After many rumors and much teasing, the Google Pixel 8a has been revealed, a budget phone with a host of generative AI capabilities.
The Pixel 8a takes many of its design features from the Google Pixel 8 and its direct predecessor, the Google Pixel 7a, maintaining the distinctive rectangular camera bar of both phones and the latter's 6.1-inch screen size; although there are some changes.
The display is a 2400 x 1400 resolution Acuta panel, meaning it gets up to 40% brighter than the Pixel 7a's display and comes with a 120Hz refresh rate instead of 90Hz. The rear cameras They comprise a 64-megapixel main sensor with an 80-degree field of view and the ability to capture video at 30 frames per second and 60 fps in 4K resolution, while the ultra-wide camera is magnified up to 13MP and has a field of view. 120 degree vision; On the front there is a 13MP camera.
There's a new set of colors for the more affordable Pixel, with the 8a available in Aloe (think light pastel green), Bay (light blue), Obsidian (black), and Porcelain (white) colors.
While the Pixel 7a only offered a model with 128GB of storage, Google decided that the Pixel 8a would also benefit from the 256GB built-in storage option. Support for 18W wireless charging is present, as is a Qi wireless charging option. And the battery has also seen a small increase, from 4385 mAh to 4492 mAh; Expect decent battery life, but nothing to write home about.
I say this because the Pixel 8a comes with Google's Tensor G3 chip, the same processor as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, which not only means a decent amount of power but also an AI-focused processing pipeline, allowing the new phone to offer the same set of AI and generative AI features as its larger peers.
Naturally, Best Take is present, allowing users to include the best facial expressions for everyone in a group photo, as is the AI-based generative Magic Editor, which allows photos to be re-cropped and smart technology generates images to fill any gap or basically recompose a photo completely.
Less attention-grabbing smart camera features have also trickled down to the Pixel 8a, including Audio Magic Eraser, which can intelligently remove background noise from videos, Real Tone in video, which ensures that skin are captured accurately, and guided frame mode. to help visually impaired people take a carefully composed photograph.
Generative AI comes into play elsewhere too, as the Pixel 8a has the sleek and powerful Circle to Find feature, which lets you press and hold the Android home button, then circle an object or subject in a photo or on the screen, and have the AI try to identify what has been circled and offer relevant search results.
The Pixel 8a has other tools like Call Assist, which can wait for you in a phone queue and alert you when it's your turn to speak to a customer service representative, and the Gemini AI assistant, which can perform all kinds of tasks, like summarizing. send emails and add images to things with just one command; Please note that availability will depend on languages and regions. Smart safety measures are also included, with tools like car crash detection and an automated safety check feature that aims to keep users safe or get quick access to help if they're not.
In short, the Google Pixel 8a is basically a cheaper way to access a lot of Google's latest smart and generative AI-based features. At $499 / £449 / AU$849, it maintains the same price as its predecessor, but is AU$100 more expensive in Australia. However, it comes with a more powerful interior and a new dose of smart features, and there are now seven years of software updates, a first for the Pixel a series.
Pre-orders are available today (May 7) and the Google Pixel 8a will hit stores on May 14. We suggest waiting for TechRadar's review before jumping into the new Pixel; If you're really interested in buying a phone today, check out our list of the best phones and list of the best cheap phones to find a budget-friendly option.
