Since 2019, Google’s affordable range of smartphones has seen progress and improvement in almost every area. After four years of updates and very few misfires, the Pixel 8a is a fully developed final form. Here’s what it’s like to use it for an extended period of time.
Hardware and design
I love the transition to matte on every aspect of the Pixel 8a. Talking to people about 8a, there seems to be some consensus that the return of plastics is something we’d like to see. Google has consciously tried to strike a nice balance. Frankly, I’d be quite happy if the Pixel 8 Pro used the same material, as it doesn’t drastically cheapen the feel in the hand.
A huge plus is that I happily used the Pixel 8a without a case for the first time in a long time. I’ll admit frankly that the matte black model is a little plain for my taste, so I used a couple of cases to finish it off. By comparison, the Aloe used by my colleague Abner Li is just as refreshing and soothing as its namesake. There is an almost neon aspect to the green that stands out nicely.
You may not need to use a case as it can take a beating. Again, I get the idea that flagships use quality plastic finishes rather than glass or metal. I can see fairing 8a really well into the future like 3a, 4a and 6a before it.
While I dream of the Pixel 4a’s pocketability, the 8a is comfortable with a chassis that feels dense and heavy. It’s probably the most comfortable Pixel since the Pixel 5, but it’s a little chunky compared to that device. It’s actually more rounded than the regular Pixel 8 – which I think helps a lot.
The thick bezels aren’t a huge pain for me, but they are noticeably larger than many other affordable phones. It is more pronounced with the black model, which has a gray metal frame. They can also be rounded sides. At least it’s completely flat.
Aside from the bezels being a bit chunky, the screen is excellent. There’s a lot of real estate to use at 6.1 inches. The huge jump in maximum brightness makes the Pixel 8a easier to use in any environment. One thing I do have is how the 8a handles display brightness.
The individual brightness increments are strange, as they massively jump up from around 80%. I can be really dull or really bright. The middle section is wildly different. I always set it manually because the auto brightness setting can work as well. It’s a little annoying because the display is only a small step below the regular Pixel 8. It’s really excellent and a joy to use for all types of content.
The 120Hz refresh rate also feels like the latest evolution of the A-series smartphone screen. Be sure to enable it, as the Pixel 8a defaults to 60Hz out of the box. Android 14 is perfect for this, with smooth, clean animations and a cohesive feel across the board. It’s backed by speakers that have a lot more oomph than I expected. Music, podcasts and movies sound great, but I’d still use headphones if you want the best experience.
Last on the list of neat things I noticed is that the haptics have been improved here again. There’s a nice thud when you type or tap. Only OnePlus or Oppo offer better vibration-based feedback on a device in this price range.
Software and performance
The Tensor G3 is not a true blue flag chip. It is more suitable in the upper middle class arena. Here, the Pixel 8a has the upper hand over a lot of so-called challengers. Of course, there are objectively more powerful mid-range phones in many global regions, but few will be exponentially more powerful.
I haven’t noticed any outright throttling specifically, but I do get some random warm phases every now and then. During the initial setup phase, the device was hot to the touch and it can get hot when you install a lot of apps. Strangely, I didn’t notice this while testing Call of Duty Mobile and while roaming recently. However, these two tasks would increase the heat of most of my Android devices.
The main thing you need to know is that day after day I couldn’t tell the difference between the performance levels of the 8a and the 8 and 8 Pro. They’re practically identical, which is always the biggest bonus with Pixel A series devices. You get a flagship software experience without any compromises. This means you can’t hit 120fps with many titles when gaming, as the Tensor G3 doesn’t have enough overhead to do so.
All basic AI powered modes allow you to jump down the totem pole. To be honest, I only really use the AI ​​wallpaper feature. Magic Editor and Audio Magic Eraser aren’t things I use often, but I’m glad they’re here because it’s great to have mid-range options like this.
The Gemini Nano is also promised as part of a future Feature Drop that will enable further AI processing on the device. At this point, things are simple. There is a lot to look forward to when it comes to the software suite. I personally enjoy it as a testing platform for Android 15 Beta.
The Pixel 8a even has a few time-exclusive features. There is a Snapshot widget that allows you to quickly take a photo. The latest picture you’ve taken then works as a pinned Polaroid-style widget on your home screen. It’s ok but very gimmicky.
What you may not realize is that the 8a is the only Pixel device to have battery charge cycle information as standard. This was unceremoniously removed in the Android 14 QPR2 update, but will only return in future Pixels.
Camera
My bold take on the Pixel 8a is that there isn’t a camera at this price point that offers as much bang for your buck. Sure, it’s identical to last year’s Pixel 7a, but that doesn’t stop the 8a’s camera system from being about as good as it gets for under $500.
The 64-megapixel main sensor is super flexible, and Google’s textbook tuning helps enhance the quality of your photos. Even if you use digital zoom, the quality will not decrease drastically. The dynamic range is at the highest level and the contrast is also handled well. Focus drops make close-ups look great with sharp detail where it matters.
For me, the Pixel camera experience is second to none, from the ease of use to the quality of the images you end up with. The Pixel 8a is absolutely no exception, even if it doesn’t have any upgrades over last year’s phone. You gain reliability and consistency, which may not seem that important on paper, but is essential when you have a few seconds to capture a lifetime memory.
The little video recording I did was visually pleasing, but it falls short of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Sometimes the colors look a little off off and keep the videos a bit synthetic. It’s fine on its own, but it’s worth noting because it makes the 8a video stand out compared to its stock siblings.
All that aside, one of the best things about the Pixel 8a is that anyone can use it and get great photos and videos without having to worry about too many complicated modes and settings. The results speak for themselves.
Battery life and longevity
At no point in living with the 8a over the course of a month did I feel disappointed or frustrated with how long it lasted. Even with intensive use of GPS while traveling, the battery percentage does not drop like a rock. However, I am a bit annoyed by the slow charging speed.
I have no complaints about the 7.5W wireless charging, which is perfectly fine as it means less heat and strain on the battery. 18W just isn’t that fast for a phone this size. Plugging in like I do in the morning takes too long. Well, over an hour and 30 minutes if your phone is dead it will go back to 100%.
I can’t complain about the longevity. Once charged, the nearly 4,500mAh battery is enough for almost anything you can throw at it. Be aware that you will be waiting a long time to recharge when it drops to a low level.
Final thoughts
Since I’ve been using the Pixel 8a as my primary device for the better part of a month, it’s been really difficult to simply measure the Pixel 8a without the Pixel 8’s looming shadow.
Kudos to Google for constantly improving the A series, but all the incremental improvements now make it a fringe device that sits on the shoulders of the regular Pixel flagship line. It’s the first time the A Series has felt out of place with these upgrades.
It is far from a bad product. In fact, it’s the best A-series phone thanks to improvements in several key areas. Last year, given the existence of the regular Pixel 7, I had similar mixed thoughts about the Pixel 7a. The 8a steps up again with a better display, battery capacity, design and even increased storage options. These improvements mean that, in isolation, the Pixel 8a is a great buy.
The most obvious pain is that when I get closer to the base model in the flagship line-up – as an A-series fan – I’m sorry to say that the 8a is a bit useless. It signals to me that Google has finished the A series and wants to send it off into the sunset while subconsciously telling people that the Pixel 8 is where they should be spending their money.
There could be an argument that this will be the perfect entry-level phone to buy, as the 8a will likely be around for a while until the Pixel 9 arrives.
Putting that future aside for a moment, the Pixel 8a is a great phone — a good phone that came out at a bad time. As the price drops, it becomes a better buy – something that can’t always be said for Android phones in general. Since it is supported for a long time, it is better to buy the cheaper it comes out.
I’d usually keep the SIM card in the latest A series phone until the next flagship is released. For the first time in several years, this will not be the case. Is it an 8a charge? I’m not sure, but I’m not so sure fans should buy this version for the first time in a while unless you can get a discount on the $499 introductory price.
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