MAY 14, 2024
NimishAndAkriti
There's a new Pixel in town. And it is the most affordable new Pixel too. Mind you, "most affordable" is relative - the Pixel 8a, which we are talking about, is priced much lower than the Pixel 8, which starts at close to Rs 70,000, but at Rs 52,999, is much higher than the Rs 43,999 the Pixel 7a and Pixel 6a were priced at. Just what do we get for all them extra bucks? Hang on, let us tell you.
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The 'a' series of the Pixel is known for providing a very good Android experience at a (relatively) lower price. And the Pixel 8a seems to be designed for that. The good news: the phone is still a compact one by modern standards (a bit taller than the iPhone 15, but that is not too bad in this era of slab-like smartphones) and the 6.1 inch OLED display in front is brighter than on the Pixel 7a and now has a refresh rate of 120 Hz, although it remains at FHD+ resolution.
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The back has a smooth finish with that very distinct metallic camera bar. The cameras are similar to the ones on the Pixel 7a - 64 MP main with OIS, 13 MP ultrawide and 13 MP selfie - but Google says they have been improved, This being a Pixel, you can be assured of some excellent photography - we have yet to meet a Pixel phone whose photography did not leave us stunned.
Most important of all, this compact and smart looking phone customer has pretty much the same chip that is seen in the much more expensive Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro - the Tensor G3., It also comes with a number of super smart and AI features, and like the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, comes with a staggering seven years of guaranteed updates. This being a Pixel, you can be assured the updates will come, and bang on time too. It comes with clean Android 14 out of the box, just for the record.
The phone also features stereo speakers and comes with a large-ish 4492 mAh battery. However, it charges at a very sluggish 18W and has no charger in the box. It supports wireless charging too, but again, there is a real need for speed here - the wireless charging speed is only 7.5W. You also get very good stereo speakers.
It is smart and compact, has some seriously smart chip power and comes with the sort of clean Android and update assurance that only a Pixel can have, but the Pixel 8a is not exactly perfect. The back is elegant but is plastic, the charging speeds are slow and well, at Rs 52,999, you can get a number of phones with way faster processors and even comparable cameras out there - the iQoo 12 is priced at exactly the same and has better specs, and the Galaxy S23 FE is another option with a good update assurance and good hardware and spend a little more and the very good OnePlus 12 and even the old and still gold Pixel 7 Pro come into the picture. The Pixel 8a is going to find the going tough against that class of competition!
MAY 15, 2024
him
Was this intentionally dropped on the same day as Google IO? 😁
MAY 17, 2024
NimishAndAkriti
Himanshu Khanna
Was this intentionally dropped on the same day as Google IO? 😁
It was very much part of it, sir. A trifle understated, though.
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