What is the distinction and which must you purchase?

Some may say that Google is again to stepping on its toes once more. And by that, I imply it simply launched the third member of its Pixel 8 collection, the mid-range Pixel 8a, which sits remarkably near its smaller flagship, the Pixel 8. As such, you may battle to resolve between the 2 when it comes time to improve your telephone, and that’s the place we are available in. I’ve been testing each gadgets side-by-side, so let’s examine the Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 8 that can assist you choose your subsequent telephone.

In some ways, the Google Pixel 8a and Pixel 8 are so related that they’re simple to match. They share practically equivalent shows, dimensions, software program experiences, and replace commitments, a lot of which we’ll get to in a minute. That mentioned, the similarities additionally make it far harder to search out daylight between the 2 when deciding which one is best for you.

In some methods, nevertheless, the similarities repay for followers of the extra inexpensive Pixel A collection. Each telephones pack the identical Tensor G3 chipset, Titan M2 safety core, and equivalent choices for each RAM and storage. Because of this, they produced nearly equivalent leads to our efficiency benchmarks and day-to-day utilization.

As you possibly can see within the graphs, the extra inexpensive Pixel 8a delivers outcomes practically equivalent to these of the Pixel 8 and, in our graphically intensive stress testing, really maintains its efficiency higher than the flagship. Whereas benchmarking numbers don’t normally imply an excessive amount of in a mean day of blended utilization, they’re usually a superb indicator of how effectively a telephone will sustain, and the Pixel 8a has no downside cruising by a day of internet shopping, social media scrolling, and lightweight gaming simply in addition to its premium counterpart.

On prime of that, the Pixel 8a and Pixel 8 ship with Android 14 out of the field and one of many finest replace commitments within the business. Google determined to maintain tempo with Apple’s lofty promise when it added seven years of Android updates, function drops, and safety patches to the Pixel 8 collection in late 2023, and now the Pixel 8a will get the identical profit. That not solely places it on par with the flagships however forward of its equally priced rivals.

All of those shared options additionally imply that each the Google Pixel 8a and Pixel 8 assist the identical set of AI-powered options and lean closely on Gemini as Google transitions to its highly effective new assistant (with Google additionally confirming Gemini Nano on-device assist that may land in a future Characteristic Drop). You’ll be able to faucet into useful extras like Circle to Search, generative wallpapers, Stay Translate, and a number of other calling options like Maintain for Me, Name Display, and Sensible Replies. Each telephones have loads of photograph enhancing choices, too, which we’ll come again to down under.

I don’t blame you when you really feel such as you’re seeing double trying on the image above. Google’s Pixel design is fairly effectively nailed down at this level, with flat shows and digicam bars throughout the board, however the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a are about as near twins as you may get.

The 2 gadgets are practically the identical peak, width, and thickness regardless of the Pixel 8 providing an additional tenth of an inch of show actual property, sitting at 6.2 inches to the Pixel 8a’s 6.1 inches. But, regardless of its barely smaller show, the Pixel 8a affords nearly the identical specs as its extra polished counterpart. There’s solely a weight distinction of some grams between them, one thing I hardly observed whereas carrying each round for just a few days. Each telephones have 60 to 120Hz Actua Shows with 14 hundred nits of HDR and a couple of,000 nits of peak brightness, and so they really feel nearly equivalent when you’re swiping up and down or mindlessly scrolling social media. Simply observe that the Pixel 8a comes locked at 120Hz by default, so that you’ll must choose in for the variable refresh charge. On prime of that, the OLED panels have the identical 1,080 by 2,400 decision, which means that the extra inexpensive Pixel is only a hair extra pixel-dense.

Truthfully, I’ve discovered that the easiest way to inform the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a aside is the latter’s a lot rounder corners, making it really feel a bit smaller within the hand — one thing that I completely respect as an individual with smaller arms. Google’s premium Pixel 8 sports activities shiny Gorilla Glass Victus on the again, too, whereas the Pixel 8a has a matte composite (it’s plastic, name it plastic) again that appears a bit extra just like the Pixel 8 Professional. Personally, I want the sensation of the 8a once I attain into my pocket, principally as a result of I do know I received’t pull out a telephone that’s coated in smudges. The flagship Pixel 8 is the marginally extra sturdy of the 2, utilizing Gorilla Glass Victus on each the back and front and carrying an IP68 score towards water and dirt to the Pixel 8a’s IP67.

Each Pixels additionally share matching in-display fingerprint readers and matching buttons and ports scattered round their aluminum frames. To my eye, each fingerprint readers appear to register on the similar pace, so it’s good to see Google maintain one normal fingerprint reader as a substitute of going cheaper for the mid-range. Additionally, you’ll discover the ability and quantity controls on the appropriate edge with a lone SIM tray holding down the left. The USB-C port can also be flanked by a pair of stereo audio system.

Though the digicam bars on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a might look the identical, they’ve just a few variations throughout their dual-camera setups. The Pixel 8a’s funds digicam setup affords extra megapixels to play with, pairing a 64MP main digicam and a 13MP ultrawide sensor. Don’t be fooled by the larger numbers, although, as the person pixels are barely smaller on each sensors, which means that the cameras aren’t fairly as effectively outfitted for lower-light situations. The Pixel 8a’s ultrawide sensor additionally has a barely narrower 120-degree discipline of view and misses out on Macro Imaginative and prescient — a software program function that each the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional assist.

Shifting over to the extra premium Pixel, it pairs its 50MP main digicam with a 12MP ultrawide sensor, each of that are bigger than the choices on the Pixel 8a. On prime of getting barely bigger particular person megapixels, the Pixel 8’s main digicam is able to a 2x in-sensor crop, supplying you with a bit of bit extra optical zoom vary earlier than switching to digital zoom.

The Pixel 8a has a barely sharper selfie digicam, too, with 13MP to the Pixel 8’s 10.5MP, although the outcomes are fairly related from each sensors primarily based on our checks.

As you possibly can see within the samples under, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a are nearly neck and neck in a number of the most typical taking pictures situations. They’re effectively matched in coloration and particulars, and even the ultrawide pictures are nearly equivalent regardless of the marginally completely different fields of view.

There are just a few slight variations in the case of capturing selfies, although. Regardless of each telephones defaulting to 1x zoom while you flip the digicam round, not all definitions of 1x zoom are created equal. The Pixel 8a affords a a lot wider body than the Pixel 8, making it a lot simpler to suit extra folks and background particulars into your selfie. Each pictures look good so far as colours go, but it surely’s considerably stunning to see such a distinction between the default zoom lengths.

Google’s Pixel 8 additionally handles its longer zoom lengths a lot better than the Pixel 8a. Its bigger sensor appears to take care of each coloration and element higher than the smaller sensor on the mid-range telephone. The distinction is most noticeable on finer traces just like the title of the ship under and the main points within the wooden planks of the dock.

So far as digicam options go, Macro Imaginative and prescient is the one main omission from the Pixel 8a — all the pieces else is nearly precisely the identical. Neither gadget affords Google’s new Professional controls, however each can faucet into Night time Sight, High Shot, Portrait Mode, Cinematic Pan, and punch in with Tremendous Res Zoom as much as 8x.

Each telephones additionally provide related video options, with as much as 4K recording from the entrance and rear sensors. Nonetheless, the Pixel 8 packs just a few extra choices relating to the body charge, with 24fps accessible on each back and front and 60fps on the selfie digicam. Google’s Pixel 8a, however, is restricted to 30fps from the selfie digicam at each 4K and 1080p.

Given their related total measurement and specs, it’s no shock to see the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a toting practically equivalent batteries. The Pixel 8 has the marginally bigger cell of the 2 — 4,575mAh to the Pixel 8a’s 4,492mAh — however our battery testing confirmed that the mid-ranger stretched its juice additional generally. In reality, it put up higher numbers whereas on a Zoom name, snapping pictures, recording 4K video, and even considerably higher 4K playback efficiency. Exterior of the lab, each telephones can simply energy by a full day of utilization. I received right into a behavior of utilizing adaptive charging in a single day and repeatedly discovered myself hitting the top of the day with not less than 20% remaining.

Nonetheless, one space the place there’s a bit of little bit of daylight between the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8a is of their charging setups. The Pixel 8 is far faster, supporting as much as 27W wired charging with a suitable USB PD PPS charger, whereas the Pixel 8a tops out at 18W. There’s a giant distinction in wi-fi charging capabilities, too, with the costlier gadget able to as much as 18W with the second-generation Pixel Stand and 12W with different Qi-enabled pads whereas the mid-ranger is restricted to 7.5W, irrespective of the charger.

Whereas the distinction in charging pace from 18W to 27W might not sound too huge, our managed testing confirmed that the Pixel 8a took about 20 extra minutes to achieve a full battery than its Pixel 8 counterpart, so it’d pay to spend just a bit bit extra if you’ll want to get again up and working in a rush.

For those who’re shut to creating your choice between shopping for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a, I assume you need to know the way a lot every telephone will value you. Properly, for starters, each telephones are extensively accessible within the US, each unlocked and on offers by main carriers like Verizon, T-Cellular, and AT&T.

For those who’re leaning towards the Pixel 8a, it begins at $499 with 128GB of storage — the identical value because the earlier Pixel 7a. It’s additionally accessible in 4 colours: Bay, Aloe, Obsidian, and Porcelain. Must you resolve you want 256GB of storage proper off the bat, it’ll set you again $559, and also you’re restricted to the Obsidian end.

However, when you’re leaning towards the flagship Pixel 8, it kicks off at $699 with the identical 128GB of storage. It launched in three colours, Hazel, Obsidian, and Rose, however Google has since added a fourth Mint coloration that’s a bit of softer than the Pixel 8a’s Aloe choice. You’ll be able to improve to 256GB of storage for a similar $60 charge, bumping your value to $759.

Now that we’ve gone by each final piece of the Google Pixel 8 and the Google Pixel 8a, it’s about time to resolve which one is best for you. In contrast to numerous comparisons the place we find yourself saying that the appropriate one comes all the way down to your private choice, there’s a fairly clear winner right here — but it surely comes with a caveat.

The straightforward reply when selecting between the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 8a is to inform you to purchase the flagship Pixel 8 — one of many finest Android telephones round — however solely to take action when you will discover it on sale. These two telephones share a lot in frequent, from the chipset to the digicam high quality to 90% of their respective designs, that Google is counting on the distinction in value to sway folks a method or one other.

When put next at full value, the Pixel 8a looks as if a fantastic deal, given what number of flagship specs it boasts, however as quickly as you consider reductions, the $200 hole out of the blue feels a lot smaller, and the Pixel 8’s extra premium facets like quicker charging and higher supplies really feel that rather more attainable.