If you or your kids need a long-lasting Android phone with great cameras and blessedly simple software, this Prime Day deal lops 50 bucks off the Google Pixel 8a, our favorite mid-range phone.
We've been trained to always want the latest and greatest, but for years now, you haven't actually needed a flagship phone to get a flagship experience. The Pixel A-series always brought the bulk of a Pixel flagship's features and functions to a phone that was a fraction of the price, but from the Pixel 6a onward, it has featured the same exact Google Tensor processors and the same camera experience (give or take a lens).
Of course, the price of the A-series has crept up in the last couple of years, too, leaving the Google Pixel 8a at a starting price of $500, $200 away from the Pixel 8. There are more Prime Day phone deals going on that you can shake a selfie stick at, but two of the best among them are the $450 Pixel 8a and the $500 Pixel 8. So, why would you pick the mid-range over the flagship with only a $50 difference? Well, the devil is in the details.
✅Recommended if: You want a Pixel experience for the lowest price, are after a mid-range phone with the best cameras possible, or need a phone that will get updates for the rest of the decade.
❌Skip this deal if: You want fast wireless charging, the bells and AI whistles of a flagship model, or are PWM-sensitive (sensitive to flickering lights).
This particular deal on the Pixel 8a kicks off its reign as the new best cheap Android phone on the market, taking over the mantle from its predecessor, the Google Pixel 7a. While some third-party retailers have knocked the Pixel 7a down to $400 today, you absolutely should not buy it. As mentioned in our Pixel 8a vs 7a breakdown, the 8a will get over twice as many years of software updates, a 120Hz panel instead of 90Hz, and at least some of the AI goodies that debuted on the Pixel 8.
The decision becomes a teeny bit murkier when you pit the Pixel 8a against the Pixel 8: both have 120Hz, 2,000-nit Actua screens, the Tensor G3, and even the same RAM/storage options this year. The Pixel 8 gets brighter, newer camera sensors, with Astrophotography and Super Res Zoom, Wi-Fi 7, and faster wired and wireless charging. On a normal day, the $200 does not justify that small an upgrade, but for Amazon Prime Day, the difference is only $50.
I recommend the Pixel 8a because unless you absolutely, positively need the full camera toolbox of the Pixel 8 — and even then, the Pixel 8 has a smaller toolbox than the Pixel 8 Pro. Sure, the 8a has thicker bezels, but you're not missing out on anything. Being capped at 18W charging instead of 27W is a bit ridiculous, but it's not like the 25W vs 45W between a Samsung A-series and the Galaxy S24 Ultra. If you're addicted to wireless chargers or a serious shutterbug, save yourself the money and put it towards a better Pixel 8a case, so it'll last the full seven years until Android 21.
