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There’s no doubt that the new Pixel 8a is one of the most anticipated midrange smartphones of 2024, and Pixel fans after Google’s latest and greatest A-series phone will find a lot to love with this smartphone. However no phone is perfect, and you might even be on the fence about getting one – after all, it’s not the only midrange handset on the market right now, and there are other considerations to be made.
With that being said, here are some reasons why the Pixel 8a might not be the right phone for you.
A Case of Pricing
At $500, the Pixel 8a is considerably more affordable than the Pixel 8 Pro, but this price puts it near the flagship Pixel 8, which occasionally sees price cuts down to $550 or even lower at times. Unless you’re getting one on contract or with a trade-in deal, it might be a bit heavy on the wallet for most people – and even then, folks who just want to try out a Pixel phone for the first time will have a more affordable experience with the Pixel 7a, which goes for as low as $300-350 these days.
Silicon Wars
Don’t get me wrong – the Tensor G3 inside the 8a is a most welcome upgrade from 2022’s Tensor G2, and while it does a better job with battery performance and thermals, it faces stiff competition from the likes of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and 8 Gen 1, which are found in phones around the Pixel 8a’s price point these days. Compared to the G3, Qualcomm’s flagship chips from 2023 and 2022 aren’t exactly pushovers, and will no doubt be a better choice for power users.
Same Old Camera
It should be noted that the Pixel 8a carries the same exact camera setup as found on last year’s Pixel 7a – this consists of a 64MP main sensor, 13MP ultra wide sensor, and 13MP selfie camera, so no upgrade here. There’s nothing wrong with this per se, but folks looking for a true upgrade in terms of imaging hardware might want to consider something like the Pixel 8, which packs a physically larger sensor and is more ideal for low-light situations, in addition to day-to-day photography.
Slow and Steady
Another feature that the 8a retains from last year’s midrange Pixel is the inclusion of slow charging speeds at 18W (wired) and 7.5W (wireless). While the Pixel 8 bumps this up to 27W for wired and 18W for wireless, it’s clear that Google had to cut some corners on the 8a, resulting in unimpressive charging capabilities.
…a lot of the competition has moved on to offering higher charge speeds in this price segment
At this point a lot of the competition has moved on to offering higher charge speeds in this price segment, such as the Galaxy A35 for example, which offers 25W charging.
The Pixel 7a Exists
As mentioned earlier, the Pixel 7a is also available right now, and is still being sold by Google alongside the 8a and Pixel 7. Sure it packs an older chipset, comes with a 90Hz display and a slightly smaller battery, but a handful of limitations aside, it still gives users access to essential Google Pixel services and software features such as spam message filters, call screening, excellent voice transcription, as well as software support for up to 2028, all for a considerably cheaper price than the 8a.
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