Key Takeaways
- Pixel 8a features a Tensor G3 processor and access to Gemini AI.
- Google is promising 7 years of updates. That’s the same amount of software support the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8 are slated to recieve.
- To keep prices low, the Pixel 8a has the same cameras as the Pixel 7a. Charging speeds are slower too.
Google on Tuesday launched preorders for the Pixel 8a, its latest mid-range Pixel phone. The most obvious upgrade over its predecessor — the Pixel 7a — is the inclusion of a Tensor G3 processor, the same chip found in the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. This helps make it the first A-series device with access to Gemini, Google’s generative AI tech, which can answer many natural-language requests and optionally replace Google Assistant for voice commands.
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AI is a strong focus across the device, since some other features carried over from the Pixel 8 lineup include Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, and Best Take for photo editing, and Audio Magic Eraser for videos. That last one may be a particular selling point, since you can dial down or completely eliminate distracting noises in videos, such as wind. You can exploit generative AI to create custom homescreen and lockscreen wallpaper.
The Pixel 8a is moreover the first A-series phone Google will provide seven years of Android, security, and Feature Drop updates. That means that the device should in theory stay current through Android 21, excluding features that require newer hardware. The policy is meant to resolve a common complaint about Android devices — that many of them lose support after just a few years — and better compete with Apple, which is known for keeping iPhones current long after launch. The latest version of iOS, iOS 17.4.1, still works on iPhones dating back to 2018.
Google has made some sacrifices to keep the 8a’s price lower. Its cameras, for instance, share the same specs as the 7a — the main wide-angle camera sports a 64-megapixel sensor paired with an f/1.89 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). The ultra-wide camera is a 13-megapixel unit with f/2.2 aperture and no OIS, as is the front shooter, which remains fixed-focus. When shooting video, the main camera supports 4K resolution up to 60 frames per second.
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Likewise, wired USB-C 3.2 charging is limited to 18W, well below the 27W and 30W limits on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, respectively. There is Qi wireless charging, but also at slower speeds than the phone’s siblings. Google is promising 24 hours or more of power off a (typical) 4,492mAh battery. Some models may be limited to 4,404mAh.
Display tech includes a 6.1-inch, 1080×2400 Actua OLED screen with 2,000 nits of peak brightness, refresh rates up to 120Hz, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The device comes with 8GB of RAM, as well as 128 or 256GB of internal storage; in most countries, wireless connection options include 4G, 5G, Bluetooth 5.3, and Wi-Fi 6E. Indian models are limited to Wi-Fi 6. All countries get one nano-SIM slot and one eSIM.
Colors, pricing, and availability
Preorders for the Pixel 8a are open today, May 7, ahead of general availability on May 14. Color options this time around include Obsidian, Bay, Aloe, and Porcelain, potentially depending on how and where you buy — Verizon for instance isn’t offering Porcelain.
On the Google Store, US prices start at $499 for a 128GB model. The company will continue to sell the 7a at a discount, since it otherwise doesn’t have a true “budget” phone in its lineup.
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