After spending hundreds of hours each year around Android smartphones, it’s a no-brainer that Google’s Pixel (and Samsung Galaxy S) phones offer the best set of features and performance, besides outstanding software and camera performance.

Like in most years, the company has followed up its flagship phone release with an affordable option. The Pixel 8a is the follow-up to Google’s Pixel 7a and it’s also the budget version of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. In short, it’s the brand new Google midrange phone. In a lot of ways the Google Pixel 8a offers an incredibly good value. You get a lot for the money, however, there are some other options that you might want to consider if you are planning to buy a midrange phone.

Google has mostly stuck to its script since last year’s Google Pixel 7a was a good phone and so was Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. What’s interesting is the pace at which Google’s hardware is catching up with what Samsung offers on its flagship phones.

Photos taken on the Pixel 8a look detailed

The unmistakable Pixel look

When I pulled the phone out of the box I immediately noticed how good the phone felt in the hand. The build quality is perfect and the industrial design is visually appealing, complete with the camera bar on the top. The phone doesn’t change a lot of things — in terms of design — from the Pixel 7a or the Pixel 8 but the biggest update (compared to 7a) are the rounded edges. When you hold something that has some heft to it, the product automatically feels premium. No doubt, it comes across an expensive finish.

The glossy back has finally disappeared, replacing it is a matte texture and I feel this is as premium as plastic can ever feel.

The phone comes with the same generative AI photo and video features that made a splash on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, including Best Take, Magic Editor and Audio Magic Eraser

The phone is IP67 dust and water resistant. On the front of the phone you’ve got Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Unfortunately, the phone has a double chin as if it’s having one too many sweets and somewhat wide bezels around the screen. In 2021, I didn’t mind phones coming with thick bezels but by modern standards, it’s on the wider side. Once you start using the phone, the bezels won’t catch your attention.

Bright display

You get a 6.1-inch display which looks fantastic and it’s significantly brighter than last year’s model. In fact, at peak brightness this can get 2,000 nits or 40 per cent brighter than the Pixel 7a. Only when you are in a sunny area, you will appreciate the higher peak brightness.The phone has a 1080x 2400 (430 PPI) OLED display which means it’s very crisp and text comes across clearly.

Even if you are taking shots using the portrait mode at night, pictures retain enough details

The other thing that they’ve updated on the pixel 8a is the 120Hz refresh rate. Anybody upgrading from Pixel 7a to 8a may not notice the bump up from 90Hz to 120Hz, yet it makes a difference once you turn on the option (it’s off by default).

After playing around with the phone for a few days, the UI felt smooth and at 120Hz, it’s quite good but I am not sure why Google hasn’t kept the option on by default.

Good battery life

The Pixel 8a delivers a crisper image, which better draws out the finer details

Battery (4,492mAh) life is something I expected more out of the phone. Google has upgraded the battery by around 100mAh but it doesn’t bring about a big difference to the overall output. From the few days of usage, I have been able to get to the end of the day with 10-15 per cent battery remaining. Charging speed is 18W and that’s not the best from an expensive midrange device. Slower is the snail-pace 7.5W wireless charging; it’s nice to have it but I would rather just plug it in.

The biggest upgrade

Powering the phone is the Google Tensor G3, which is the same chip inside Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. It means, you get a lot of the same AI-driven features, like Circle to Search, Magic Editor, Call Assist and even Gemini Nano (with future Pixel updates). This easily has the best speech-to-text transcription feature; you can take down notes or transcribe a full conversation. When you think of the speed and features you can enjoy on the Pixel 8a, the phone becomes worth the price.

The bezels are on the thicker side for a 2024 phone

It’s good to see the Face ID setup being as secure as on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. On most Android phones, I feel insecure with the face unlock feature because most of these phones take only a second to set it up: How secure can that be?! With Pixel 8a, you get a more secure face unlock option. It’s an important option because we use biometrics to unlock important apps, like those related to banking.

Playing games like Asphalt 9: Legends or Real Racing 3 there is no slowing down, even though these are graphically intensive games. A number of apps were kept open in the background and these can be pulled up without hiccups. Anything you need to use the phone for, Tensor G3 can handle.

A few words on Gemini Nano. It will be the first ‘A’ series device Google will enable Nano on, which can work locally on the device. But then if you tap the mic button on the search tab, it offers a very capable voice search with Google Assistant. So are we going to keep having two assistants side by side? Eventually, we are expecting some sort of consolidation.

Given what you can do around AI and the no-nonsense software on the Pixel 8a, I will choose a Google phone over something like the more expensive Xiaomi 14.

Capable cameras

The cameras work more or less like the ones from Google 7a but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There is a 64MP main camera and a 13MP ultra-wide. The camera output offers good dynamic range, highlights are fantastic and the colours are accurate. This is still a camera champion.

Videos are crisp for the price you are paying. Compared to Pixel 7a, stabilisation has improved and the overall feel is better. Needless to say, you can capture videos at 4K using both the back and front cameras.

When you compare pictures from the Pixel 8a with those from, say, Xiaomi 14, there is hardly any difference. But it doesn’t match the level of iPhone cameras, especially on the video front.

Pixel 8a casts a more prominent high-contrast look, making it the better phone for nighttime photos

Should you buy it?

The price of the Pixel 8a is a problem, at least in India. It’s incredibly close to the price of many Android flagship phones; we are talking of the likes of OnePlus. Given the bezel and battery performance, the phone could have been priced slightly differently in India. Further, the price closes in on the flagship Pixel 8.

I am sure when Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro come later this year, users will have more options but those will be more expensive than the 8a, which is a solid mid-ranger.

Keep aside the pricing, you get a fantastic upgrade with the Pixel 8a. You get seven years of security and OS upgrade, which is unheard of in midrange phones. In fact, it’s unheard of across the board.

At a glance

Device: Pixel 8a

Price: Upwards of ₹52,999

High notes

Excellent build quality

Top-notch camera performance

Comes with seven years of security and feature upgrade

Good choice of AI features using Tensor G3

Muffled notes

Thick bezels

Low charging speed