Google Pixel 8a Review: 48 Hours With Google’s Latest Phone

After 48 hours with the Google Pixel 8a, is it a worthy mid-range device? Read the review to find out.

At $499, the device gives you a lot for your money on paper. You get the same processor that is in the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, along with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. This year, Google ups the ante with a 120 Hz adaptive “Actua” display, and the same delightful 6.1-inch screen which is in my personal sweet spot—your mileage may vary. Add to that a full seven years of operating system updates, security updates and feature drops and it almost feels to good to be true. That’s also not even talking about the camera, which is the foundation upon which the Pixel series of phones is built. After 48 hours with the Google Pixel 8a, it’s safe to say that while it boasts some great features, other areas dimmed my overall impression. Read on to learn more about the Google Pixel 8a.

A Budget-Friendly Google Powerhouse

Google Pixel 8a

Best for:

Getting a strong processor with an all-day battery life
Snapping photos in the daytime

Skip if:

You take a lot of nighttime photos and videos
You need to read the display in sunlight

Google Pixel 8a: Design

The display’s 120 Hz refresh rate on the 8a looks nice, but since it’s adaptive, you can’t lock it that 120 Hz. All the same, it’s an upgrade over the Pixel 7a’s 90 Hz refresh rate, so I’ll take the win on this one. But the display is not an automatic win.

Notably, the display has (by today’s standards) laughably large bezels that are reminiscent of the platforms you walk around the edge of a boat on. These gutters on either side and the top are offset by the thicker chin on the bottom which flies in the face of most mid-range and premium smartphones these days. You may not hate the bezels, but they’re certainly out of character for this day and age.

The bezels on the 8a are unusually large, a divergence from other smartphones on the market.

The screen can get as bright as 2,000 nits, which should be bright enough to read clearly in bright sunlight, but somehow isn’t. The screen is readable in the sun, for sure, but it’s not as bright as 2,000 nits suggests it should be. It’s something of a mixed bag. You may not care about the brightness and bezels—those are both quite subjective. But again, by modern standards, this phone isn’t really up to snuff.

Google Pixel 8a: Battery And Performance

What is up to snuff is the 8a’s battery life, which has stood up well to two days of pretty hardcore testing including shooting tons of video, plenty of use outside on T-Mobile’s network and (as mentioned) the screen cranked up in the daylight. Two days isn’t nearly enough time to adequately measure battery life, but the battery is slightly larger than the Pixel 7a at 4,492 mAh. Plus, the phone supports wireless charging—an easy feature to leave out of a mid-range phone—and that alone feels impressive for this device.

On the performance side, I found no problems with the Tensor G3 processor inside. Games like Genshin Impact play smoothly on default settings. The phone doesn’t heat up after 30 minutes of gameplay—even with a case on the phone. Again, after only 48 hours, it’s hard to gauge exactly how this phone will hold up over the long run, but so far I have no complaints.

Google Pixel 8a: Cameras

As for the cameras on the Pixel 8a, it feels like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation. During the day, I have zero complaints. Whether you’re grabbing photos with the 64-megapixel main sensor (with maximum zoon up to 8x for stills or 5x for video) or the 13-megapixel ultrawide camera, you get good photos. Video is also quite good, with the exception of stabilization. Footage with the video camera is a little on the bouncy side. Surprisingly, the selfie video is pretty well stabilized, but the main sensor and ultrawide sensors are not—it’s usually the other way around.

In daylight, the cameras captured my dog with pretty good quality.

When darkness falls, things fall apart, and quickly. The most notable weak points come in highlights, like light sources, and in darkness where grain is prominent. It wouldn’t be too much to say that low-light stills are going to hover somewhere between “okay for Facebook” and unusable. If you must take photos at night, use the main sensor (at 1x) and keep your subjects as still as humanly possible. As for video, don’t use it. It’s all bad.

In contrast, low light and night shots were poor quality.

None of this is terribly surprising considering the mid-range stature of this phone. But on a Pixel, I would like to see better performance. It’s also very fair to once again point out that these photos and videos were all captured within the first 48 hours of the phone, so maybe we just had a quirky night, or perhaps a software update down the road might address some of these issues. But it’s equally likely that the company won’t.

Google Pixel 8a: Verdict

Between the strong Tensor G3 processor, 8 GB of RAM and the improved battery, the Google Pixel 8a in a good place. On its own, the Pixel 8a is a very good phone at $499, especially if you’re not taking low light shots. If you need a new phone today, the Pixel 8a is a solid option and not overpriced. Just don’t expect to take a lot of nighttime shots, as that’s where the phone falls short.

How I Tested The Google Pixel 8a

I put the Google Pixel 8a through 48 hours of testing. I used it as my main device, checking messages, taking photos and video and more. I played AAA titles like Genshin Impact to test the processor and temperature, too. I also monitored its battery life, noting how much was lost when at home on my Wi-Fi network as well as when I was out and about in Chicagoland on my carrier’s 5G connection.

My Expertise

I’m a Chicago-based freelance reviewer and have been writing about consumer electronics for over a decade with a particular focus on mobile phones and cellular technology including the birth of 5G. I’ve also tested most smartphones on the market over the last several years, including the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

When I’m not testing the latest and greatest flagship phones, I’m hosting the Benefit of the Doud podcast/YouTube channel with my co-host Clifton M. Thomas and editing technology news articles for SlashGear. In addition to Forbes and SlashGear, I have bylines at Android Central, Reviewed.com, Android Authority, Lifewire and more.