What’s the difference and which should you buy?

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 sequence, 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. I’ve been testing each gadgets side-by-side, so let’s evaluate the Google Pixel 8a vs Google Pixel 8 that can assist you decide your subsequent telephone.

In some ways, the Google Pixel 8a and Pixel 8 are so comparable that they’re simple to match. They share practically an identical shows, dimensions, software program experiences, and replace commitments, a lot of which we’ll get to in a minute. That stated, the similarities additionally make it far harder to seek 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 sequence. Each telephones pack the identical Tensor G3 chipset, Titan M2 safety core, and an identical choices for each RAM and storage. In consequence, they produced virtually an identical leads to our efficiency benchmarks and day-to-day utilization.

As you’ll be able to see within the graphs, the extra inexpensive Pixel 8a delivers outcomes practically an identical to these of the Pixel 8 and, in our graphically intensive stress testing, truly 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 an excellent indicator of how properly a telephone will sustain, and the Pixel 8a has no drawback cruising by way of a day of internet looking, social media scrolling, and light-weight 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 among the finest replace commitments within the business. Google determined to maintain tempo with Apple’s lofty promise when it added seven years of Android updates, characteristic drops, and safety patches to the Pixel 8 sequence 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 can land in a future Function Drop). You possibly can faucet into useful extras like Circle to Search, generative wallpapers, Stay Translate, and several other calling options like Maintain for Me, Name Display screen, and Sensible Replies. Each telephones have loads of picture enhancing choices, too, which we’ll come again to down beneath.

I don’t blame you for those who really feel such as you’re seeing double trying on the image above. Google’s Pixel design is fairly properly 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 presents virtually the identical specs as its extra polished counterpart. There’s solely a weight distinction of some grams between them, one thing I hardly seen 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 pair of,000 nits of peak brightness, they usually really feel nearly an identical for those who’re swiping up and down or mindlessly scrolling social media. Simply be aware that the Pixel 8a comes locked at 120Hz by default, so that you’ll need to decide in for the variable refresh charge. On prime of that, the OLED panels have the identical 1,080 by 2,400 decision, that 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 totally admire as an individual with smaller palms. 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 favor 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 in opposition to water and mud 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 identical velocity, so it’s good to see Google hold one customary fingerprint reader as a substitute of going cheaper for the mid-range. Additionally, you’ll discover the ability and quantity controls on the best edge with a lone SIM tray holding down the left. The USB-C port can be flanked by a pair of stereo audio system.

Though the digicam bars on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a could look the identical, they’ve just a few variations throughout their dual-camera setups. The Pixel 8a’s funds digicam setup presents 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, that means that the cameras aren’t fairly as properly geared up for lower-light situations. The Pixel 8a’s ultrawide sensor additionally has a barely narrower 120-degree area of view and misses out on Macro Imaginative and prescient — a software program characteristic 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 slightly 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 comparable from each sensors primarily based on our assessments.

As you’ll be able to see within the samples beneath, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a are nearly neck and neck in among the most typical taking pictures situations. They’re properly matched in coloration and particulars, and even the ultrawide photographs are virtually an identical regardless of the marginally totally different fields of view.

There are just a few slight variations relating to capturing selfies, although. Regardless of each telephones defaulting to 1x zoom if you flip the digicam round, not all definitions of 1x zoom are created equal. The Pixel 8a presents a a lot wider body than the Pixel 8, making it a lot simpler to suit extra individuals and background particulars into your selfie. Each photographs 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 keep up each coloration and element higher than the smaller sensor on the mid-range telephone. The distinction is most noticeable on finer strains just like the identify of the ship beneath 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 things else is nearly precisely the identical. Neither gadget presents Google’s new Professional controls, however each can faucet into Night time Sight, Prime Shot, Portrait Mode, Cinematic Pan, and punch in with Tremendous Res Zoom as much as 8x.

Each telephones additionally provide comparable video options, with as much as 4K recording from the entrance and rear sensors. Nonetheless, the Pixel 8 packs just a few extra choices concerning the body charge, with 24fps obtainable 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 comparable general dimension and specs, it’s no shock to see the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a toting practically an identical 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. The truth is, it put up higher numbers whereas on a Zoom name, snapping images, recording 4K video, and even considerably higher 4K playback efficiency. Outdoors of the lab, each telephones can simply energy by way of a full day of utilization. I bought right into a behavior of utilizing adaptive charging in a single day and commonly discovered myself hitting the top of the day with at the very least 20% remaining.

Nonetheless, one space the place there’s slightly 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 appropriate 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 dearer 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 velocity from 18W to 27W could 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 that you must get again up and operating in a rush.

If you happen to’re shut to creating your determination between shopping for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a, I suppose you must know the way a lot every telephone will value you. Nicely, for starters, each telephones are broadly obtainable within the US, each unlocked and on offers by way of main carriers like Verizon, T-Cell, and AT&T.

If you happen to’re leaning towards the Pixel 8a, it begins at $499 with 128GB of storage — the identical worth because the earlier Pixel 7a. It’s additionally obtainable in 4 colours: Bay, Aloe, Obsidian, and Porcelain. Do you have to 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.

Then again, for those who’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 slightly softer than the Pixel 8a’s Aloe possibility. You possibly can improve to 256GB of storage for a similar $60 payment, bumping your worth to $759.

Now that we’ve gone by way of 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. Not like a number of comparisons the place we find yourself saying that the best one comes all the way down to your private desire, there’s a reasonably 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 — among the finest Android telephones round — however solely to take action when you could find 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 worth to sway individuals a technique or one other.

In comparison at full worth, the Pixel 8a looks like a terrific deal, given what number of flagship specs it boasts, however as quickly as you think about reductions, the $200 hole out of the blue feels a lot smaller, and the Pixel 8’s extra premium elements like sooner charging and higher supplies really feel that rather more attainable.