Google broke many stereotypes with the remarkable Pixel 8a. This lovely little device packs a mighty punch, giving users premium specs like wireless charging and a flagship processor for less than $500. While the Pixel A series has typically always been a budget phone, the Pixel 8a changed that idea.
Everything about the Google Pixel 8a screams value, from the lovely, punchy 120Hz OLED panel to the fantastic cameras. This is an honest-to-goodness budget phone that can outclass the likes of the Samsung Galaxy A series and cheaper phones from OnePlus.
You'll be impressed with the durable build and premium design, both of which are significantly more upscale than Pixel A phones of the past. The Pixel 8a shares the same chipset as 2023's flagship Pixel 8 lineup, its display is unbelievably bright and crisp, and the cameras are just as good as you would expect from any Google phone.
Despite the increase in price over older A models, the Pixel 8a continues to deliver insane value. Although it now costs $490, the device now regularly goes on sale.
Not convinced yet? Our Google Pixel 8a review will let you know if it's worth it, but if you just want to learn about the phone, keep scrolling to find out everything you need to know about the Google Pixel 8a.
Google Pixel 8a: Price and availability
The Google Pixel 8a was announced in early May 2024 and comes in four color options: Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay Blue, and Aloe Green. The aqua-toned Bay Blue stands out as it was only offered on the high-end Pixel 8 Pro previously.
Now that the Pixel 8a has been available for some time, we've seen permanent price drops for both of its storage sizes. The 128GB of storage now costs $490 and the 256GB variant is priced at $559. The best Google Pixel 8a deals will get you the phone for cheaper — or even free — especially if you have an old phone to trade in.
These are all the countries where the Google Pixel 8a is sold:
- U.S.
- Canada
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Ireland
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- UK
- Australia
- India
- Japan
- Singapore
- Taiwan
Google Pixel 8a: Design and displays
The Google Pixel 8a received some comforting design changes over the last iteration, sporting significantly rounder corners and a matte composite back texture for a more premium look and feel. The rounder corners make it more comfortable to hold than the more squared Pixel 7a, while the matte back means this phone won't be a fingerprint magnet like the Pixel 6a and 7a were.
The phone features a 100% recycled aluminum housing and camera bar, and that matte aluminum frame winds its way all the way around the phone. Plus, the matte plastic back is also made of 76% recycled plastic and the packaging is 100% plastic-free, which is always nice to see.
The Pixel 8a shares a significant resemblance to the Pixel 8 but is 2mm taller and 2mm wider than that phone. This makes it one of the cheapest and best small Android phones that's perfect for one-handed use.
Around the front, the Google Pixel 8a received a notable display upgrade, bumping the refresh rate up to a buttery smooth 120Hz. That's an impressive improvement over the 90Hz display on the Pixel 7a.
The stunning Actua AMOLED display on the Pixel 8a sports up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness and 1,400 nits in HDR content. The display features Gorilla Glass 3 over the top, which should provide decent drop and scratch protection. Since it's a smaller display compared to the more premium Pixel 8, the 8a's pixel density is higher and the pictures look really crisp as a result.
The downside is that Google downgraded the PWM rate, from 360Hz on the Pixel 7a to 240Hz on the Pixel 8a. Sadly, that means this is not a good phone for PWM-sensitive folks.
Google Pixel 8a: Cameras
The Google Pixel 8a uses the same cameras as the Pixel 7a, including a main 64MP sensor and a 13MP ultrawide angle sensor on the back. The front-facing camera is 13MP, as well. This isn't a bad thing, since those cameras were fabulous anyway. Plus, the new AI features help take things up a notch.
The Pixel 8a has a ton of new AI features that were launched with the more expensive Pixel 8 series, including Best Take, Magic Editor, and Real Tone for Video. As the Pixel 7a debuted major camera hardware upgrades, it makes sense for Google to keep the same sensors to keep costs low. It's amazing that you get the Magic Editor with the Pixel 8a, because that's an extremely premium feature to have on a $500 device.
| Category | Main camera | Ultrawide camera | Front-facing camera |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 64 MP | 13 MP | 13 MP |
| Pixel size | 0.8 μm | 1.12 μm | 1.12 μm |
| Aperture | ƒ/1.89 | ƒ/2.2 | ƒ/2.2 |
| Field of view | 80° | 120° | 96.5° |
| Zoom | Digital up to 8x | N/A | Digital |
| Image sensor size | 1/1.73-inch | N/A | N/A |
| Stabilization | Optical + electronic | Optical + electronic | N/A |
| Focus | Quad phase detection | N/A | Fixed focus |
| Video quality | 4K up to 60FPS, Slow-mo up to 240FPS | 4K up to 60FPS, Slow-mo up to 240FPS | 4K up to 30FPS, Slow-mo up to 240FPS |
As cool as it would be to see, of course the Pixel 8a doesn't include all the features of the Pixel 8 Pro. There's no manual camera mode and no support for Video Boost. If those are must-have features, you'll have to spend a bit more money on a Pixel 8 Pro or later.
We put the phone head-to-head with the Pixel 8 Pro and Honor 200 Pro to see if it can outclass those more expensive devices. In some cases, it matches the camera quality of those phones and falls short in other areas. Still, this is the best and most reliable camera you'll find in the $500 (or less) price range, Pixel 7a notwithstanding.
Google Pixel 8a: Specs and performance
The Pixel 8a is powered by the same flagship processor we saw on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, namely the Google Tensor G3 chipset. Tensor G3 is a more efficient processor than the Tensor G2 before it, delivering similar daily performance without the overheating issues present in many Tensor G2-powered phones.
The real improvement in Tensor G3 is its AI processing power, something Google spent a lot of time talking about during the Pixel 8 series launch. Because of that, Google was able to bring over many of the best Pixel 8 AI features, including Best Take, Magic Editor, Audio Magic Eraser, and more. This makes the Pixel 8a feel more premium than ever before.
Other great features like Circle to Search, Pixel Call Assist, and Live translate are also included in the Pixel 8a experience. It's really good to see premium AI features make their way to budget Pixels.
You can now upgrade your Pixel 8a to Android 15 right out of the box. Considering the phone is promised seven major platform updates, that leaves six more versions of Android to go, going all the way up to Android 21.
| Category | Google Pixel 7a | Google Pixel 8a |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Google Tensor G2 | Google Tensor G3 |
| Memory | 8GB LPDDR5 RAM | 8GB LPDDR5x RAM |
| Storage | 128GB UFS 3.1 | 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 |
| Display | 6.1-inch AMOLED, 2400x1080 resolution (429 ppi), 90Hz, HDR10+, 1,000 nits, Gorilla Glass 3 | 6.1-inch AMOLED Actua Display, 2400x1080 resolution (430 ppi), 120Hz, HDR10+, 1,400 nits, Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Rear Camera 1 | 64MP, ƒ/1.89, 0.8μm pixel size, OIS, 4K video @ 30/60FPS, 240FPS super slow-mo video | 64MP, ƒ/1.89, 0.8μm pixel size, OIS, 4K video @ 30/60FPS, 240FPS super slow-mo video |
| Rear Camera 2 | 13MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.12μm pixel size, 120-degree FoV, OIS, 4K video @ 30 FPS | 13MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.12μm pixel size, 120-degree FoV, OIS, 4K video @ 30 FPS |
| Front Camera | 13MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.12μm pixel size, 95-degree FoV, 4k video @ 30FPS | 13MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.12μm pixel size, 95-degree FoV, 4k video @ 30FPS |
| Battery | 4385 mAh, 18W wired charging, 5W Qi wireless charging | 4492 mAh, 18W wired charging, 5W Qi wireless charging |
| Dimensions | 152mm x 72.9mm x 9.0mm | 152.1 mm x 72.7 mm x 8.9 mm |
| Weight | 193.5 grams | 188 grams |
| Water and dust resistance | IP67 | IP67 |
| Security | Titan M2 Security Chip, VPN by Google One, In-screen fingerprint sensor | Titan M2 Security Chip, VPN by Google One, In-screen fingerprint sensor |
| Colors | Charcoal, Sea, Snow, Coral | Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, Aloe |
| OS | Android 14 with Pixel features | Android 14 with Pixel features |
| Update guarantee | Five years of Pixel updates | Seven years of Pixel updates |
Google's Guided Frame is also seeing a notable improvement by allowing the feature to work on the rear camera, further helping users with vision impairment issues.
The Pixel 8a includes 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage but no support for removable microSD card storage. The included Titan M2 security chip has become a mainstay of Pixel security. What's also fantastic is Google's stellar update promise, guaranteeing at least seven years of Pixel updates for the Pixel 8a.
Google specifically highlights that the Pixel 8a has the same privacy and security features as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Like all Pixel phones, the Pixel 8a comes with the free Pixel VPN. This adds to the phone's charm as a powerful mid-range phone even more.
While the wired charging speed is the same 18W as previous Pixel A-series phones, the wireless charging speed of the Pixel 8a has seen a small bump to 7.5W Qi charging.
All in all, it's a respectable upgrade for what was already our favorite cheap Android phone.
