The most unnecessary smartphone right now? My take on the Google Pixel 8a

At this point, the Google Pixel 8a is probably the most superfluous and at the same time most interesting mid-range smartphone on the market. After the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro last October, a stripped-down, cheaper version is now here, as expected. But “stripped-down” is only partly true.

Display, body and battery

The Pixel 8a has a 6.1-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution and 120 Hz, all just like the Pixel 8. The dimensions are almost identical too: it is 2 mm longer and wider and weighs 188 g. Both have an aluminum frame and a matte plastic back that feel very high-quality. Both offer a very accurate fingerprint scanner and face unlock.

The battery is 4,492 mAh, about the same as on the Pixel 8. I get 5 to 6 hours of screen-on time, which is almost a day and a half, a bit less when I am out and about a lot away from Wi-Fi.

Tensor G3 and AI

With the Pixel 8a you buy the Google package with stock Android and lots of more or less useful AI features that will be expanded considerably in the future. I am looking forward to that. The Google ecosystem is growing with a good smartwatch, great earbuds and a good tablet, and it is compatible with other Android smartphones at the same time.

The big one: the Pixel 8a has the same Google Tensor G3 chip as the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro and is just as fast. Apps open and switch quickly, and nothing stutters or hangs. Thanks to the compact design, it feels like a Smart car with a Ferrari engine. The AI photo editing of the Pixel 8 is there too, such as Magic Eraser, and Google Gemini is coming soon.

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The differences from the Pixel 8

• No reverse wireless charging on the Pixel 8a.
• Protection rating: The Pixel 8 is certified to IP68, the Pixel 8a is not.
• Display bezels: They look exactly the same as on the Pixel 7a, far too thick and asymmetric on top of that. With dark mode and a dark wallpaper, though, you hardly notice them.
• Camera: On paper it looks almost identical: 64-megapixel wide-angle, 13-megapixel ultrawide and 13-megapixel selfie camera, in every case even more megapixels than on the Pixel 8. The differences are in focal lengths, pixel sizes and the missing macro photos. According to current benchmarks, the 8a is well behind the Pixel 8 in image quality. I am not a fan of benchmarks. The Pixel 8a’’s shots are definitely good enough, and I was surprised that it gets all the AI photo editing features of the Pixel 8.

Pixel 8a or Pixel 8?

For me, the camera is the only serious difference. At the original RRP this would make sense: €799 for the Pixel 8 and €549 for the Pixel 8a. If you don’’t care much about the camera, you would take the 8a and save €250.

The problem: because of the price drop, the Pixel 8 currently costs only €599, which is €50 more than the Pixel 8a.

Verdict

With the artificial downgrades to the camera, the thick bezels and the missing reverse wireless charging, the Pixel 8a is completely superfluous right now compared to the Pixel 8. Of course I’’m going for the Pixel 8. Its reason for existing begins when the price falls by almost €200, as it did with the Pixel 8. For €349 you would get a top smartphone, and with the great display, the processor, the battery, the camera and the AI features, it would once again be the most interesting smartphone in the lower mid-range.