Google launches the budget-friendly Pixel 8a – here’s where to pre-order
Google has just announced the Pixel 8a, a cheaper variant of its flagship Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones, which launched last year. The new phone is now available to pre-order ahead of its official launch date on 14 May.
At just £499, the Pixel 8a looks set to shake up our list of the best budget phones in 2024, taking the previously exclusive AI features of the most expensive Pixel devices and squeezing them into much more affordable, mid-range phone.
As expected, the Pixel 8a runs on Google’s latest Tensor G3 chip, which helps power the phone’s range photography editing tools. The Pixel 8a enables editing features such as ‘best take’ – which lets you edit group photos to pick everyone’s best expressions – that were previously only available on the top-end Pixel phones.
Notably, the Pixel 8a is also getting Google’s standout AI feature, the powerful ‘magic editor’ tool, which lets you reposition, delete and resize subjects in photos and have generative AI seamlessly fill in the gaps.
Until now, the flagship Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro were the only phones to enjoy the fruits of Google’s recent AI push, but with so much of AI processing happening in the cloud rather than on-device, it makes sense that the search giant is able to bring these features to a phone costing less than £500.
Google Pixel 8a: From £499, Google.com
(Google)
- Display: 6.1in OLED, 120Hz
- Resolution: 1,080 x 2,400px (430dpi)
- Dimensions: 152mm x 73mm x 10mm
- Weight: 192g
- IP rating: IP67 dust- and water-resistant
- Cameras: 64MP main, 13MP ultrawide, 13MP front
- Storage: 128GB / 256GB
- RAM: 8GB
On top of those software upgrades, the Pixel 8a gets a light design refresh versus last year’s a-series phone. Google has rounded-off the edges, this time opting for a matte back and a polished aluminium frame, instead of the glass rear we saw on the Pixel 7a. As well as the now-traditional obsidian and porcelain colourways, the Pixel 8a will be available in bay blue and a limited-edition aloe green.
The 6.1in display has a 40 per cent higher peak brightness over last year’s phone, and gets a refresh rate boost from 90Hz to 120Hz. RAM stays the same at 8GB, but there’s also a 256GB capacity option for the first time on an a-series Pixel phone.
The camera hardware is unchanged since the Pixel 7a, keeping the same 64MP main lens, 13MP ultrawide and 13MP front camera. This is already a well-performing camera setup – we rate the Pixel’s camera among the best in smartphones – so, the lack of an upgrade is no great surprise here.
As with the newest flagship Pixel phones, Google is promising seven years of support with the Pixel 8a, so, you could conceivably still be using this thing in 2031.
The Pixel 8a is available to pre-order for £499.
Pre-order now
Best Google Pixel 8a deals
We’ll be rounding up the best Google Pixel 8a contract deals as they appear. For now, here are the plans being offered by the major carriers.
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For the latest mobile deals and offers on tech, try the links below:
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