The Pixel 8a appears to be a substantial design refresh for Google’s oft-praised line of budget phones, and it’s a fantastic value at $499, but in a world where it will compete against Samsung’s budget Galaxy A series, cheap phones from the likes of Motorola and OnePlus, or even slightly pricier phones like the Galaxy S24, can the Pixel 8a stand out from the crowd? The answer probably depends on what consumers value in a phone.
The Pixel 7a, which also retailed for a buck shy of $500, was celebrated by many reviewers, which was not surprising. Chris Burns reviewed the Pixel 7a for SlashGear and found that it had a great camera—which is by now expected of any Pixel phone—solid battery life, and nice-to-haves like a 90Hz display and wireless charging. However, the Pixel 8a is bumping up most of those specs, including a much faster 120Hz display, a slightly larger battery, and a new processor. With all of those improvements, the 8a is frankly an absolute steal at the same $499.
In fact, the real appeal of a Pixel a-series phone is that you’re getting most of the same functionality as the more expensive phones, just with a couple of downgrades most people won’t miss. Instead of glass, you’re getting a plastic back, but most people put a case on their phone, so that doesn’t matter. What you’re still getting is a great screen, an even greater camera, and even a flagship processor (proving that Google’s Tensor program is paying off in some measure). With the Pixel Fold 2 rumored to launch alongside the 8a, the latter will once again be the bang for your buck phone in Google’s lineup.
