Although not selling very well, Google's Pixel is still a popular choice for those looking for a stable Android smartphone without too many fancy features.
After launching the Pixel 8 series last year, Google has added the new Pixel 8a as an alternative that fits everyone's budget. The product succeeds Pixel 7a last year to become Google's low-cost smartphone model. Normally the Pixel a-series line is launched during Google's annual I/O event, but the company decided to introduce the Pixel 8a model a week earlier to give the product a "moment of its own".
Compared to the Pixel 8, the Pixel 8a version is not too different in design and features, things that users have often seen in the Pixel a series over the years. Just like the Pixel 8 series, the Pixel 8a comes with a Tensor G3 SoC as well as a Titan M2 security chip, so this smartphone should be similar to the higher-end series, both in terms of performance and features.
The most important difference between the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a is in the camera department. Instead of the excellent 50 MP sensor found in both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, the new product uses a lower end (but still functional thanks to Google's post-processing magic) 64 MP sensor with pixel size is 0.8 μm and aperture ƒ/1.89. The secondary sensor is a 13 MP ultra-wide camera with a 120° viewing angle.
The battery unit is also slightly smaller, at 4,492 mAh compared to 4,575 mAh on the Pixel 8, and it also charges slower, with 18W charging instead of 27W. Users get 8 GB of RAM equivalent to the Pixel 8, as well as up to 256 GB of internal memory and Android 14 out of the box, along with the same 7-year update promise as with the Pixel 8 series.
Google's new smartphone model has a starting price of 499 USD and is currently available on the Google Store. The product also appears on Amazon, Best Buy and many other retailers in the coming weeks.
