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UPDATE (June 12, 2024): The Pixel Feature Drop update for June 2024 is now rolling out to the Google Pixel 8a. It’s rolling out to a number of Pixel phones, including the Pixel 8a, to be more accurate. New features are included, and you can read more about them at the very end of the article. Some new content has been added to the rest of the article too.
The Google Pixel 8a is the company’s newest smartphone. This is Google’s new budget smartphone, a new member of its ‘Pixel a’ lineup. It was announced prior to Google I/O 2024, which managed to surprise almost everyone. Google’s ‘Pixel a’ series smartphones have been some of the company’s most popular, especially in the US. They usually have a very good price too. The Pixel 8a looks very promising in that area too. It looks like a solid phone on paper. In this article, we’ll try to give you more information about the device. We’ll kick things off by listing the specifications that the phone offers, and will then move to other aspects of the device.
Google Pixel 8a specs
Considering the pricing, the Pixel 8a actually has a really good spec sheet. Starting with the display, it includes a flat 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) OLED Actual display. The display aspect ratio here is 20:9. The PPI here is 430, and Google is using the Gorilla Glass 3 protection, which is a bit dated at this point. The peak brightness of this panel is at 2,000 nits.
It uses the same chip as the flagship Pixel 8 & Pixel 8 Pro handsets
The phone is fueled by the Google Tensor G3 chip, the same processor that fuels the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro flagships. The Titan M2 security coprocessor is also in action here. Google opted to include 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM inside of the phone. That’s nice to see, as Google used the latest RAM possible. The same cannot be said for storage, though. Both 128GB and 256GB UFS 3.1 flash storage models are on offer from the company. Neither model offers expandable storage, though. Google opted not to use UFS 4.0 here.
A 4,492mAh battery is included here, and the phone supports 18W wired charging through Google’s 30W charger. PD3.0 charging is supported, and the phone also supports 7.5W wireless charging (Qi standard). Google opted to include an optical in-display fingerprint scanner here. The device also supports facial scanning via its front-facing camera. Dual SIM is also supported here, a nano SIM and an eSIM. The Pixel 8a is also IP67 certified, in other words, it’s water and dust-resistant. Stereo speakers are included too.
There are two cameras on the back, and the hardware is quite familiar
There are two cameras on the back of the Pixel 8a. A 64-megapixel main camera (wide-angle, 0.8um pixel size, f/1.89 aperture, 80-degree FoV, Super Res Zoom up to 8X, OIS + EIS) in on offer. The second camera is a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (f/2.2 aperture, 1.12um pixel size, 120-degree FoV). On the front, you’ll find a 13-megapixel snapper (f/2.2 aperture, 1.12um pixel size, 96.5-degree FoV, fixed focus).
The Google Pixel 8a measures 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9mm and weighs 188 grams. It comes in Aloe, Bay, Obsidian, and Porcelain colors.
How much does the Google Pixel 8a cost?
The Google Pixel 8a comes in two storage options, 128GB and 256GB models are available. The company is asking for $499 for the 128GB model, while the 256GB storage variant costs $559… in the US. In the UK, the entry-level model is priced at £499, while the 256GB storage option is priced at £559. In the rest of Europe, the price tags are €549 and €609 for the two storage models. As per usual, the phone is considerably pricier outside of the US
Where can I buy the Google Pixel 8a?
You’ll be able to buy the Google Pixel 8a at all of the usual places. That goes for both the carriers and the retailers. We’ll leave a list of places where you can buy the device below. Links will be included as well, though do note that some of them may be missing at this point. We’ll be updating the article and adding new purchase links as they become available. The phone is available to pre-order at the moment.
– Google Store
– Best Buy
– Amazon
– T-Mobile
– AT&T
– Verizon
What carriers does it work on?
As expected, the Google Pixel 8a will work on all three US carriers. In other words, it will work on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The same goes for MVNOs from those networks, including Visible, US Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Cricket, and more. It should basically work on any network in the US you can think of.
What colors does the Google Pixel 8a come in?
The Google Pixel 8a was announced in four color variants. It is on offer in Aloe, Bay, Obsidian, and Porcelain color variants. These names may not mean much to you, so let’s talk about actual colors, not their fancy names. The ‘Aloe’ color is actually that intense green color, some may even call it ‘Mint’ considering how it looks.
Moving forward, the ‘Bay’ color we’ve seen on the Pixel 8 Pro. It’s essentially a blue color. For those of you who prefer black devices, and that’s usually the vast majority of users, Obsidian is the color you’re looking for. And last, but not least, Porcelain stands for white-colored Pixel 8a. You can check out all four of those colors below.
What are the Pixel 8a’s landmark features/qualities and/or upgrades over the Pixel 7a?
In this section, we’ll list some of the most notable features of the Google Pixel 8a and/or advantages over its predecessor, the Pixel 7a.
A bump to a 120Hz display which is brighter too
The Google Pixel 8a retained the same display size as its predecessor. The thing is, Google decided to offer an improved panel this time around. The Pixel 8a comes with a 120Hz OLED display, instead of a 90Hz one. That is nice to see, as 120Hz displays have sort of became a standard even for mid-range smartphones (and even some budget ones), at least on the Android side of things. On top of that, this panel is also a bit brighter than the Pixel 7a’s, which is also a welcomed change.
Bigger battery
Despite the fact the Google Tensor G3 is more power efficient than the Tensor G2, Google included a larger battery in the Pixel 8a. Granted, that 120Hz display could be the reason why, but it’s nice to see this improvement too. The change is not monumental, but it’s a welcomed one. The Pixel 8a includes a 4,492mAh battery, compared to the Pixel 7a’s 4,385mAh unit. The charging aspect remains unchanged, though, 18W wired, and 7.5W wireless charging is on offer.
7 years of updates
Google will offer major software support for the Pixel 8a, the same as for its current-gen flagships. That’s another benefit of the Pixel 8a over its predecessor. The company said that the Pixel 8a will be getting 7 years’ worth of “OS, security, and Feature Drop updates”. The clock starts running at the point the phone first becomes available in the Google Store, which is today, if pre-orders are accounted for… and they should be. So this phone will be getting updates until May 2031, basically.
A bevy of Camera AI features
The Google Pixel 8a is packed with camera AI features. Just to name a few, you do get access to Magic Editor. That tool allows you to heavily edit your photos, to a high degree. You can completely change the look of it, as AI can even help you change the background entirely. Google’s Best Take feature will make sure that blinking is not an issue in the pictures you take, especially in group photos. Magic Eraser will delete unwanted people/objects from your photos. Photo Unblur can make your blurry photos look much better, and so on. There are a ton of such features included.
Unchanged price tag (in some markets)
We also have great news price-wise, at least for some markets. In the US, the Pixel 8a’s price remains unchanged. It’s the same as for the Pixel 7a. That is great to hear, as many OEMs usually bump their price tags at least a little bit year-over-year. Considering the improvements the Pixel 8a delivers, its price tag (at least in the US) is actually kind of great. Many would say that $499 is a sweet spot for this phone.
Easy to handle
The Google Pixel 8a is quite compact. In fact, it’s about the same size as the Pixel 7a. That’s not surprising considering it has the same display size. It’s a 6.1-inch smartphone, and many would say this is the ideal smartphone size. The phone is easy to use with one hand, for most people anyway, and not a huge device that you can’t fit in your pocket. It’s also not too heavy at 188 grams, which makes it a bit lighter than the Pixel 7a.
Free VPN
With the purchase of the Pixel 8a, you also get access to VPN by Google One on the device. Some restrictions may apply when it comes to usage, of course, like the fact it’s not available in all countries. Still, you’ll be able to use it in most countries, and a free VPN is always a nice perk to have.
What cases are available for the Google Pixel 8a?
Google did announce a case for the Pixel 8a along with the device. That case comes in all the color variants these phones come in, and if you’ve checked out the Pixel 7a case, you’ll be right at home here. This is not a fancy case by any means, as it’s plastic, but it’s not cheap rigid plastic, that’s for sure. You can check out that case in all color variants below. The case is priced at $29.99, and you can buy it from the link provided below. Do note that the company is also selling a screen protector for the phone, though it costs a whopping $50.
Buy the official Pixel 8a case (Google Store)
In addition to the official Pixel 8a case that comes in a number of colors, some great third-party ones are available. You can check them out here.
Google Pixel 8 official videos:
Should I buy the Google Pixel 8a?
Is the Google Pixel 8a the right phone for you? Only you will know the answer to that question, but what we can say is that this phone has a great price tag in the US. It does offer some improvements over its predecessor, and it comes with a huge software support promise from Google. If you’re on a budget, and this phone fits it, you’ll hardly find a device that will offer more at this price range. Once again, that applies mainly to the US, as in other markets the competition is far fiercer in that price range. Considering the phone’s price tag in Europe, there’s a lot of competition. Check out our full review to get a better idea of what you’re getting.
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Updated May 30, 2024:
Google has enabled a new feature for the Google Pixel 8a. A feature that was supposed to be there at launch, but it wasn’t. I’m talking about the ability of the phone to generate wallpapers using AI. Well, you can now do that. The feature was announced during Google I/O last year, and it was odd it wasn’t enabled from the get-go on the Pixel 8a. Still, it didn’t take Google long to enable it.
The phone was also disassembled by PBKReviews. That teardown revealed that the phone is not too difficult to repair, but also it’s not exactly easy to do so. The main reason is the phone’s battery, which doesn’t include a pull tab, and it’s strongly glued to the frame of the device. That’s not the only reason, but it’s the main one. The phone received a repairability score of 7.5/10.
Updated June 12, 2024:
The Google Pixel 8a is amongst the phones that have started receiving the Pixel Feature Drop for June 2024. This new update delivers new features to the Pixel 8a, along with some security patches, of course.
The main addition is arguably the Gemini Nano support. Do note that this is a developer option, at the moment, so if you’d like to access it, you’ll need to enable developer options on your phone. In addition to Gemini Nano, the Summarize option in Recorder can now run on-device on the Pixel 8a, thanks to Gemini. It can deliver more detailed summaries, which are also downloadable. On top of that, it can detect and include the names of speakers, and export transcriptions into text files or Google Docs files.
This update also delivers DisplayPort support to the Pixel 8a. You can now use a Type-C cable to connect your phone to an external display so that you can mirror your phone’s display on the big screen. The phone will prompt you to enable this feature if you connect it to a monitor, for example, as shown below.
The Find My Device option is now also better than ever. Your phone can be located even if it’s powered off and without a charge (dead battery). In addition to that, the Pixel camera is now able to automatically identify the best moment from your phone in HDR+, with a single shutter press.
Reverse phone number lookup is enabled too, just in case you don’t know who called you. More changes have been issued. Click here to learn more.
