Google Pixel 8a in review: Unboxing and short conclusion

A few months ago, Google officially introduced the Google Pixel 8a, a slightly less powerful version of the Pixel 8. On paper, it appears that the differences are large, especially in terms of the cameras and design.

We have now tested it for a few days and also with the normal Pixel 8 What our short conclusion is, how it compares to the Google Pixel 8 and what is included, you can read in the following lines.

Unboxing and scope of delivery

To be honest, the packaging of the Google Pixel 8a is nothing special. It is white, quite thin and has the Google logo, the product name and a picture of the smartphone on the front. Once you have removed the lid of the box, the first thing you see is the Pixel 8a. Underneath is the usual paper stuff, a USB-C to USB-C charging cable and a SIM needle. Unfortunately, you won't find a charger or even a protective case here, but that's nothing new with Google.

Brief conclusion on the Google Pixel 8a

Let's start with the design of the Google Pixel 8a. Compared to the regular Pixel 8, the differences are bigger than expected. Both smartphones are almost the same size, but the Pixel 8a looks a bit bulkier and doesn't feel as high-quality due to the plastic back. Nevertheless, it is very comfortable to hold thanks to the rounded edges and can be procan be easily operated with one hand.

The frame is made of aluminum and the display on the front is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Unfortunately, the edges around the screen are relatively thick and the glass is very susceptible to scratches. Apart from that, the display is impressive across the board. Colors are reproduced intensely but realistically, the black level is great and the maximum brightness was a positive surprise. Even on sunny days, I never had any problems with readability. Only the viewing angle stability is slightly worse than the Pixel 8. The smooth refresh rate of 120 Hertz rounds off the great overall package.

Great performance & long update support

Inside is the in-house Google Tensor G3, which is supported by 8 GB of RAM and either 128 GB or 256 GB of flash memory. Unfortunately, the latter cannot be expanded via a microSD card, but that has never been possible with Pixel smartphones. The processor does a very good job, although it does get noticeably warm under full load. Fortunately, I did not notice any limitations in everyday performance. Together with the smooth refresh rate and pure Android, the system runs beautifully smoothly. Jerks or delays are basically out of place here. I would like to highlight the long update support, because the Google Pixel 8a will be supplied with software updates for an impressive seven years. So it will still get Android 21. Hats off to you!

Battery - light and shadow

The battery life is one of my highlights, although the capacity of 4.492 mAh is rather generous. The energy-saving Tensor processor is probably making a positive impact here. I come proI got through a day without any problems and even 1,5 days are possible now and again. After 3 to 5,5 hours I still had between 20 and 60 percent battery left, which are very strong values. As good as the battery life is, the charging speed is disappointing. The Pixel 8a only supports fast charging with up to 18 watts. A full charge takes almost two hours.

Camera – typical Google

I don't need to say much about the camera, because it's just great, as is typical for Google. Both the main camera with 64 megapixels and the ultra-wide-angle camera with 13 megapixels take high-contrast and sharp pictures with great dynamic range. Sometimes the colors look a bit unnatural, but that's a matter of taste. Nighttime shots are bright and sharp, but here the Pixel 8 has the edge (slightly).

Picture: TechnikNews

Brief conclusion on the Google Pixel 8a

I really like the Google Pixel 8a, but to be fair I have to say that I can't recommend it at this point in time. For around 430 euros (at the time of writing) the differences to its predecessor - the Google Pixel 7a – in my opinion, too low. This one is available for 100 euros less. And what about the Google Pixel 8? This only costs about 100 euros more, which is completely justified in my opinion, because it has better cameras, a higher quality design, better speakers and a better vibration motor. I can only recommend the Google Pixel 8a when the price drops to under EUR 400 falls.