Google Pixel 8a Specs, Price, Features, and Best Deals

Design

At first glance, the Google Pixel 8a doesn’t look dramatically different from last year’s Pixel 7a or even the original Pixel 8. However, upon closer inspection, you’ll notice several small but significant improvements and design tweaks.

The corners are slightly more rounded, contributing to a more refined and comfortable feel in the hand. The device is built with a glass front protected by Gorilla Glass 3, an aluminum frame, and a plastic back, giving it a sturdy yet lightweight build.

Furthermore, the Pixel 8a has a compact profile, especially when compared to the larger Pixel 8 Pro. It measures 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9 mm and weighs 188 grams, making it easy to carry around and comfortable to use for extended periods without causing discomfort.

The front of the affordable android phone features a 6.1-inch display with relatively thick bezels, achieving an 81.6% screen-to-body ratio. The display is bright and clear, but the bezels may be noticeable to some users.

Meanwhile, the selfie camera is discreetly housed within a small punch-hole cutout in the display, maintaining a clean look while providing convenient access for selfies and video calls. Above the selfie camera, there is a earpiece that doubles as a stereo speaker, ensuring clear audio during calls and media playback.

On the rear, Google Pixel 8a features an aluminum Camera Bar, which seamlessly integrates with the frame of the phone. This bar houses the pill-shaped dual-camera system and an LED flash, offering a cohesive and stylish look. The camera system is designed to provide excellent photography capabilities, with the LED flash assisting in low-light conditions. A discreet “G” logo is positioned on the back, adding a subtle branding touch without being overly prominent.

Additionally, the function keys are nicely positioned. The right side of the frame host only two buttons: a power button and a volume rocker. At the bottom of the 5G device, you’ll find the other stereo speaker and a USB Type-C port, while the top of the android phone houses the earpiece, contributing to the stereo sound experience.

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Display

The Pixel 8a features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2,400 x 1,800 pixels, adopting the same Actua display technology found in the Pixel 8. This resolution  results in a sharp pixel density of around 430 ppi at 20:9 aspect ratio. With a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 81.6%, the display is well-suited for immersive viewing experiences.

Furthermore, Google claims this display can reach a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, making it much brighter than the Pixel 7a’s 931 nits, thus providing more vertical space for browsing and multimedia consumption.

Google Pixel 8a also features a 120Hz refresh rate, providing smooth and fluid visuals. This refresh rate can automatically switch between 60Hz and 120Hz to balance performance and battery life.

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The display supports HDR (High Dynamic Range) which enhances the display’s capability to reproduce a wider range of colors and improved contrast, resulting in a more immersive viewing experience with more lifelike visuals. It also boasts DCI-P3 color gamut coverage of 89.6% in Adaptive mode and 77.2% in Natural mode, ensuring vibrant and accurate.

Additionally, the Pixel 8a is equipped with an under-display fingerprint scanner featuring an optical sensor. This sensor is centered near the bottom of the screen, remaining invisible to the naked eye, thus maintaining the sleek design of the front panel. For added durability, the screen is protected by a flat sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The display also features an always-on mode, allowing users to view essential information at a glance without fully waking the device.

Camera

The Pixel 8a continues Google’s tradition of impressive camera technology with a robust dual-camera setup on the back and a capable front-facing camera. It features a dual camera setup on the rear and a single front facing camera.

The primary camera features a 64 MP Sony IMX787 sensor with an f/1.89 aperture, and measuring 1/1.73 inches with a pixel size of 0.8µm. This Quad-Bayer sensor is designed to combine four pixels into one, effectively creating larger pixels that capture more light. This technology is particularly beneficial in low-light conditions, producing brighter and clearer images with reduced noise.

Additionally, it is equipped with the dual pixel Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) that ensures rapid and accurate focusing, which is crucial for capturing fast-moving subjects. Furthermore, it also features both Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) which helps to minimize blur from camera shake, resulting in sharp, clear images and smooth, steady videos even in handheld shooting situations.

Complementing the main camera is a 13 MP ultrawide camera that offers a 120-degree field of view, making it ideal for capturing expansive landscapes, large group photos, and creative wide-angle shots. It has a f/2.2 aperture, 1/3.06 inches sensor size with a pixel size of 1.12µm, which, although smaller than the main camera, still delivers good performance.

This camera has a fixed focus, which means it is optimized for capturing wide scenes without the need for focus adjustments. It simplifies the shooting process but may not be ideal for close-up shots. The rear camera also supports 4K video recording at 30 frames per second, ensuring that video footage is detailed and crisp

On the front, a 13 MP selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture provides users with high-quality self-portraits and video calls. Equipped with Google’s computational photography features, such as HDR+ and Portrait Mode, the front camera delivers vibrant, detailed selfies with a pleasing depth-of-field effect.

Additionally, the Google Pixel 8a offers advanced software features like 8x Super-Res Zoom, HDR+, Night Sight, and Portrait Mode, further enhancing the overall imaging experience. These features leverage Google’s expertise in computational photography to produce stunning photos and videos with excellent dynamic range, detail, and clarity.

Software and Hardware

The Pixel 8a is powered by Google’s Tensor G3 chip, the same chipset found in the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, manufactured on Samsung’s advanced 4nm process. This chip is custom-designed by Google specifically for its Pixel smartphones and is known for its focus on artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and image processing.

The Tensor G3 chip primary core, Cortex-X3, operates at 3.0 GHz, providing robust processing power, while four Cortex-A715 cores clocked at 2.45 GHz handle moderate tasks, optimizing power consumption. Additionally, four Cortex-A510 cores, also running at 2.45 GHz, further enhance power efficiency for less demanding operations.

It offers up to 30% faster CPU performance, up to 50% faster GPU performance, and up to 80% faster machine learning performance. The chip is complemented by the Immoralis-G715s MC10 GPU, delivering smooth graphics performance for gaming and multimedia.

Furthermore, the Tensor G3 chip integrates Google’s Titan M2 security chip and a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to support AI-related tasks and features. From real-time translation services to advanced AI enhancements, the NPU enhances the device’s overall performance and efficiency.

It has various AI features like Magic Eraser and Real Tone, and potentially smoother overall performance through AI-powered optimizations. This features enhanced Google Assistant functionality, and improved camera performance with AI-powered features.

Additionally, the Pixel 8a run on the latest Android 14 operating system out of the box and is guaranteed to receive software updates for up to 7 years, ensuring long-term usability and security.

It offers comprehensive connectivity options, including 5G support for high-speed mobile data access. It also features Bluetooth 5.3 technology, NFC, and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e connectivity, with dual or tri-band capabilities depending on the market or region.  There is also the USB Type-C 3.2 port for fast data transfer and charging.

Above all, Google Pixel 8a is equipped with a non-removable 4492 mAh Li-Po battery, providing ample power for extended usage. Supporting wired charging with PD3.0 technology, users can quickly recharge their Pixel device for uninterrupted use. It also offers 7.5W wireless charging capabilities, providing convenient power replenishment options for users on the go.

Google Pixel 8a Price and Availability

Google Pixel 8a price starts at $ 499.00 at leading online stores like Amazon.com. You can buy the entry model with 128GB ROM for $499.00, 430.48 EUR, and 449.00 GBP at Amazon stores in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom respectively. In Nigeria, you can buy the Pixel 8a at a price of ₦665,000 on Jumia Nigeria.