Google Pixel 8a

At Rs. 143,999, the Google Pixel 8a is a solid but not exceptional deal. It gives you the Pixel camera and software experience in a compact body, plus seven years of updates, which few phones at this price match.

• Strengths: reliable photos, a bright 120Hz OLED screen, IP67 protection, very good stereo speakers, wireless charging and a long update promise.
• Weaknesses: slow 18W charging with no charger in the box, heavy throttling under load, thick bezels, Gorilla Glass 3 and no memory card slot.

The Google Pixel 8 costs Rs. 163,999 in our listings and adds faster charging, slimmer bezels, IP68 and stronger cameras with the same chip. GSMArena reached the same conclusion: when the price gap is small, the Pixel 8 is the better buy. Choose the 8a if you want the smaller phone or the lower price, mainly for photos, everyday use and long support.

The 6.1-inch OLED panel has a 1080 x 2400 resolution, HDR support and a peak brightness of 2000 nits, about 40% brighter than the Pixel 7a. Outdoor visibility is good, colours are accurate, and HD streaming apps play at full quality. GSMArena found auto brightness gets very bright, but the manual slider is poorly tuned and stays dim until near its top.

The screen supports 120Hz, but it ships at 60 hertz: you have to turn on Smooth Display in settings, and it then varies the rate up to 120Hz, with some extra battery use. The weak points are the thick bezels, which feel budget next to the Pixel 8, and Gorilla Glass 3, an older glass, so a screen protector is a good idea.

The Google Tensor G3 with 8GB RAM handles everyday apps, social media and multitasking smoothly, and fast LPDDR5X memory and UFS 3.1 storage keep apps loading quickly. It also rendered a long 4K video export quickly, so light editing is comfortable.

Gaming is decent rather than strong:

• PUBG Mobile tops out at 60fps, and no tested game ran above 60fps.
• Frame rates are less stable over long sessions because the chip throttles. GSMArena measured the CPU falling to 80% within 3 minutes of stress testing and 60% by 10 minutes.
• The aluminium frame warms up in hot weather outdoors, during long video recording or without a case.

For daily use it feels fast; for long gaming sessions it is not the right pick.

The 64 MP main camera with optical stabilisation and a 13 MP ultrawide produce detailed, ready-to-share photos with good dynamic range. Indoor photos are a highlight, and portraits at 2x look good without much editing. GSMArena rated photo and video quality excellent across all cameras.

Opinions differ on some points, and there are clear limits:

• Processing: some shots overexpose, struggle against bright light or lose detail in haze, and skin can look smoothed with a slightly cool tone.
• Zoom: there is no telephoto lens, so zoomed shots turn pixelated.
• Portraits: portrait mode occasionally fails to apply, though Google Photos can add the effect afterwards.
• Video: 4K at up to 60fps; stabilisation is not the best, but indoor video holds up well. Slow motion at 1080p is unimpressive.
• Selfies: the 13 MP front camera records 4K at 30fps with good detail and dynamic range, but stabilisation is limited.

The Pixel 8a has a 4492 mAh battery. A full day of moderate use is easy, and GSMArena measured an Active Use Score of 11 hours 25 minutes, the same level as the Pixel 8, with over 13 hours of video streaming. Newer Android versions also show the battery's charge cycle count, which helps when checking a used unit.

Charging is the weak spot. Wired charging is limited to 18W, and there is no charger in the box: GSMArena reached 33% in 30 minutes and a full charge in about 2 hours 9 minutes. Wireless charging at 7.5W is convenient but slower still. Bypass charging is supported, which reduces heat while gaming plugged in.

The Pixel 8a launched with Android 14 and our listed specs show it upgraded to Android 16. Google's support page promises seven years of Android and security updates from its first US availability in May 2024, so support runs until 2031.

The software is clean stock Android with no bloatware and useful AI tools:

• Gemini, including Gemini Nano running on the phone itself, and Circle to Search.
• Magic Eraser, Audio Magic Eraser and AI editing tools inside Google Photos.
• Excellent voice typing that is fast and accurate enough for long messages.

There are trade-offs: you cannot clone apps for dual accounts, the Google dialer has no silent call recording, and there is no separate gallery app, so photos live in Google Photos. Gemini and the older Google Assistant still overlap, which can feel inconsistent. NFC payments through Google Wallet work.