Google has been pushing out their famous Pixel smartphones series and people have loved them for their software and camera performance. Google launches two smartphones every year: the flagship Pixel series and the upper mid-range A series. They have quietly launched the Pixel 8A in India. Is it worth it to buy it or should you go for the regular Pixel 8?

We will answer all of your queries and compare it with the Pixel 8. So, let’s go ahead and dive into this full review and comparison!

Google’s Pixel A Series: Best Cameras In A Budget

The Pixel number series is the top-tier flagship from Google and everyone is normally not able to afford to pay a flagship price. So the Pixel A series is the cheaper version of the flagship Pixel number series. These phones have a few corners cut from the flagship series in the display and build departments. 

But, Pixel A series has been pretty popular as it offers the same flagship level camera features. Last year’s Pixel 7a was so good in the camera department, as it easily beat even the iPhone 14 in MKBHD’s Camera Comparison video. The Pixel 7a scored a 1600+ ELO score and gave a head-on comparison to other flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 and all. 

Plus, the Pixel A series provides a very good value-for-money aspect as well. Last year, the Pixel 7a initially launched at around Rs 42,000 but then the price dropped later and finally came down to Rs 31,999. For this price, the Pixel 7a is really unbeatable in terms of software and camera performance. Well, nothing can beat the Pixel series when it comes to the pure stock Android experience.

Google Pixel 8A Launched Quietly In India

The Pixel 8a has been launched in India for a price of Rs 52,999. The smartphone is available in two storage variants: 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM and 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM. The higher storage variant costs Rs 59,999, which is not that great of a deal. If you want to purchase the phone now, you can go for the lower storage variant, as Google gives 15 GB of Google Drive storage free with the Pixel devices. 

The Pixel 8a is available in four colour options, which are: Porcelain, Aloe, Bay and Obsidian. The first sale of the phone will begin on 14 May on Flipkart. Plus, you can get a pretty good introductory offer with the phone that can get you the Pixel buds at a flat discounted rate of Rs 999. 

Pixel 8a Specifications

The Google Pixel 8a comes with Android 14 pre-installed out of the box, which is obvious as Google always rolls out the latest software updates on their phones. The display is now an Actua display, which Google calls one of the best on their smartphones. It is an OLED panel with a 120-Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass-3 protection. The display is a major upgrade from last year’s Pixel 7a, as the refresh rate has been bumped up with smaller bezels.

In terms of performance, the Pixel 8a is equipped with the latest Google Tensor G3 that can handle all daily tasks pretty well. One downside of having a Tensor processor is that it produces a lot more heat than the Snapdragon or MediaTek processors. If that’s not a big deal for you, then its performance won’t disappoint you. It comes with a 4,492 mAh battery that’s going to last you for a day. 

Camera is the USP of the Pixel series smartphones, as they have the best cameras in the Android world. The Pixel 8a comes with a 64 MP primary camera with a 13 MP ultrawide sensor. There are multiple AI-powered camera features, like Magic Eraser, Circle to Search, 8x Super Res Zoom and much more. The front camera has a 13MP wide-angle sensor that can take pretty good photos too. 

Skip Pixel 8a And Buy The Pixel 8!

Google hasn’t made that much of a big PR announcement before the launch of the Google Pixel 8a. The reasons are obvious, as the Pixel 8a is seemingly the budget offering from the Pixel line-up that nobody wants. The main reason is that the Pixel 8 is now selling for less than Rs 48,000, which is an insane deal. You can grab the device for that price if you have a SBI credit card. 

Plus, if you have an older smartphone to exchange, then you will get an insane extra exchange bonus of Rs 6,000. This means that if you have a smartphone whose value is Rs 12,000 for regular exchange, then you’ll get Rs 16,000 for it. These things make the Pixel 8 a much better choice than the Pixel 8a.

But if you don’t want to spend on the Pixel 8 and want to go for the Pixel 8a, then wait for a few months. The price of the 8A will drop a lot until then. But for now, the Pixel 8 is a sensible choice, as it has a better display, cameras, and build quality than the Pixel 8a.

To Summarise 

The Pixel 8a has been quietly launched by Google at a huge price tag of Rs 52,999, which is not acceptable at all. You can instead purchase the flagship Pixel 8 for a much lower price than that. But the Pixel 8a is also a good device that can take great photos and provide you with the best Android experience out of the box.

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