Google Pixel 8a Review: A Premium Price Tag for a Mid-Range Experience?
Google’s Pixel A series has always been a tempting choice for budget-conscious consumers. Known for their impressive camera capabilities and clean Android experience, Pixel A phones often offered the best software experience in their price range. However, with the Pixel 8a, Google has taken a bold step, dramatically increasing the price while retaining many of the same components as its predecessor. This begs the question: is the Pixel 8a worth the premium price tag, especially when competing with devices offering top-tier performance and features at similar prices? I’ve been using the Pixel 8a for a few weeks now, and while it delivers on Google’s promise of AI-powered features and a smooth user experience, its performance and battery life leave much to be desired, ultimately making it a hard sell in its current price bracket.
Google Pixel 8a Review: Price in India
The Pixel 8a marks a departure for the A series in India, being offered in two storage variants: 8GB RAM + 128GB storage for Rs. 52,999 and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage for Rs. 59,999. While the larger storage option seems appealing, it’s important to consider the competition at this price point. The box, as with previous Pixels, includes a Type-C to Type-C USB cable for charging and data transfers, a USB Type-A adapter for data transfers, and a SIM ejector tool.
Google Pixel 8a Review: Design
The Pixel 8a boasts an attractive design, especially in the new Aloe and Bay finishes, exclusive to the model. Gone is the squared design, replaced with a more rounded look that feels comfortable in hand. Its compact dimensions make it manageable for single-handed use.
Our review unit was the Bay finish, featuring a frosted matte polycarbonate rear panel accented by the iconic visor-like camera stripe. The camera module and the phone’s rounded frame are color-matched, creating a trendy and vibrant design that appeals to a younger demographic. Despite being made of polycarbonate, the rear panel feels premium and does not attract fingerprints or dust.
Google has addressed the quality issues we observed with the Pixel 7a. Beyond its IP67 certification, which allows it to be submerged in 1 meter of water, the Pixel 8a boasts excellent fit and finish, appropriate for its new premium price tag.
However, the display is a major letdown. The thick bezels, especially noticeable at the bottom, are reminiscent of the iPhone XR from 2018 and feel jarring on a phone positioned in this price range. The thick bezel eats into the display area, especially crucial on a compact phone. Compare that to Samsung’s Galaxy S24, priced similarly, which boasts razor-thin bezels.
Google Pixel 8a Review: Specifications and Software
The Pixel 8a’s hardware specifications, while not its strongest point, offer some noteworthy features considering its price. Notably, it’s equipped with the Tensor G3 SoC, enabling a wide range of AI features, some onboard and others not possible with the Tensor G2 found in the Pixel 7a. The chip is also paired with the secure Titan M2 coprocessor for enhanced security. The Tensor G3 enables the secure Face Unlock feature, debuted with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, which worked flawlessly during our review, provided there was enough light for the selfie camera to accurately recognize our face.
The Tensor G3 also brings the Pixel 8a at par with its more premium siblings in terms of communication standards. It boasts Wi-Fi 6 for reliable data connectivity at home or work and Bluetooth 5.3, capable of connecting to both Pixel and third-party accessories. It also includes NFC and Google Cast capabilities, along with support for typical global positioning systems. You get a physical SIM slot and an eSIM with dual standby and support for multiple 5G bands.
Powered by Google’s Pixel UI based on Android 14, the Pixel 8a is notable for its commitment to software longevity. Google offers an impressive 7 years of OS, security, and Feature Drop updates, a commitment few other brands can match at this price point. While the Tensor G3’s ability to handle future Android experiences remains to be seen, this dedication speaks volumes about Google’s software support commitment.
The Pixel UI, while familiar from the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, has received some updates. I particularly enjoy the fun widgets, perfectly matching the system theme and accents, like the Individual contact widget with a background photo and call/message buttons right on the widget.
The new Snapshot widget transforms your home screen into a board for snapping and pinning photos. It has its own camera button for quick snapping and pinning images to the home screen and acts as a reminder every time you unlock your phone.
The Pixel 8a also inherits AI-powered features from its premium siblings, including Audio Eraser, which removes unwanted sounds from videos, Magic Editor, which allows removing, moving, and enhancing subjects in photos, and Best Take, which lets you choose the best facial expression from a series of photos. All these functionalities work impressively and have moved beyond being gimmicks, becoming helpful additions provided you need them.
Google Pixel 8a Review: Performance
The Tensor G3 processor, while designed with AI and machine learning in mind, handles everyday tasks and casual games well. Most users who primarily use their phones for social media and calls will not experience significant performance issues. However, things become clear when you fire up a game or the camera. It’s evident that the Pixel 8a wasn’t designed for demanding tasks.
In synthetic benchmarks, the phone scored lower than expected. It managed 8,69,163 points in AnTuTu, which is comparable to the mid-range Poco F6 (priced at Rs. 30,999). It scores 1,580 and 3,558 points in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests. However, it falls far behind devices like the iQoo 12, which is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and scored a whopping 1,98,3471 in AnTuTu. The iQoo 12 is priced similarly and offers significantly higher performance.
Gaming reveals the limitations of the Tensor G3. While playable at Ultra or Very High graphics, Call of Duty: Mobile lacked the responsiveness seen on devices at this price point, experiencing frame skips. The phone also heats up considerably during extended gaming sessions.
Beyond gaming, real-world issues were encountered with the camera. The camera app heats up rapidly within five minutes, and the heating intensifies during video recording (4K or 1080p). After roughly 10 minutes of use in the afternoon sun, the phone became uncomfortably hot. This overheating triggers a chain of adverse effects:
- The display automatically dims significantly, making it difficult to see the viewfinder.
- Manual camera controls, including White Balance, Shadow, and Brightness, disappear, only to reappear when the phone cools down.
- The phone warns you that it’s too hot, recording may end suddenly, and the video quality will be reduced to compensate for the overheating.
These issues severely impact the camera experience. While the Pixel 8 Pro didn’t exhibit this degree of overheating, the Pixel 8a’s compact size likely contributes to the problem. The Pixel 8a, like the Pixel 8 Pro, suffers from an issue with Portrait mode, where the shutter button greys out after several consecutive shots, leading to missed moments.
The Pixel 8a’s larger battery, unfortunately, didn’t translate into improved battery life comparable to the Pixel 7a. The phone lasted only 12 hours and 15 minutes in our video loop battery test, which is far from impressive for a device at this price point. The 120Hz display might be a contributing factor to the shorter battery life compared to the 90Hz display on the Pixel 7a. With casual use, the phone can stretch to over a day, but heavy usage, particularly with frequent calls, will require a top-up charge before the end of the day.
Google Pixel 8a Review: Cameras
The Pixel 8a inherits the newer camera interface from other recent Pixels but doesn’t include Pro Controls. This interface delivers a similar experience to other Pixels, offering basic White Balance, Shadows, and Brightness sliders accessible via the settings icon.
The cameras themselves, however, remain unchanged, directly inherited from the Pixel 7a. This means we might see slight improvements primarily due to the new processor.
Photos captured with the primary camera showcase natural colors and good dynamic range, but with occasional blown highlights, especially in contrasting lighting scenarios. Unlike the Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel 8a produces the typically cooler color tones prevalent in Pixel cameras. The white balance slider allows you to correct this during shooting. Noise is well-controlled both outdoors and indoors, including low or dim settings. Results from the digital 2X zoom are good in daylight but display noticeable detail loss in low light, making it best to avoid this setting in dim environments.
Portraits captured with the rear camera exhibit good detail and edge detection, but noisy images, particularly when shooting subjects under artificial or low light. The 2X zoom is best avoided in Portrait mode, as the 1.7X default provides adequate detail without excessive distortion. Selfies are detailed but suffer from aggressive edge detection, resulting in noticeable borders around the subject. Skin tones appear natural, but the selfie camera struggles with bright backgrounds, leading to blown-out areas.
The ultrawide camera delivers impressive photos with excellent detail and good dynamic range, capturing significantly more of the scene compared to the primary camera. Google has perfectly matched the color tones of both rear cameras, a rarity at this price point.
Video quality presents mixed results, largely dependent on the phone’s heating. The 4K 30fps setting seems ideal for the Pixel 8a, delivering good quality and contrast, but the camera struggles to maintain focus during panning, resulting in softness. Low-light video recordings fall short of expectations for a smartphone at this price point, with noticeable noise and soft textures.
Google Pixel 8a Review: Verdict
The Google Pixel 8a appears to be a solid contender at the lower end of the premium segment. However, several factors work against it. The Tensor G3 processor handles daily tasks well but overheats under stress, leading to performance issues and a diminished camera experience. Battery life is not the best in its class, and wired charging is slow compared to competing devices. The smaller display size, compared to most phones at this price point, is an additional consideration. Therefore, the Pixel 8a is difficult to recommend unless a compact form factor and timely updates are top priorities for your next premium smartphone.
The Pixel 8a’s starting price of Rs. 52,999 (8GB + 128GB) only exacerbates these challenges. Multiple devices from competing brands offer compelling alternatives at lower price points.
Alternatives to the Pixel 8a
If you’re looking for a compact smartphone with top-tier performance, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 (even though it’s a year old) is a more compelling option. It features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, missing from this year’s S series, and offers a superior camera setup with a dedicated 3X telephoto camera, a vapor chamber cooling system to manage heat, and AI features from the latest S24.
The iQoo 12, priced identically, offers a larger display, significantly better performance, good cameras, and fast wired charging, making it another compelling competitor.
If you’re willing to spend a bit more, the OnePlus 12 (priced at Rs. 64,999) is an all-rounder in this price range, delivering exceptional performance, a premium design, and excellent camera capabilities.
It’s crucial to carefully weigh your priorities and preferences before making a purchase decision. The Pixel 8a is a solid smartphone with its strengths, but its limitations, particularly in terms of performance and battery life, coupled with its premium price tag, make it a harder choice in a competitive market.
