixel 7a, with a 64-megapixel main camera and 13-megapixel ultrawide camera, while for selfies, you have a 13-megapixel camera too. The real enhancement here will come in the AI skills that Google is adding.
There’s a slight bump in the battery to 4493mAh, which should make for an even better experience over the Pixel 7a. All-in, the Pixel 8a looks like a comprehensive mid-range device, but the question will always be whether it still looks favourable when you take discounts to the Pixel 8 into consideration.
Four essential Pixel 8a specs
6.1in
Display
There’s a 6.1-inch display with a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution, 430ppi, 120Hz refresh rate and 2,000 nit peak brightness.
G3
Processor
The Google Tensor G3 powers the Pixel 8a, with 8GB of RAM, with 128GB or 256GB storage options.
4,492
mAh battery
There’s a 4,492mAh battery, which claims over 24 hours of life, with support for Qi wireless charging.
64mp
Camera
There’s a 64-megapixel main camera, supported by a 13-megapixel ultrawide, and 13-megapixel front camera.
How does the Pixel 8a compare to the Pixel 8?
It’s worth looking at the details here, because at the time of writing, the Pixel 8 is available for around £570, just £70 more than the Pixel 8a. So how does the older flagship Pixel 8 compare to the Pixel 8a?
The Pixel 8 is slightly larger, with a 6.1-inch display, compared to 6.1 inches. The resolution is the same, as is the peak brightness, but the covering on the Pixel 8 is slightly tougher, using Gorilla Glass Victus compared to Gorilla Glass 3 on the Pixel 8a.
The design is similar, although the Pixel 8 has an IP68 rating compared to IP67, so may give a little more protection against water damage.
The big difference, therefore, is in the camera. The Pixel 8 has a 50-megapixel main camera. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that more megapixels is better, because the actual pixels on that sensor are larger than the Pixel 8a – 1.2µm compared to 0.8µm, potentially letting in more light. That’s also helped by the Pixel 8’s f/1.68 aperture, which will let in more light than the f/1.89 on the Pixel 8a. What all this means is that the Pixel 8’s main camera should let in more light for better photos.
That might also apply to the ultrawide, with a wider angle and fractionally larger pixels on that camera too – although the difference is likely to be minimal. The Pixel 8 also has slightly faster RAM, so might be a little faster in some areas, but again, the difference is likely to be minimal.
IMAGE CREDIT: GOOGLE
That means that these two devices sit very close together in terms of performance and specification. The Pixel 8 camera is likely to be a little better and that might make it worth spending that little bit extra. Of course, there are regular discounts on all Pixel models, and if the Pixel 8a drops below the £499 launch price, you’re getting close to a flagship offering for even less money.
The Pixel 8 Pro is much more of a jump: it has a larger and higher resolution display, with higher peak brightness, the impressive telephoto camera on the back and additional photo features, making it much more of a true flagship device.
The Pixel 8a is available for pre-order now, and it will be shipping from 14 May.
