For some time now, the period between May and June has been that of Pixel smartphone from the A familywhich for Google represents the most economically accessible range compared to its other phones, usually unveiled in the autumn.
Over the years, the Pixel A has changed, grown and improved a lot. And also increased in price, Unfortunately. The new Google Pixel 8A is no exception, even if some changes are perhaps less immediately perceptible while others seem more sensible to us than ever. We had the chance to try the phone for about ten days before the official presentation, below we tell how it went, what we liked and what we didn’t like.
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Google Pixel 8A, the technical characteristics
One thing we certainly appreciated is that the new Pixel 8A, more than all the others that preceded it, is the closest there is to its older brothers: same Tensor G3 processor of 8 and 8 Pro, same software, same artificial intelligence featuresidentical duration of updates (7 years), screen with 120 Hz refresh.
Obviously, he is physically smaller. The display is a 6.1-inch Oled, compared to the 6.2″ of the Pixel 8 and the 6.7″ of the Pixel 8 Pro (our test) and the battery is 4492 mAh with support for fast charging which however is not very fast: just 18W, which in 2024 is really too little. Even without reaching 90 or 120 as some competitors do, it would have been it is reasonable to expect to reach at least 30.
Sticking to the numbers, there is 8 GB of Ram, for the first time a 256GB memory cut (even if we still start from 128) and there are three cameras in total: the two rear ones, respectively, 64 megapixel and 13 MP ultrawide and the 13 MP front one.
The clever cut in the cover of the Google Pixel 8A (above) compared to that of the Pixel 8
The Google Pixel 8A in everyday use
Among the things that make it “the closest there is to its older brothers” there is certainly the constructive care: in general, starting from this generation, the Pixels are really well made, pleasant to touch, to hold in the hand, to use on a daily basis. And the new 8A is no exception: the materials are not all premium like on the 8 and 8 Pro, in the rear area there is more plastic than glass (which however makes the phone lighter, 189 grams against the 214 of the 8 Pro) but the anti-scratch treatment makes it both resistant and somehow also gentle to the touch. Even more so if you use the cover, of which we really appreciated a detail that seems insignificant but isn’t at all: it is cut just above the charging portwhich facilitates and speeds up the swipe upwards, which on Android is used to return to the homepage.
Another thing we really liked, besides the color of the sample under test (in Italy they call it Grigio Creta, but the term Porcelain used on the American market seems more correct), are the rounded corners. Which are a lot and are immediately noticeable, especially if you have been dealing with Pixels for a few years: together with the rear band for the cameras, they are another way to distinguish the phone from the mass of iPhone clones, all squared the same.
It’s true: they seem like little things that say little or nothing about the real qualities of the phone. We chose to start with these for two reasons: because actually they are not small things (much of the process of choosing a smartphone is undeniably also linked to aesthetics) and because there is honestly little to say about how the phone performs. In the sense that it goes a lot, very good more or less in everything. The operating system is fluid and responsive and continues to be our favorite version of Android together with that of Nothing Phone, with many goodies such as the recognition of the music around you, the predictive functions on appointments, movements, traffic, weather and much more, integration with home automation or with the many Google software that are already part of our lives, the smart filter on calls and the abundant use of artificial intelligence.
There is all this and there is the fact that the Pixel, even in this 8A variant, confirms itself as a sort of portable and ultra-compact camera: difficult to put it into difficulty in fast point-and-click, in night scenes or with low (or no) light, it also allows a certain degree of customization before shooting, adjusting parameters such as brightness, shading and white balance. And then obviously in post-production, with many AI-related features which are now well known: Best Shot, to choose the most pleasant expression among those of the people portrayed in an image; Magic Editor, to reposition and resize subjects or make the background brighter; Magic Eraser for quick editing and Audio Magic Eraser to remove unwanted sounds from videos, such as wind, crowds and other background noises.
A photo taken with the Google Pixel 8A’s wide-angle camera A photo taken at close range with the Google Pixel 8A’s main camera
Better Pixel 8 or Pixel 8A?
Not everything is perfect, clearly: there is fast but not very fast charging which we have already mentioned and there is a list price which has risen further and now it starts at 549 euros (it was 509 last year and 459 two years ago). Perhaps for the first time, however, we feel like saying that the increase is justified, precisely because the Pixel 8A is technically much closer to the 8 and 8 Pro than the 7A and 6A were to their older brothers.
For buyers, this can create a problem that is interesting to try to solve: better to buy a Pixel 8A or a Pixel 8, which has a slightly larger screen, supports Wi-Fi 7 and is on paper a superior phone? In our opinion, it is a doubt that actually only exists on the American market: overseas, the 8A costs 499 dollars and the 8 can easily be found at 549, and it is obvious that in these conditions it makes more sense to move towards the second, which costs just $50 more. The opposite is true for us: the 8A costs 549 euros and the 8 is still at 799 and a range of 250 euros honestly seems too wide to justify.
The Pixel 8A will have 7 years of updates like the others, will support Gemini Nano like the others, in Italy it starts at a much lower price and in the long term it seems like the best choice. Even towards the notable Nothing Phone 2A (proof), which costs 200 euros less but will certainly receive less software support over time. Google says it “can be a great first phone for kids,” and it’s clever and smart to point that out, because it’s actually true. Both for the technical and economic characteristics listed so far and for integration with Family Linkthe Mountain View app that has become the de facto standard for parental controls on Android.
The main screen of the Google Pixel 8A Tech Test Guide to buying an Android tablet for comics: which is the best, from 6 to 13 inches by Emanuele Capone 09 May 2024
What we liked
software clean and effective
Great construction quality
it is a portable camera
What we didn’t like
@capoema