Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
There ’s spate to wait forward to with all of those Pixels , but if you ask me , I think the Pixel 8a is the most promising of the caboodle . In a year when Google has exciting rising slope design for its flagship and foldable earpiece , Google ’s budget - focused omodel is what’sreallyon my mind .
Google is at its best with cheaper phones
Google ’s Pixel phones have existed since 2016 , with the first Pixel A - series gimmick — theGoogle Pixel 3a — introduced in 2019 . The Pixel 3a was a special phone for a few rationality . It birth a flagship - similar camera , a quality showing , reliable performance , and uncontaminating software .
The Pixel 3a offer all of that in a well - retrace parcel that retailed for a mere $ 499 . To no one ’s surprisal , it quickly becamethebudget telephone set recommendation of the yr . in the first place Nexus earphone proved that Google had a bent for delivering quality smartphones at low-priced prices , and the Pixel 3a proved that Google still had a consummate manus in this field of view .
late entries in the Pixel A - series only continued to punctuate that degree . TheGoogle Pixel 4aandGoogle Pixel 5abuilt upon the Pixel 3a ’s expression , and they were both among my most - used phones in 2020 and 2021 , respectively . They wereeasy - to - live - with phones that did everything I asked of them — and for C of clam less than the competitor . TheGoogle Pixel 6aandGoogle Pixel 7afaced some issues in terms of undependable chipsets and Leontyne Price increases , but even so , they were still easy phones to recommend .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
This is n’t to say Google has n’t had succeeder with more expensive phones , but the company clearly has a alone skill for create budget - disposed equipment . Even in a year when Google release its best Pixel flagship ever — the Google Pixel 8 Pro — the flashy Google Pixel 8 took away a luck of the limelight from it .
Why the Pixel 8a could be so exciting
Google has yet to herald the Pixel 8a , but the next entry in the Pixel A - series has leaked . Alot . We have a very good idea of what the Pixel 8a will look like both inside and out , and assume what we ’ve heard about the phone is true , it voice like Google ’s made all of the proper decisions for this year ’s dismission .
One of the chief issues of the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7a has been their chipset . The former is power by Google ’s first - genesis Tensor chip , while the latter has the second - gen Tensor G2 chip . Naturally , we ’re expecting the Pixel 8a to get the Tensor G3 .
The Tensor G3 is far from the most technically impressive smartphone splintering useable in 2024 , but — at least in my experience — it ’s a important upgrade over the previous two Tensor iteration . It runs cooler , is a bit more battery efficient , and is generally a chipset I can more confidently rely on than Google ’s previous two piece of silicone .
Speaking of the battery , word on the street is that Google is increasing the shelling capacityandthe wired charging speed of the Pixel 8a . More specifically , the headphone should go from a 4,385mAh electric battery to a 4,500mAh one . It will also rage up to 27 - W charging compare to just 18W. A fast check , a bigger barrage fire , and faster charging ? Sign . Me . Up .
And that ’s not all ! Perhaps even more exciting , multiple reports claim that the Google Pixel 8a is getting a 120Hz refresh rate for its exhibit . One of the Pixel 7a ’s most renowned upgrades was its 90Hz refresh charge per unit compared to the 60Hz maximum of the Pixel 6a , so going up to 120Hz just a yr later is unbelievable .
We are n’t expecting any significant tv camera upgrades , but that ’s honestly okay . photographic camera quality was one of the Pixel 7a ’s hard courting . It was other aspects of the 7a that bring it down — be it the unreliability of the Tensor G2 chip shot , slow charging , etc . Those things should be addressed head - on with the Pixel 8a , and copulate with the same reliable 64MP independent television camera + 13MP ultrawide camera , we may terminate up with a recipe that ’s insufferable to get .
It all hinges on one thing
Let ’s adopt everything I just observe above is lawful . Google ship the Pixel 8a with its Tensor G3 buffalo chip , a declamatory battery , quicker charge , and a 120Hz display . Those are fairly significant upgrades , so surely that ’s going to come at the expense of a price increase ? Not necessarily .
Information about the Pixel 8a ’s price is mixed . Some reports claim that the speech sound could see a $ 50 to $ 100 price increment over the Pixel 8a , while others propose it ’ll keep back the same $ 499 starting price as the Pixel 7a . If — and only if — Google deliver these rumored upgrade without a price wage increase , we ’ll be looking at areallyspecial phone .
At $ 499 , it ’s grueling to imagine the Pixel 8a not becoming one of 2024 ’s best budget smartphone picks . However , if Google up the price to $ 549 or even $ 599 , thing become messy . If I can grease one’s palms a Google Pixel 8 for just $ 549 right now , why would I bother with the Pixel 8a in the first place ? Google require to get this right . But if it does ? Well , I ’ll have to update our picks for thebest cheap phones — and possibly our list of thebest smartphonesoverall .
Google is wide require to announce the Pixel 8aat Google I / O on May 14 .
