Pixel 8a is here and the smartphone ticks most boxes anticipated from it ahead of the launch. What is not in line with the expectation, however, is pricing. At Rs 52,999 onwards, the smartphone shares space with some of the flagship smartphones from Chinese brands. What goes in favour of the smartphone is imaging system backed by Google’s computational photography algorithms and artificial intelligence features. Moreover, the Pixel 8a boasts premium construction, water-and-dust ingress protection, and wireless charging. That said, is the Pixel 8a expensive or the “a” moniker here sets the wrong expectation? Let us find out:
Design
The Pixel 8a is a compact smartphone with design inspired from other Pixel 8 series models. The smartphone has rounded corners, frosted glass on the back cover, and Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the front.
The phone’s aluminium frame has a subtle curve to it that matches with the overall design language and makes the phone comfortable to hold and operate. The frame accommodates volume rockers and power button on the right side, but the buttons arrangement is inverted – power button sits on top of volume rocker – and that causes inconvenience, at least for initial few days. For context, most other Android smartphones feature volume buttons first followed by power buttons. Nevertheless, these buttons are easily reachable with thumb or index finger. Like the last year model, the Pixel 8a is IP67-rated for water and dust resistance.
Display and Sound
Google has enhanced the display with notable upgrades. While the size remains identical to the last year model, at 6.1-inch, the display is brighter and supports refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Therefore, the display delivers optimal sunlight legibility, better contrast, and smooth performance.
However, the display is flanked by thick and unsymmetrical bezels. Even if you ignore the bezels, the display is no match to what you get on competing smartphones simply because it is a generic one with no value add-ons such as support for Dolby Vision. Moreover, the display is not well-suited for gaming due to lack of features such as frame interpolation, content upscaling, and HDR support.
The generic nature of the smartphone extends to audio, too. There are stereo speakers, which are loud and balanced, but lacks depth. There is support for spatial audio, which works with select Google wireless earphones such as Pixel Buds Pro. But the smartphone lacks support for Dolby Atmos and Hi-res audio over wireless, both of which are common on smartphones in the segment from competing brands.
Camera
The Pixel 8a carries over the predecessor’s camera system, which comprises a dual-camera set-up on the back – a 64-megapixel main sensor with optical image stabilisation and 13MP ultra-wide-angle sensor – and a 13MP camera sensor on the front. The camera interface, however, is new with options to manually control brightness, shadow, and white balance.
As for the imaging performance, the Pixel 8a impresses with quick focus and fast shutter speed. Moreover, the phone is quick in processing images post capture with computational algorithms. However, since imaging performance is heavily reliant on computational algorithms, there is a stark difference in the image previews shown on screen before the capture and the final output. Nevertheless, both the main and ultra-wide angle cameras are good.
The main camera sensor impresses with natural colours and good dynamic range. The sensor manages to capture natural depth-of-field with fine details on contours that neatly separates the subject from the background. The megapixel-rich camera sensor supports in-sensor zoom at up to 2x magnification level. It works well and is available for portraits too. Like the primary sensor, the ultra-wide-angle camera sensor is good with colours, dynamic range, and details. It covers a wide 120-degree field of view, suitable for cityscapes and landscapes. However, it does not flat out the sides, making it less suitable for group photos. The front camera is as good, if not better.
As for the videos, there is support for 4K at 30fps across camera sensors – including front camera. The primary camera sensor, however, goes up to 4K at 60fps. Video quality is good with modest stabilisation to counter shakes, especially from the primary camera.
Artificial intelligence features
Based on Android 14, the Pixel 8a comes packed with features, including select artificial intelligence features that Google debuted with Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Among the notable additions are the gesture-drive Circle to Search and Gemini AI. Circle to Search is enabled by default and gets into action if you long press the home button (in 3-button navigation) or navigation handle (in gesture navigation). Gemini AI, however, is offered as an opt-in feature since it is in experimental phase.
For imaging, the Pixel 8a gets “Best Take”, “Magic Editor” and “Audio Magic Eraser”. These are generative edit features available through edit option in the Google Photos app. Best Take employs an on-device algorithm to create a composite image from a series of photos, ensuring that everyone in the frame appears at their best. On the other hand, Magic Editor allows users to customise photos by repositioning and resizing subjects in the frame or enhancing the background with a simple tap. For videos, the Audio Magic Eraser tool identifies sounds within videos, such as background conversations, music, or wind, and separates them into distinct layers that users can control. This tool enables the reduction of distracting noises, granting users the ability to achieve their desired audio quality. Similar to the AI tools for photos, the Audio Magic Eraser feature is accessible within the Photos app.
Performance
Powered by the Tensor G3 chip, the Pixel 8a delivers good but inconsistent performance. The phone handles routine everyday tasks well but randomly heats up, resulting in performance degradation. Surprisingly, the phone heats up even in standby mode (locked and not in use). This issue does not appear to be tied to specific usage patterns; the phone may warm up even when not actively used. Under heavy workloads, the phone operates smoothly as long as temperature levels remain in check. These occurrences suggest that the phone possesses substantial capability, but random thermal fluctuations can impact performance.
Battery
The Pixel 8a offers respectable battery life. Under optimal thermal conditions, the phone comfortably lasts a day of mixed usage. In terms of screen-on time, the battery lasts for about six hours in typical scenarios. However, the battery life is vulnerable to thermal fluctuations and resource-intensive tasks, such as recording 4K videos at 60 frames per second. Hence, it is advisable to keep a charger on hand to counter abrupt battery drain resulting from unpredictable thermal issues.
It is important to note that the Pixel 8a does not include a charging adaptor in the package. Moreover, charging is capped at 18W (wired), taking about two hours for the phone to charge fully. Wireless charging is supported, but it is very slow.
Verdict
Software and imaging are core strengths of Google smartphones, and the Pixel 8a excels in these areas. However, it is marred by thermal issues that hamper the overall experience. Moreover, slow battery charging is a significant drawback. The Pixel 8a is on the expensive side of the price spectrum, especially considering that competitors offer better packages at the same or lower prices.
