Introduction:
Well, the best mid-range blowers of 2024 thus far is Google’s delightfully dinky Pixel 8A.
The Pixel 8A will cost you from 499 GBP, so it’s more of a blower sensitive fiscally bits than many rivals like Samsung’s Galaxy A55 and the Nothing Phone 2A. But you also get a seriously smart AI-packed phone that isn’t too far off those Google flagships.
Now, I’ve been using the Pixel 8A here as my full-time smartphone for the past couple of weeks. So, here’s my in-depth review.
Google Pixel 8a Design:
Now, this 6.1-inch mobile is going to delight owners of skinny jeans and compact handbags because it slips with ease and comfort into any expectant vessel.
And yeah, it’s not quite as compact as you might expect from a 6.1-inch smartphone, thanks to the rather chunky bezels surrounding that mini display. And yeah, they do somewhat detract from the overall aesthetics, looking a bit more budget perhaps than the 500 price point might suggest. But all the same, the Pixel 8A is a lot more mini than most 2024 rivals, these 6.7-inch mega bastards.
And unlike its many glass rivals, you’ve got a plastic design here, although at least that frame is metal to lend a more premium look and feel to the Pixel 8A. Just as well for half a grand, really. But even though it is constructed from plastic, I’ve got to say I love the look and feel of this supremely colorful back end. That surface is quite smooth and, yeah, it still somehow manages to stick somewhat to your palms, so you don’t have to squeeze it too tight to prevent it from sliding out of your grasp when things get a bit sweaty.
And that’s just as well, because that camera bump is incredibly slight, so it certainly can’t be used as a handy finger shelf when you’re using this thing one-handed. Just not enough purchase on there. And that matte design is a welcome relief after the smudgy back end of that Pixel 8 flagship.
You won’t need to keep attacking that ass with a sleeve or a hanky to prevent it from looking like a well-fingered travesty.
Now, “well-fingered travesty,” coincidentally, that’s also your mom’s OnlyFans handle. Factor in those freshly rounded corners and the curved edges, and the Pixel 8 boasts God’s-tier hand feel, right up there with a fluffy cat and a slightly cool orange on a hot summer’s day.
And this thing is also IP67 dust and water resistant, so it can take some serious splashing, even a proper dunking. That is just the old Gorilla Glass 3 up front, sadly, not the latest freshest Gorilla Glass Victus, which is a bit more shatter resistant. That is quite tight of Google, but at least so far, touch wood, after a couple of weeks it’s still completely scratch and scuff free despite the lack of a pre-installed screen protector.
Although, after just a fortnight, one or two very light nicks have appeared on that placky back end. But no worries, you can always grab one of Google’s official cases if you want to cover up your Pixel 8A without masking that lush coloration. “Coloration,” I’m not entirely convinced that’s a word.
And this alloy model just keeps on growing on me. It’s a proper stunner and a welcome relief from all of the endless white and black blowers.
Features:
Next, the software side. Of course, it’s Android 14 out of the box with Google’s frankly ludicrous offer of seven full years of OS and security updates.
And, as usual, I’ve adored my time with the Pixel 8A, thanks to Google’s stock Android vibe and that big old dripping sack of excellent bonus features, quite a few of which you just don’t get on other Androids. Yes, you’ve got all of the AI shenanigans, of course—Circle, the search AI, wallpapers, etc.—but most of those I tend to ignore, to be honest. Apart from the handy recorder transcription tool,
Which is very useful indeed considering the number of briefings that I end up in, and those enthralling photo editing features which are addictively hilarious. But more on those later.
But yeah, it’s the classic Pixy bits that I really, really like here, including the invaluable call screening for suspected spammy bolics. And as you’d expect from a Google phone, that UI just looks and feels great—nice and smooth.
Those customization options are always improving, with more control over your lock screen and new themed icons that help to reduce distractions, although not every app is supported just yet. That fingerprint sensor works wonderfully; I’ve had no issues even with slightly moist mitts, and the face unlock is also reliable as long as you’re not sat there in complete darkness.
Your biometrics are securely stashed away in that Titan M2 security chip as always. It is kind of a bck that the storage options start at 128 gigs. You have to chuck even more money at Google for 256, especially as there’s no microSD memory card support here.
And as usual with Pixel phones, there’s only a single SIM slot on 8A, but you do at least have full eSIM support.
Google Pixel 8a Display:
Now, some people may well be put off by the relatively small screen on the Pixel 8A, but I found it spacious enough for everything I do—from editing photos to browsing websites to enjoying super strength hentai that’s banned across 90% of the globe.
That OLED display serves up excellent contrast and realistic tones with HDR10 support for your favorite streaming services. And the full resolution is more than sharp enough given the reduced size of this diminutive display. At nighttime, it gets properly warm for an easy-on-the-eyes experience.
And that screen also apparently maxes out at around 2,000 nits (of Google’s estimates on total trouser what I know for sure is that I use this mini marvel out in direct sunlight while wearing shades, and I could still clearly see everything without squinting or holding it just 2 cm from my mug).
Of course, yes, if you’re trying to enjoy some moody murky Netflix drama on a bright sunshiny day, then you might be struggling a wee bit to see what’s actually happening. But everything else, no worries.
And the screen’s refresh rate now maxes out at 120 Hz, not just 90 Hz. Not that I can personally tell the difference between the two with my crusty old peepers. And the Pixel 8A here also packs a pair of stereo speakers, which are impressively loud when you boost that volume. Again, considering the reduced dimensions, that audio is a wee bit tiny compared to bigger rivals, but it’s perfectly fine for just watching some YouTube or enjoying a podcast without resorting to headphones.
And I’ve had zero issues with Bluetooth streaming as well. But like most of its mid-range brethren, there is bug roll headphone jack here.
Google Pixel 8a Performance:
Now, the Pixel 8A is powered by the same Tensa G3 chipset as the regular Pixel 8, with a respectable enough 8 gigs of RAM stuffed in there too.
It does get a wee bit toasty at times if you’re using it outside on a sunny day, and I did once get it overheating when I was using it plugged into my car using a bit of Android Auto. But again, that was on one of the hotter days in the year, and that car was basically an oven.
It also gets quite warm to the touch if you’re gaming for more than about 20 or 30 minutes. But to its credit, the Pixel 8A’s performance stays pretty strong even if you’re gaming on the likes of Genshin Impact for well over an hour. It can still maintain a pretty fluid frame rate with only the occasional wee judder and dip, and that’s even with the graphics scaled all the way up at 60 FPS. The performance certainly exceeded my expectations, given the general tense moments that we’ve suffered through.
Something like PUBG and Call of Duty and everything will play beautifully too, but that gaming mod still sucks monkey nuts.
Google Pixel 8a Battery:
And what about the battery life? Well, Google has stuffed a 4,492 milliamp capacity cell inside of the Pixel 8A (of the precise measurement there).
For my first two weeks with the Pixel here, I found I can comfortably get at least 6 hours of screen on time from a full charge. That’s also with multiple hours of audio streaming in the background from the likes of Spotify or Audible. It’s only really when I’m using the camera loads that I usually end up putting the Pixel 8A here into battery saver mode before I’m safely ensconced underneath my duvet.
So, I’ve certainly found that the Pixel is just as good as many mid-range rivals as far as the battery life goes, especially considering its more diminutive state.
Things are a bit more depressing when it comes to the recharging speeds, however. Just as slow as the old Pixel 7A, with its 18-watt wired charging. So, certainly don’t expect to plug it into the charger (which, once again, isn’t included in the box) for just 10 or 15 minutes and get a decent bit of recharge before you bug off out for the evening. It takes over an hour and a half to get this thing powered back up to full again if it’s nearly drained.
But hey, at least you get a bit of wireless charging support with the Pixel 8A, which is increasingly common but not absolutely guaranteed at this sort of price point.
Google Pixel 8a Camera:
You seem to get the exact same camera hardware here as last year’s Pixel 7A, including that main 64-megapixel quad PD shooter with optical image stabilization.
So yeah, as far as shooting photos and everything’s concerned, the Pixel 8A isn’t quite up to the standard set by the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8 Pro. But you’ve got the same Google processing smarts on here, so it’s really not far off. That camera app is once again a breeze to use—nice and tidy and streamlined.
You can zip between all the different modes with a quick flick of your finger down here, and there’s not too many. You can quickly and easily swap between photo and video with a quick poke down here. And as usual, the joy of the Pixel 8A is its point-and-shoot simplicity. But if you do want a bit of control over your shots, you can tweak the brightness, the shadows, and the good old white balance.
But like the regular Pixel 8, you miss out on those pro features like high-res shooting and raw image capture.
Now, the main difference I found between the Pixel 8A and the Pixel 8 is that the focus here sometimes struggles with up-close subjects, something that you rarely see on those flagships. But besides that gripe, the Pixel 8A performs admirably no matter the environmental conditions.
It certainly doesn’t fill its trousers at the slightest bit of HDR or low-light conditions either—all kinds of tricky light are handled by this thing. In fact, in low-light conditions, the Pixel 8A is an improvement over the old 7A, as you’ve now got a longer exposure night mode. So at nighttime, you can expect nice, crisp results without too much grain creeping in and ruining the party.
So one thing’s for sure, the Pixel 8A is one of the best smartphone snappers at this sort of price point, especially if you’re trying to capture living subjects like cats and kids.
It pretty much nails those shots every time with very little blur, unless the lighting is a bit cac. And besides that 64-megapixel primary shooter, you’ve also got a more basic 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle snapper. This produces acceptable photos if you just want to cram lots into that frame, get a more dramatic angle, or whatever. But like the Pixel 8 and pretty much all mid-range mobiles, there is no telephoto shooter, so if you are zooming in, it’s just a digital crop using that primary lens.
And you don’t want to zoom in too far; otherwise, things get rather murky rather fast, and it maxes out at eight times digital zoom anyway.
Then, up front, you’ve got a 13-megapixel fixed-focus selfie cam. And while it’s nothing special, it’s certainly an improvement on some previous Pixels, again dealing fairly acceptably with strong backlighting and offering a decent portrait mode.
As if the photo-taking abilities weren’t already fantastic, you’ve also got some excellent editing tools here on the Pixel 8A, the best one being the magic editor which just allows you to select a subject and then either move them about in the frame so we can get all nice and cozy. You can get really freaky and resize stuff—is it a monster cat, or is it just really close to the camera lens? And Google’s best shop mode as well, which you’ve probably seen advertised on telly if you’ve turned on your TV in the past 6 months or so. They’re also an absolute cracker if you’ve got kids.
And as for the video chops of the Pixel 8A, well, no real complaints there either. You can shoot up to 4K Ultra HD resolution footage, and it all looks nice and crisp, reasonable color reproduction on it, respectable image stabilization if you’re moving around and shooting at the same time. And the dual mic setup means that the audio capture is just as good too.
But any video shot in lower light definitely about as visually appealing as Jimes Cord Jock Strap. We’re talking grainy, murky, nasty-looking footage. So definitely just avoid all of that. You certainly don’t get the video boost feature that you get on that Pixel 8 Pro.
And like the Pixel 8 flagships, you’ve also got that excellent audio eraser tool, so you can dial down any unfortunate wind noises or background crowd shindig ery.
Google Pixel 8a My thoughts:
So any vocals and the like shine right through. And there you have it, my love. These that it is to we nutshell is the fresh new Google Pixel 8A.
After using it as my full-time smartphone for a couple of weeks now, I got to say, really, really like it. Yeah, sure, it’s not quite as advanced as the Pixel 8 in some areas, and some people are quite clearly put off by the massive thick bezels surrounding that display, given the comments that I’ve read so far. And yes, you can get the likes of the Pixel 7A for a far reduced price.
There’s not a huge gulf between the 7A and the 8A, besides a step up in the performance—you’ve got the G3 here and got all the AI-type shenanigans on the 7A, etc. But I still say if you want the full Pixel experience and you’ve got about 500 quid to spend, well, job fraking done. This thing’s going to be supported for 7 years; you won’t need to upgrade it anytime soon.
And though of course not guaranteed, the performance is still going to be sterling in 7 years’ time. We’ll have to wait and see on that one. That’s my thoughts anyway.
Well that’s for today… See on the next blog..