Google Pixel 8a Review: The Best Mid-Range Pixel Yet?

Google's A-series Pixel phones have consistently offered an enticing proposition: a pure Android experience, excellent camera performance, and timely software updates, all at a more accessible price point than their flagship counterparts. The Google Pixel 8a continues this tradition, but with a significant upgrade under the hood – the same Tensor G3 chip found in the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. This move blurs the lines between mid-range and flagship, bringing advanced AI capabilities and improved performance to a wider audience. This in-depth review explores whether the Pixel 8a truly lives up to its promise as the best mid-range Pixel yet.

In a crowded mid-range market, the Pixel A-series has always stood out for its software-first approach and computational photography prowess. The Pixel 8a aims to solidify this position by offering a premium experience without the premium price tag. Our comprehensive testing reveals a device that largely succeeds in delivering a compelling package, making it a strong contender for anyone seeking a smart, capable, and affordable smartphone.

Design and Build Quality: Familiar and Refined

The Google Pixel 8a retains the familiar design language of its predecessors, featuring a rounded, pebble-like shape that feels comfortable in hand. It sports a matte plastic back, which is less prone to fingerprints than glass and offers a good grip. The iconic camera bar stretches across the back, housing the dual-camera setup.

Measuring 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9mm and weighing 188 grams, the Pixel 8a is relatively compact and lightweight, making it easy to use with one hand. It comes with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, which is excellent for its price point, offering protection against splashes and accidental submersion. The device is available in several vibrant colors, including Aloe (green), Bay (blue), Obsidian (black), and Porcelain (off-white), adding a touch of personality.

The front features a flat display with slightly thicker bezels than its flagship siblings, but they are uniform, which contributes to a clean look. The overall build quality feels solid and durable, living up to Google's reputation for well-built hardware.

Display: Brighter and Smoother

The Pixel 8a features a 6.1-inch Actua OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels (FHD+). This year, Google has significantly boosted the display's brightness, with a peak brightness of up to 2000 nits, making it incredibly easy to view even in direct sunlight. This is a major improvement over previous A-series Pixels and brings it closer to flagship-level visibility.

Another welcome upgrade is the 120Hz refresh rate, up from 90Hz on the Pixel 7a. This ensures buttery-smooth scrolling, animations, and gaming, providing a more fluid and responsive user experience. The OLED panel delivers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent contrast, making content consumption a joy. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, offering decent scratch resistance.

The always-on display feature provides glanceable information without needing to fully wake the screen, and its customization options add to the user experience. For a mid-range phone, the Pixel 8a's display is a standout feature that offers a premium viewing experience.

Performance: Flagship Power with Tensor G3

The most compelling upgrade in the Pixel 8a is the inclusion of the Tensor G3 chip, the same processor found in the flagship Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. This brings a significant leap in performance and, more importantly, unlocks a suite of advanced AI features previously reserved for more expensive devices. Paired with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, the Pixel 8a handles everyday tasks with ease.

In daily use, the Pixel 8a feels incredibly fast and responsive. Apps open quickly, multitasking is seamless, and general navigation is fluid. While it might not match the sustained gaming performance of dedicated gaming phones, it comfortably handles most popular games at medium to high settings. The real magic of the Tensor G3 lies in its on-device AI capabilities.

Features like Best Take, Magic Editor, Audio Magic Eraser, and Call Screen are now available on the Pixel 8a, making it one of the smartest mid-range phones on the market. These AI-powered tools enhance photography, improve call quality, and streamline daily tasks, providing a truly intelligent smartphone experience. Google's commitment to seven years of software updates (OS, security, and Feature Drops) further solidifies its value proposition, ensuring the phone remains current and secure for a long time.

Camera System: Pixel's Signature Photography

The camera system has always been a strong suit for Pixel A-series phones, and the Pixel 8a continues this tradition. It features a dual-camera setup on the rear: a 64MP main sensor with OIS and a 13MP ultrawide lens. The front camera is a 13MP shooter, capable of capturing detailed selfies.

The 64MP main camera, combined with Google's renowned computational photography, consistently produces stunning photos with excellent detail, dynamic range, and accurate colors in various lighting conditions. Photos taken in challenging low-light scenarios are particularly impressive, with Google's Night Sight delivering bright and clean images with minimal noise.

The 13MP ultrawide camera offers a wide field of view, perfect for landscapes and group shots, though detail can drop off towards the edges. The front camera is also highly capable, producing sharp and well-exposed selfies with good dynamic range. Features like Magic Editor and Best Take, powered by the Tensor G3, allow for advanced photo editing directly on the device, enhancing creative possibilities.

Video recording is supported up to 4K at 60fps on the main rear camera, and the device offers robust stabilization for smooth and steady footage. The Audio Magic Eraser feature can intelligently remove distracting background noises from videos, further enhancing the quality of your content. Overall, the Pixel 8a's camera system is arguably the best in its class, offering flagship-level photography at a mid-range price.

Battery Life and Charging: All-Day Reliability

The Google Pixel 8a is equipped with a 4492mAh battery, a slight increase over its predecessor, and it delivers excellent all-day battery life. The efficient Tensor G3 processor and Google's software optimizations contribute to impressive power management, ensuring the device can comfortably last through a full day of mixed usage, including photography, AI features, and browsing.

In our testing, the Pixel 8a consistently provided over 7 hours of screen-on time, making it a reliable companion for long days out. Whether you're browsing, streaming, gaming, or using AI features, the battery holds up exceptionally well, reducing battery anxiety.

When it comes to charging, the Pixel 8a supports 18W wired fast charging. While not the fastest on the market, it's decent for its price point, allowing the phone to charge from 0% to 50% in about 30 minutes. A full charge takes approximately 90 minutes. A welcome addition this year is the support for 7.5W wireless charging, bringing added convenience to the A-series lineup.

Software: Pure Android with AI Smarts

The Google Pixel 8a runs on the latest version of Android, offering a clean, intuitive, and bloatware-free experience. Google's software is known for its simplicity and seamless integration with Google services. The Pixel 8a benefits from exclusive Pixel features and timely updates, ensuring users always have access to the latest innovations and security patches.

The inclusion of the Tensor G3 chip truly elevates the software experience, bringing advanced AI capabilities to the forefront. Features like Call Screen, Hold for Me, Live Translate, and enhanced voice typing make everyday tasks smarter and more efficient. The Pixel 8a also benefits from Google's commitment to seven years of software updates, including OS upgrades, security updates, and regular Feature Drops. This unparalleled long-term support makes the Pixel 8a an incredibly future-proof investment.

Value Proposition and Conclusion

The Google Pixel 8a is a compelling mid-range smartphone that punches above its weight class. By incorporating the flagship-level Tensor G3 chip and its accompanying AI features, Google has created a device that offers a truly intelligent and capable experience at an affordable price. Its standout features include an excellent camera system, a vibrant and smooth 120Hz OLED display, reliable all-day battery life, and unparalleled long-term software support.

While it might not have the most premium build materials or the fastest charging speeds compared to some competitors, the Pixel 8a excels where it matters most: delivering a smart, reliable, and enjoyable smartphone experience. The AI features, in particular, set it apart from other mid-range devices, offering genuine utility and convenience.

For consumers looking for a pure Android experience with a fantastic camera, smart AI features, and long-term software support without breaking the bank, the Google Pixel 8a is an excellent choice. It successfully bridges the gap between mid-range and flagship, offering a compelling package that delivers exceptional value for its price. It is indeed the best mid-range Pixel yet, and a strong contender for the best mid-range smartphone of 2024.