Google Announces the Pixel 8a at $499
- Paul Thurrott
- May 07, 2024
-
5
Surprise! Google announced its mid-range Pixel 8a smartphone today, ahead of its Google I/O developer show. It retails for $499 and is available for preorder, with shipping starting next week.
“Powered by our latest Google Tensor G3 chip, the Google Pixel 8a is equipped with many of the same must-have AI features as Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro — like Gemini, Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser, and more,” Google director Soniya Jobanputra writes in the announcement post. “Designed to capture amazing photos, save you time, and help keep your information secure, the Pixel 8a offers unbeatable value starting at $499.”
Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox
Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!
"*" indicates required fields
Having recently leaked, there aren’t any surprises here, but the Pixel 8a looks like an incredible value for the price. Like its predecessor, the Pixel 7a, it offers a 6.1-inch Full HD (1080 x 2400) OLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, but upgraded with dynamic high refresh capabilities up to 120 Hz, 1400 nits of brightness with HDR content and up to 2000 nits of peak brightness. It features the same 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128 GB of UFS 3.1 storage as the Pixel 7a, but mated to a faster Tensor G3 processor and upgradeable to 256 GB of storage.
The rear camera system looks unchanged: It offers a 64 MP Quad PD wide lens with an f/1.89 aperture, optical image stabilization (OIS), and an 80-degree field of view (FOV); and a 13 MP ultrawide lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a 120-degree (FOV). But thanks to the improved processor, it supports 8x Super Res (hybrid) zoom, Best Take, Magic Editor, and Ultra HDR, plus Audio Magic Eraser. The front selfie camera—a fixed focus 13 MP ultrawide lens with an f/2.2 aperture and 96.5-degree FOV—is likewise unchanged.
Google notes that Gemini is coming to Pixel 8a, along with Circle to Search, Audio Emoji, Family Link privacy settings, and other new features.
The Pixel 8a is available in Aloe (mint green), Bay (light blue), Obsidian (black), and Porcelain (tan) colors with 128 GB of storage for $499. An Obsidian model with 256 GB of storage is $559.