Google Pixel 8a Review: A stands for ambition
Google’s latest Pixel 8a aims to be an all-rounder, but it falls a little short of expectations.
Google’s Pixel A series of smartphones have always been the go-to mid-range device for reliable smartphone photography, not performance. They have also always offered the cleanest and most up-to-date Android software experience (along with a reliable update timeline) compared to all other brands in this price range, making them the go-to device for people who want a vanilla Android software experience. So, while Google’s Pixel A series was not the best device in terms of gaming or battery life, it was still an attractive choice for the average consumer. But Google had to upgrade with the times. It wanted to pack more features in it to compete with other brands. And hence the very interesting and feature-packed Pixel 7a was launched at Rs 43,999 (same as the Pixel 6a).
Times have changed, and Google has once again increased the price of this practical little smartphone, now with a starting price of Rs 52,999. The premium price means this affordable offering from Google will be competing with some very interesting smartphones from Chinese brands and Samsung. Meanwhile, Google has upgraded the AI smarts of its A-series this year with the introduction of Tensor G3 (bringing it almost on par with the Pixel 8). It will be interesting to see how these features perform against a host of devices that offer better performance at this price point. I’ve been using the Pixel 8a for a few weeks now, and here’s why I think there’s a slight chance that it could be your next premium smartphone:
Google Pixel 8a Review: Price in India
The Google Pixel 8a is the first A-series smartphone to be offered in multiple storage variants in India. The base 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant is priced at Rs 52,999, while the new 256GB storage variant is priced at Rs 59,999. While it might seem logical to spend a bit more and get the 256GB storage variant (more storage is always better), you might change your mind when you see what the competition is offering at this price point.
has included in the box a Type-C to Type-C USB cable for charging and data transfer, a USB Type- A adapter for data transfer, and a SIM ejection tool.
Google Pixel 8a Review: Design
The Google Pixel 8a has a very attractive design, including new Aloe and Bay finishes exclusive to this model. The phone has evolved from a boxy design with sharp edges to a rounded look that feels very comfortable in the hand. The overall size is compact, making it easy to handle even with one hand.
The Google Pixel 8a’s back panel is still made of polycarbonate, but it has a premium matte finish.
We received the Bay finish for review. It has a matte polycarbonate rear panel that is bifurcated by the iconic visor-like camera stripe. The flat camera module and the slightly rounded sides of the phone’s frame are colour-matched, resulting in a very trendy and vibrant design targeted at the youth. Though the rear panel is made of polycarbonate, it is dust and fingerprint resistant and looks very premium .
The quality issues we noticed in our Pixel 7a review have also been addressed: Aside from being IP67 certified (submersible to a depth of one meter) , the fit and finish of the phone is excellent and justified given its new premium price.
One aspect of the Pixel 8a’s design that I didn’t like at all was the display. As is common with entry-level smartphones, the bezels are quite thick, reminding me of 2018’s iPhone XR. Also, the thick black bezels (thickest at the bottom) eat into the display area, which is crucial on such a compact smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy S24, which was released last year and is similarly priced, has very thin bezels compared to the Pixel 8a.
The Google Pixel 8a’s display is sunlight-readable, but the bezels are very thick.
Google Pixel 8a Review: Specs and Software
While the hardware specs and bragging rights aren’t the highlights of the Pixel 8a, it does pack some interesting features considering the price. First, there’s the Tensor G3 SoC, which enables a host of AI features (some on-board, others not) that aren’t possible with the Tensor G2 currently found in the Pixel 7a. The processor also features Google’s Titan M2 coprocessor for added security. The Tensor G3 also enables the new secure Face Unlock feature that debuted on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. During the review period, the feature worked perfectly as long as there was enough light for the selfie camera to clearly see my face. If not, I had to use the fingerprint reader, which also worked perfectly.
The Tensor G3 also brings the modest Pixel 8a on par with the more premium Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro when it comes to communication standards. There’s Wi-Fi 6 for a stable data connection at home or in the office, and Bluetooth 5.3, which is more than enough to connect to both Pixel and third-party accessories. It also includes NFC and Google Cast functionality, and has the usual Global Positioning System support. In addition to the physical SIM slot, eSIM is still available with dual standby and support for multiple 5G bands.
The Pixel 8a runs Google’s Pixel UI based on Android 14. As with the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro devices, Google is also offering seven years of OS, security, and Feature Drop updates, something that most smartphone brands at this price point and above can’t match. It remains to be seen if the new Tensor G3 processor can adequately power Google’s future Android experience, but such a commitment says a lot about the brand when it comes to software support (not to mention after-sales support).
The Google Pixel 8a’s Android software experience is the best and is packed with AI-enabled features.
As for the Pixel UI, it’s very similar to what we saw on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro devices launched late last year, with a few new features added since then: I really like the fun widgets (that match the system theme and accent perfectly), including the new separate contacts widget with a photo in the background and call and message buttons on the front.
Also new is the Snapshot widget, which turns your home screen into a board for taking and pinning photos. The widget features a camera button to instantly take an image and pin it to your home screen, and also acts as a reminder every time you unlock your device.
Additionally, the premium Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro models have a host of AI-powered features, including Audio Eraser (which lets you erase unwanted sounds in any video), Magic Editor (which lets you remove, move, or enhance objects in your photos), and Best Take (which lets you choose a different facial expression), which are included here too. All of these features work beautifully and, if needed, are solid additions rather than just gimmicks.
Google Pixel 8a Review: Performance
The Tensor G3 processor is designed with Google’s artificial intelligence and machine learning requirements in mind, but it’s by no means inferior when it comes to running everyday apps and casual games, so most regular users who use the phone daily for social media apps and calling won’t notice any issues related to those, but boot up a game or the camera and it’s clear that this phone isn’t cut out for either.
The Google Pixel 8a takes two hours to charge, which is quite slow compared to the competition.
Starting with synthetic benchmarks, the smartphone scored lower than usual, scoring 8,69,163 points in AnTuTu, while it received a more acceptable 1,580 and 3,558 points in Geekbench’s single-core and multi-core tests. These scores put it at a par with the mid-range Poco F6 (priced at Rs 30,999), but it doesn’t quite compare to devices like the iQoo 12, which is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and is similarly priced, and scored an AnTuTu score of 1,98,3471 (as per our own testing), which is more than double that of the Pixel 8a.
Once you launch a game, you start to realize the limitations of the Tensor G3. Call of Duty: Mobile was playable at Ultra and Very High graphics, but it wasn’t as responsive as most smartphones under this price range, and I did skip a few frames while gaming. The phone also heats up quite a bit when playing 3D games. Gaming aside, I experienced more real-world issues when using the phone’s camera. When I launched the camera app, the phone heated up in less than five minutes, and when I started shooting video (4K or 1080p), it got even hotter. After about 10 minutes in the afternoon sun, the phone was too hot to hold, but then I noticed other underlying issues.
The display automatically dims to a near-invisible level to reduce heat build-up (making it hard to see what’s in the viewfinder), and the phone’s manual controls also disappear – along with the usual white balance, shadow and brightness controls, the shadow controls also disappear, only to reappear once the phone has cooled down.
Once it gets moderately warm (about 10 minutes of mixed camera use), the phone displays warnings that it’s “too hot,” “recording may end abruptly,” and “video quality will be reduced to compensate for overheating.” This is apparently due to the lack of a cooling system. Google has previously refused to put a cooling system on any of its phones, opting instead for “software optimizations,” but as the above messages make clear, this doesn’t work.
These issues ruin the camera experience. However, it is a bit odd that the Pixel 8 Pro did not have such a big heating issue. My guess is that it is due to the compact size of the Pixel 8a. Like the Pixel 8 Pro, the Pixel 8a also suffers from the same issue in portrait mode, where taking multiple portrait photos in rapid succession can cause the phone’s shutter button to grey out (buffer full), causing you to miss some moments. In fact, the Pixel 8a is well suited to perform best in cold weather and is not the phone to take on your next summer vacation.
Considering the larger battery, the Pixel 8a’s battery life unfortunately didn’t last as long as the Pixel 7a’s. It barely lasted 12 hours and 15 minutes in our video loop battery test, which isn’t great by any standards. This is likely due in large part to the 120Hz display versus the Pixel 7a’s 90Hz display. With normal use (no camera or games), you can get the phone to last more than a day, but you’ll likely end up with only around 20% battery left and need to charge it at the end of the day. With heavy use (lots of calls), the phone won’t last a full day and you may need to charge it before leaving the office on your way home.
Google Pixel 8a Review: Camera
The Google Pixel 8a also inherits the new camera interface that’s been rolled out to other recent Pixel models (except for the Pro Controls). Nothing’s different here, just tap the settings icon near the top-left corner to access basic white balance, shadow, and brightness sliders. What hasn’t changed is the camera; Google has kept the rear and front-facing cameras from the Pixel 7a, which means we might see some small improvements, mainly due to the new processor.
Google Pixel 8a daylight camera samples, from top to bottom: ultra-wide, primary, 2x digital zoom crop.
Photos taken with the main camera show natural colors and good dynamic range, but it was easy to see blown highlights in some photos, especially in photos taken under contrasty lighting. Photos show the typical cool tones that Pixel cameras have long adopted, unlike the Pixel 8 Pro. Thankfully, there is a white balance slider to correct this while shooting. Noise is well controlled whether shooting outdoors, indoors, or in low-light or dim environments. Results with the 2x digital zoom focal length are good in sunlight, but detail drops significantly in low light, so it is best not to use it in dim light.
Portraits taken with the rear camera have good details and edge detection but are noisy, especially when photographing subjects in artificial lighting or low light conditions. In fact, it is best to avoid 2x zoom in portrait mode. Most users will find the default 1.7x in portrait mode to be enough to remove unwanted distortion. Selfies are packed with a lot of detail, but the edge detection is a bit aggressive and doesn’t detect edges evenly, resulting in noticeable borders around the subject. Skin tones look very natural, but I noticed that the selfie camera can’t handle bright background lighting and the background gets washed out.
Google Pixel 8a’s daytime selfies have inaccurate edge detection and washed-out backgrounds.
The Google Pixel 8a’s main camera performs well in low light.
The ultra-wide camera takes impressive photos with great detail and better dynamic range, capturing more in the frame compared to the main camera, and it’s great that Google has managed to perfectly match the color tones of both rear cameras, which is still a rarity at this price point.
Video quality is hit or miss depending on how hot the phone gets as it automatically downgrades. Still, we were able to capture a decent sample. 4K 30fps video seems to hit the sweet spot for this phone, delivering good image quality and contrast. However, the camera, for some reason, doesn’t maintain focus while panning and looks a bit blurry when panning. Low-light video capture isn’t as great for a smartphone in this price range, with footage showing noise and textures looking a bit blurry overall.
Google Pixel 8a Review: Verdict
Google’s Pixel 8a certainly seems like a strong contender at the lower end of the premium segment. But the phone does have some flaws. While the Tensor G3 processor handles everyday tasks without a hitch, it heats up too much under load. Battery life isn’t best in class, and wired charging is quite slow compared to competing devices at this price point. It’s also notable that the display is small compared to most smartphones at this price point. So, unless a compact form factor and timely updates are all you’re looking for in your next premium phone, it’s very hard to recommend this phone.
The situation is made worse by the Pixel 8a’s starting price of Rs 52,999 (8GB + 128GB), with plenty of devices from competing brands selling for less in India.
If you’re looking for a compact form factor, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 (reviewed, albeit a year ago) is a much better option, and it also features Qualcomm silicon (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC) that was dropped from this year’s model. The AI features of the latest S24 series are also included in the S23, so there’s no major lack in terms of features. The S23 also offers a more flexible camera setup, with a proper 3x telephoto camera. It also has an evaporative cooling system that manages heat, so it doesn’t slow down or get hot under load.
Sold for the exact same price, the iQoo 12 (Review) offers a bigger display, much better performance, better cameras and faster wired charging, and if you’re happy to spend a bit more, the OnePlus 12 (Review) isn’t too far behind at Rs 64,999 (12GB + 256GB) and is a great all-rounder in this price range.