Google Pixel 8a Review
Despite the steep price hike, the Google Pixel 8a stands out for its compact design, excellent camera capabilities, and clean Android experience, bolstered by long-term software support. Its AI-driven features enhance usability as well. It provides a Pixel 8-like experience at a lower cost. However, it does have drawbacks such as slow charging speeds and occasional heating issues, which could be significant for some users. Especially since the smartphone market is packed with options in the same price including the beloved iQOO 12 and OnePlus 12R.
The Google Pixel 8a is the latest addition to Google’s smartphone lineup, positioned as a mid-range option with a focus on AI-powered features. Priced at ₹52,999, the Google Pixel 8a aims to provide a premium experience without reaching flagship prices. However, the question still plaguing most minds is why this phone even exists when it is so similar to the Pixel 8 (review) and pretty close in price too. The Pixel 8a sees a massive price hike of ₹9,000 compared to its predecessor, which is huge in a price-conscious market like India.
Furthermore, it competes against some heavyweights such as the iQOO 12 (review), OnePlus 12R (review) and of course, its own brethren, the Google Pixel 8. How will the phone fare in this competitive landscape? Is it dead on arrival or is there a niche audience that will still appreciate the phone despite its expensive price tag? Let’s delve into that and more in my detailed Google Pixel 8a review.
The Google Pixel 8a maintains a compact form factor with a 6.1-inch display, a rarity in 2024. The phone is available in several trendy colours, including Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, and Aloe (my personal favourite). Despite its compact size, the device is on the thicker side at 8.9mm and weighs 188 grams, which is a bit heavy compared to current standards.
The phone’s design is clean and minimalistic, with a velvety smooth back finish and metal sides. The back panel looks deceptively like glass and doesn’t attract fingerprints. The volume rocker and power button are on the right side, but the volume button’s placement could be more ergonomic.
It includes a USB Type-C 3.2 port for charging and data transfer but lacks a headphone jack, which is common now. The in-display fingerprint scanner performs well in most conditions. The retail box only includes a Type-A to Type-C charging cable, but there’s no charging brick.
The Pixel 8a is IP67 certified, providing decent protection against dust and water, though an IP68 rating would have been better at this price point. The use of Gorilla Glass 3 for the display is also quite disappointing, as newer generations of Gorilla Glass offer better durability.
The Google Pixel 8a features a 6.1-inch Full HD+ display. Most importantly, it now has 120 Hz refresh rate support, a substantial upgrade over the 90 Hz display of the Pixel 7a. However, the thick bezels around the display detract from the modern aesthetic, especially considering the price range. The bezels are also not even which is disappointing since phones like the Nothing Phone (2) have shown us that it is possible to spring for even bezels at this price.
Watching videos and browsing content on the Google Pixel 8a is enjoyable, thanks to its vibrant colours and good contrast. The phone’s display is also pretty bright. It is rated at 2,000 nits of peak brightness and in my tests, I got a reading of 1280 nits under direct sunlight in High Brightness Mode.
The display could benefit from using a higher-grade Gorilla Glass for better durability and scratch resistance. Gorilla Glass 3 is far too dated for 2024.
Powered by the Tensor G3 chipset, the Google Pixel 8a offers improved performance over its predecessor. It comes with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Thankfully, Google has chosen to offer a 256 GB model this year and not limit it to 128 GB like on the Pixel 7a, which was the need of the hour.
While the Google Pixel 8a performs well in day-to-day scenarios, it does suffer from occasional heating issues, particularly during intensive tasks like gaming or prolonged camera use. So, it is not a great option for power users and gamers who would have a better experience with the likes of an iQOO 12 or a OnePlus 12. This is an area where Google needs to improve, as thermal management has been a recurring issue with their Tensor-powered devices.
In benchmarks, the Google Pixel 8a delivers decent scores but they lag behind competition significantly. Starting off with AnTuTu v10, the Pixel 8a scores under a million while the iQOO 12 flies past it with a 2M+ score and the OnePlus 12R flaunts a 1.3M score. In GeekBench, the Pixel 8a bests the OnePlus 12R but it cannot touch the iQOO 12’s score.
The phone scores 11,183 in PCMark Work which is decent enough to be competitive here. However, the phone does throttle significantly, which has been the case with the Pixels of the yesteryears too. It throttles to 66 per cent of its peak performance in just 15 minutes which is quite poor throttling performance. So, the phone does throttle significantly during intensive tasks such as playing Genshin Impact or rendering high-quality videos.
As for GPU Benchmarks, the scores are decent but they pale in comparison to the iQOO 12. The same is confirmed in real-world gaming tests. The iQOO 12 can easily handle high graphics gaming with minimal frame drops, but the same cannot be said for the Pixel 8a, especially during prolonged gaming sessions.
The software experience on the Google Pixel 8a is one of its strongest points. Running stock Android 14, it provides a clean and intuitive user interface free of bloatware. Google’s commitment to long-term updates ensures that users will receive the latest features and security patches for years to come. Seven years, to be exact. The phone runs on Android 14 out-of-the-box and promises seven years of software updates, which is a significant advantage for longevity.
AI-powered features like Magic Eraser, Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser, AI wallpapers, and Magic Editor enhance the overall usability of the device, making photo editing a fun and fruitful experience. The integration of AI into the user experience is seamless, and these features work effectively to improve daily tasks and enhance creativity.
The Google Pixel 8a is equipped with a 64MP primary sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide sensor on the back, along with a 13MP front camera. The primary camera has OIS capabilities and dual pixel PDAF. Unlike the Pixel 8, the ultrawide shooter on the Pixel 8a doesn’t have auto focus.
The primary camera excels in capturing detailed photos with vibrant colors and good contrast. In bright light, the Google Pixel 8a excels with accurate colour reproduction and fine detail preservation, maintaining Google’s reputation for strong camera software optimisation. The dynamic range is well-handled, ensuring that both highlights and shadows are captured effectively.
This makes the Pixel 8a particularly adept at landscape and outdoor photography, where lighting conditions can vary widely.
Portrait mode on the Pixel 8a benefits from Google’s advanced computational photography, producing pleasing bokeh effects and relatively accurate subject isolation.
The ultra-wide sensor also performs well, maintaining consistency in color treatment across different shooting modes. While not as strong as the main sensor, it offers good performance with minimal distortion.
Low-light performance is impressive, with minimal noise and good detail retention. The AI-driven camera software helps in producing social media-ready images straight out of the camera. The auto-focus system is reliable and quick, further enhancing its usability in low-light conditions. Video recording supports 4K resolution and maintains stability, though the high contrast can sometimes appear unnatural.
The camera’s real strength lies in its software features. Magic Eraser and other AI tools provide significant enhancements to photo editing, making it easy to remove unwanted objects and adjust images creatively.
The Google Pixel 8a houses a 4492mAh battery, a slight upgrade from the previous model. It comfortably lasts a full day with moderate to heavy use, even with features like always-on display and 120Hz refresh rate enabled.
However, the charging speed is a notable downside, as it only supports 18W wired charging and 7.5W wireless charging. This is quite slow compared to other devices in its price range, and Google continues to omit the charger from the box.
Despite the steep price hike, the Google Pixel 8a stands out for its compact design, excellent camera capabilities, and clean Android experience, bolstered by long-term software support. Its AI-driven features enhance usability as well. It provides a Pixel 8-like experience at a lower cost. However, it does have drawbacks such as slow charging speeds and occasional heating issues, which could be significant for some users. Especially since the smartphone market is packed with options in the same price including the beloved iQOO 12 and OnePlus 12R.
Additionally, the ₹9,000 price hike from its predecessors will most likely not go down well with the Indian audience. Overall, the Google Pixel 8a is a solid choice for Pixel enthusiasts, though it may not meet the needs of users seeking the fastest charging or top-tier performance.
