Google Pixel 8a Review | Still Stunning Value
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
- Reviewing Google's Pixel 8a after two weeks as my full time phone, testing the camera performance, gaming abilities and battery life. The Pixel 8a is a proper pocket pleaser and it's almost as good vs the 8 for photo capture - and an equal for games and the everyday Android experience. It's one of my favourite mid-range phones in 2024, and here's why!
Check out my other reviews of the best budget-friendly smartphones and flagships right now.
The Pixel 8a is a bit more expensive than previous A-Series Google handsets, but it's still cheaper than the 8 flagship and yet comes close or equals it in many areas. That camera tech may be a downgrade, but that smart image processing means you get similar photos day and night. Check out my comparison to see how they stack up.
Likewise, the Pixel 8a can happily smash through a game of Genshin Impact with maxed out graphics. I did get an overheating message one time while using Android Auto, but otherwise the phone doesn't get quite as hot as earlier Pixels.
Battery life is good enough to keep you going all day even with a fair bit of camera play. And I love that stock Android experience, with the guaranteed 7 years of support!
Google Pixel 8a Review Chapters:
0:00 - Obligatory beginning waffle
0:42 - Design
3:22 - Features
5:06 - Display & audio
6:43 - Performance & gaming
7:42 - Battery life
8:59 - Cameras
12:53 - Verdict - Наука та технологія
The rear has a fresh 2024 design, the front has a fresh 2019 design lol.
With glass from 2013
@@Oldasianguy even better lol
Moto G chin
Switched from a Pixel 3a. Here's to 7 years with this thing. It's an amazing phone. I think it ticks all the right boxes. In case the battery wouldn't be up for the 7 years support, easy battery changing without needing to mess with the screen. Enough to take off the back. Pixel 7a nearly made me update because of that. Glad I waited one more year. Old Pixel 3a has been through a lot. So don't let "high end" phones to dictate what YOU need. They can't offer much more to justify that price gap. :)
Also went from 3a to 8a, the bonus I got on the trade-in value of the 3a dropped the 8a to 355 € - less than the 7a. Had it for almost 2 weeks now, no issues with battery life, camera does a better job, and overall "nippiness" is very welcome. Add in the 7 years of support they're pledging and this upgrade was a complete no-brainer! About my only issue (and it's my issue, not the phone's) is that I'm still getting used to the in-screen fingerprint reader after years with the rear-mounted one on the 3a. The reader works like a charm, I just need to retrain my fingers to using it.
@@DerekMacColl Sadly living in Hungary, I couldn't do any trade in 😅. Bummer. You definitely got an amazing deal there~~
@@valkhii Ah, serious bummer. It does have to be said that there are advantages to being in France, though I'm told that they were doing the trade in thing in the UK too.
since the phone only charges at 25watt maximum, I would say the battery will last long. Its fast charging, and especially after 85% that wears out the battery mechanicaly. The battery did not last that long for me in the begining on the 8a, now a week later and I charged it sunday at 21, and had 34% left today at 11, with over 7 hours screen time. I think its enough.
I only noticed last night that it will apparently slow charge if plugged in overnight, with it telling me it was aiming to reach 100% at 8 AM. The charger I have is only 20W, which has seemed fine so far for when I charge it in the evening. Like yourself, I thought the battery was a bit weak to start with but it seemed to improve quickly. Maybe getting to know our habits? On another point, I noticed that with the screen off the battery use seems to be really low; after a full charge I was still seeing 100% when I next picked it up almost an hour later.
i bought the pixel 8a in white with the official white case for it, quite pricey here in canada, but it's worth, I really like this device I turn on 120hz of course, it's very snnappy that 8gb of memory gonna be great, 7 years support great... the bezel doesn't bother me, i like the round shape of the device, it feels good in the hands, 6.1" is my sweet spot love it a lot beter than my iphone 14, i always love pixel devices i had own a 4a and 6a and the 8a is the best one I own of a pixel device. Great Phone I have no complaints.
I have never been more excited for a phone before. I cannot wait to get my 8a.
Did you get the pre order deal in Canada? Also any issues with the modem and phone calls? On Koodo in Canada
@@scottritcey5166 no I just bought it off amazon with the case.
Watching from Syria ....Thank you for your reviews.
Bro do you have internet there!!!
I like bezels. Helps to frame the device. Helps to separate the foreground from your device and improve focus. Just like framing a piece of art.
Well put. Even I don't like the zeeo bezel design.
Also I have the a23 and tab s7fe from Samsung and the bezels help me have the edge of my hand not tap-spasm the screen
I mind the fact that it has as chin. There is no reason the chin bezel had to be thicker than the rest. In theory I don't mind a bezel as long as it is symmetrical. And this one just isn't. Remember the Pixel 5? That one has the perfect bezel in my opinion. Look up a picture of the Pixel 5 on google and tell me I'm wrong. It's perfectly symmetrical all around.
On the chin, that's chip layout and design, probably not cost effective for the price point to get state of the art i.e. slimmer or more compact components. I take your point though. It's still a lot of tech in that package
I don't mind them since it makes it easier for gesture navigation with a case on.
I wasn't planning on ordering the pixel 8a until I seen Google offering me a £217 trade-in on my old 4a. Crazy. So I purchased the 8a. Sent my 4a away and have just received notification stating my £217 is on its way. So New pixel 8a for £282. That will do nicely thank you. 🎉
Loved my 4a. Now on pixel 6. Prefer the size of the 4a more
I also came from a 4a to now this wonderful 8a! Love it so far. Feels like I have a quality mini computer in my pocket and not some plastic cordless phone
If I select pixel 4a for trade in it offers £67, even a pixel 7 pro is sub-£100
The top trade in rewards are always time sensitive. You need to grab the top trade in rewards at or near launch.
They offered me $38 for my Pixel 4a so I am keeping it. I ordered the 8a as I just ignored the bezel freaks. I am sure it will be a fine phone for my needs.
Your good self and Flossie Carter are my go to for the best and entertaining reviews
Got a 7a in coral and love it as I did the 6a
I love your sense of humor, great review.
I find the 'humour' odd, but horses for courses and all that.
People are overreacting to the bezels.
Unfortunately the bezels are worse than the cheapest phones avaiable right now.. Im saying like 100 bucks. Not to mention phones from 2017 has better screen to body ratios.
Also gorilla glass from 11 years ago.
Coz it's sh!t looking 😂
@@kristofhlavacs5408 Why are bezels bad?
Seriously they are, they dont account for your fingers holding it in the way any ways!
5:16 so outta pocket LMAO
Another day, another Uncle Spurt’s video ❤
Uncle Spurt certainly brought his A game to this review.
Agree completely!!
Aye, that yawning cat photo agrees 😅
By the 8 instead, you can get it on offer etc 😉
1:34 rare footage of him not saying rear @$$
I got one for £230, after trading in my Pixel 6 (which will be running out of OS updates this year, I think) and I'm quite pleased with it. It's a definite upgrade.
Nice. Good job. I'm sure I've got a 6 or 7 in a drawer somewhere. Will look into this. Ta JedB
I love Ur videos mate epic my friend
On the mood of long term review, would love to see one from Xiaomi 13T right before the 14T release.
Needs to be on offer to make it a good deal.
Pixel 8 can be had for cheap on deals and beats in many ways.
I got One and Im loving it!
I'm getting that same green pixel 💚 soon I'll give my coments about it
Thanks for the video!
I am considering switching from Pixel 3 to Pixel 8A or Pixel 8.
The UK Google Store offers a nice amount of money for the Pixel 3 trade-in option.
As a result, I could not make up my mind between 2 options:
Pixel 8A 128GB for 300 GBP?
Pixel 8 128GB + Pixel Watch gen.1 for 500 GBP?
I haven't used the smartwatches before due to the lack of need. But still, it might be a curious experience.
What would you choose?
Erg goed toestel.
Here in Australia, a telco company was offering a $750, gift card to put towards a new phone, the pixel 8a was $850, minus the 750 means that I only paid $100 for it.
Add the cost of a $30 clear soft case, plus a $20 tempered glass screen protector, and I'm only out of pocket $150.
Enjoying it so far over the past few weeks.
You hands make that phone look so much bigger than it is !
Loved the video and the colour Blue on the 8A but just brought the Pixel 8 in Aloe lol (Your Fault 😅).
Do an Honor X6a review Please Chris
"Obligatory crotch shot" I am dying here!! Another excellent review, super informative and entertained at the same time, Thanks Chris LOVE YA!
What about call quality and holding cell reception? Any complaints?
btw where do you get your anime style wallpapers from?
You know you're even more stunning, Chris-kun.
Great graphics mate
Love you too Uncle Spurt
I definitely had to come watch my make a review before getting My mum this phone thanks tech spurt
I've been very happy with my 8a. They offered $140 credit for my 4a which was pretty amazing. Makes the phone basically $360 + tax. Plus I got $100 store credit which I plan to use on the pixel stand (2nd gen) whenever it comes back in stock.
Also the bezels are not a big deal at all after using the phone for a couple weeks. After you slap on a screen protector and case you'll hardly notice them at all, especially if the app you're using has a dark theme.
I like the camera a lot as well. Quite content with my purchase. The phone will likely go on sale in time down to $350-$400 if you are unable to take advantage of any trade in offers. Really great phone for that kinda money in my opinion.
how's call quality and cell reception?
Love your wallpapers, where do you get them from?
From wallpapers abyss
Pay attention, kid. He says that in most videos...
He doesn't
Got one here in the US for $199 net, $200 trade in for my 7a and $100 Google credit. Killer deal!
So 299 cash/credit and 100 credit for use with Google?
Nice video
Picked one up last week. The £204 they offered for my Pixel 3a was too much to pass up after its 5 years of solid use.
I'm happy with the size, general performance and camera. The new phone excitement is long gone for me but I'm pleased to have a newer device.
Thanks for your content as always, your initial review made me confident enough to pull the trigger.
I wonder where do you get those wallpapers
Is the scrolling issue on chrome on this? Kept reading reviewers on Reddit saying scrolling is poor in chrome and when going through apps. Apparently it’s been there since pixel 6?
To much money for gorilla glass 3 and you get over heating warning that's a first for Google and no charging brick in the box and charging speed is slow no thanks
My only concern is how it holds up after few month of use. Is it still responsive or slowed down and laggy like my samsung Flip 4?
2:15 Cant believe he just said that
Which one would you pick - 8A or Samsung A55 or OnePlus 12R?
I don't get how a big company like google only offers its pixels to a select few countries, quite disappointing tbh
I remember when Apple removed the headphone jack and i couldn't think of anything worse. It's been so many years since i used a wired headset on a phone that I'm puzzled that it's even an issue in 2024. The more you know.
Please check out the galaxy f55 5g it seems kinda too good to be true in terms of specs and prices
I never mind the bezels, given I still try using one handed, the bezels help typing better.
Got one for $249 with purchase of a pixel 8 for $549. Good deal
I sent my pixel 7 back due to laggy scrolling on fb etc other then that amazing phone do these suffer with the same issue?
Is the vanilla PIXEL 8 maybe the better option right now, if you're explicitly in for the PIXEL 8a?
In my country they cost the same. And the 8 is better. So no reason to get the lesser but equally priced 8a in my country.
Right on the spot you are, )).. I am intrigued by how much people had concluded watching this 8a reviews that Google this time have used the 8a in order to boost the vanilla 8 sales? I could be that..
Anya background 👌
Google say they're going to support this phone for 7 years, but how many of the new features that come with subsequent OS updates will be available on this model. I read a piece recently that said some of the features of Android 15 wouldn't be supported on the Pixel 8 series, including the 8 Pro. Google also don't have the best track record when it comes to maintaining app support, let alone long term OS support. I also think they're putting too much stock in AI. Give us better hardware. That probably won't happen as it's more expensive to change the hardware compared to writing software. The last Pixel I loved was the 4a 5g.
Would you take this over the Samsung S24 (base model, with Exynos) ?
No
You can easily get your hands on a Pixel 8 for 550€ and that's the problem.
The 8 is better in every regard.
Is the Pixel 8 still available for that price or did it go back to it's previous 700€?
On Amazon 589,-€ for the 8 and 549,-€ for the 8a. Easy decision in this case.
Can you review the poco f6 please and thanks
I don't mind the bezel, I actually like plastic phone.
But the tensor is just an awful chipset, hope the tensor g4 can actually be competitive
It never ceases to amaze me that people keep complaining about the bezels on smart phones when the bezels are only a couple of mm at best and if you are worried about a couple of mm affecting your viewing experience then you really should get your eyes tested.
It's reasonable on larger displays but it still retracts from the visual experience. Seeing giant borders from your screen really takes you out of the immersion whenever watching or playing content. The amoled blacks help blend it but most of the time it's not great
@@SlayCC we will have to agree to disagree on it distracting from the visual experience as those few mm of bezel make absolutely no difference whether watching a movie, playing a game or doing actually anything at all with the phone. People now are actually infatuated with their phones to an unhealthy degree and can't walk around without it in their hand.
@@darryltoombs1076 People pay premium for a Premium experience, smaller bezels has a cleaner look, more immersive, it's that simple. Don't bring your boomer takes on the agrument, people use phones now and want good ones, it's 2024
@@SlayCC If immersion is a concern stop watching things on a god damned phone.
@@Awnos oh yeah let me just pull up my Samsung tv while waiting for my food
Should I make the jump from my iPhone 13 to the pixel 8a? I’ve always liked android and think they’re easier to use than iPhones!
Still stunning value you joking How much did Google pay you for saying that😕
It should be £350-£400💷
It's a great phone, I upgraded from pixel 7 and this is faster at opening apps
I never had a pixel phone but thinking about getting one so badly. Just not sure if I should get a Pixel 7 or Pixel 8a. I need a good camera phone with a good performance overall. Which one would be better?
@@haideralimari530the pixel 8a has a better CPU and AI editing. If your choice is between the 7 and 8a then get an 8a
Wait... you've been to Norwich taking pictures?!
I just thought that 😂
Where does he find those wallpapers please?
The bezels are something youd get used to anyways. No biggie.
Watching on Pixel 8a, 256 GB variant :)
Samsung S23 is the best compact phone and generally at its price. The price has dropped significantly and the S23 8/256 GB in my country is the price of the Poco F6 Pro 16GB, 1TB. Samsung, despite the smaller amount of RAM, still performs better in games thanks to its excellent system optimization. S23 it's a full-fledged flagship with a great camera, speakers and build quality.
Not even a minute in what did you think of bodkin TS?
My experience was negative. The pixel 8a started having fps drops in brawl stars but my Oneplus nord ce 3 lite with a chip that should be three times weaker wasn't having any drops.
Yes thermal managment is really bad.
Lads before you buy watch a teardown of this thing. Google didn't put a heat sink in this phone at all!! Crazy cheap bastards. The tensors are hot chips too, it might be ok if your into light camera and social media consumption but if you want to game or take long videos on this thing id stear well clear
Wait a couple of months and u will start to see 8a go on for sale for less than MSRP. Then buy the phone.
Please compare 8a vs 7
I tried a whole bunch of Android smartphones this year hoping to find something that would make me switch back to Android, even though I am 100% in the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, Mac mini, iPad).
The only one I found that could replace my iPhone is the Pixel 8 Pro. I didn’t encounter the same issues I usually find with Android smartphones. The voice command works perfectly (unlike other Android devices where, for some reason, I can never get the voice command to work on the Gboard keyboard). Additionally, when setting up a new phone, you can have an exact copy of your old Pixel, just like you can with a new iPhone.
This isn’t the case with Samsung, etc., where you end up having to put all the apps back into folders yourself, reorganize everything, etc.
In the end, I found that the photo and video quality were not as good as on the iPhone, so I kept my iPhone 15 Pro Max and returned the Pixel. However, I’m still looking forward to seeing the Pixel 9 Pro XL. I would be very happy to see Google reclaim its crown as the king of photography.
They have the resources and talent; I don’t know what’s missing for them to achieve it.
Having a disability, voice command allows me to write very quickly without exhausting myself, so it’s indispensable for me. Additionally, I don’t understand why, when copying data from an old Android smartphone to a new one, you don’t get an exact copy of what you had on the old one. You have to reorganize everything, redo your folders from scratch, etc. This is a basic feature, and Android is advanced enough to have this functionality. I will never understand this.
Once you’re in the apple ecosystem you will never leave really. It’s more that you play around with android devices here and there but your stable basement will be iPhone
@@goodlife2144 And yet, no, I really, really want to switch back to Android for the simple reason that there are phones that take much better photos than the iPhone, and for me, that's important since I take photos all the time.
The problem, as I explained earlier, is mainly that I can never get voice commands to work properly. Being disabled, it's extremely important for me that this feature is reliable all the time, not just once out of two or three attempts.
Another thing I can't stand about Android, and I struggle to understand why given they have the resources and talent, is why every time you get a new phone and copy everything from the cloud, when you get to the home screen, you realize you have to redo all the folders from scratch, reorganize everything, and put it back in place. On the iPhone, when I get a new one, it makes an exact copy of my old one.
If these two issues were fixed, I would be ready to switch back to Android without a problem. I've always liked having choices and taking better photos.
This year, I tested the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Oppo Find X7 Ultra, Google Pixel 8 Pro, Xiaomi 14, and Honor Magic 6 Pro.
Also, the Honor Magic 5 Pro and the Vivo X100 Pro.
And with all these phones, it was disappointing because I encountered the two issues I mentioned above in my initial comment: the voice command doesn't work when I install the Gboard keyboard for some unknown reason, and it's impossible to make an exact copy of the phone, meaning you have to start everything from scratch, which is absolutely terrible. The only phone where I didn't have these issues was the Pixel 8 Pro. Not only did it make an exact copy, but the voice command was absolutely perfect, even better than on the iPhone, I would say.
But the problem was that it took worse photos and videos than my iPhone 15 Pro Max, so in the end, I returned it as well.
So, it's not like I haven't tried many phones; I've covered a large part of the high-end Android market.
These are basic functions, yet I don't understand why they aren't fixed when Apple has had them working perfectly for years.
Maybe try Motorola on Android? I have no problems on my G53 with voice commands for photos or in keyboard... At least not for the last few months after Android updates. Just a thought mate as I need voice as well ...😊
That of joke caught me off guard ngl 😂😂
For those going on about the bezels being too much: Techies and tech enthusiasts who watch them on UA-cam go on and on about bezels. I have never in real life heard an everyday person who is not a tech enthusiast (making up 99.99% of the world's population) ever say anything about the bezels on a phone. Ever. And the people around me own everything from a Galaxy A13 to pixel 6A to S23 ultra. I've helped many people in my life pick out a phone (usually steering them towards Pixels or Galaxy S Series) because I'm more knowledgeable about them than the average person. Not a single one of them has ever said anything about bezels when they said what they were looking for in a phone. Nor did they remark on the bezels of the phones I've shown them as options.
For the love of God, get over the bezels. 90% of people put a case on their phone anyway. It adds the equivalent of huge bezels to the phone. Because you need something to grip. On phones with bigger bezels, the cases are going to wrap around that bezel and make the screen more like a phone with smaller bezels.
I've just ordered the Poco F6. With pre-order discounts it came to £297 and I won't have to put up with bezels from 2019.
What game was that at the beginning of the video?
Gensin impact
The 8a bezels make the samsung A55 look like a modern 2019 phone 😂😂 i like the pixel color tho.
Stunning value at 600€ (like in Europe at the moment)? Not so much. Have to wait for the discounts.
i love the pixel eitsch eyee
Can we all stop pretending that a 6.1 inch phone is "dinky" and that bezels are bad? I already have to turn off touch to wake screen because there is no where on the phone i can touch that wont wake up the screen and when I'm holding the phone watching a video or making a video call the accidental touch potential is almost 100 percent.
whats the point in buying this when you can get pixel 8?
Bro I watch all your videos and you look like Johnny Sins 😁😁
Do not judge people by their look
Monochrome icons look like Nothing OS.
Can I pleeeeese have it 😢😢😢😢❤
wowooww
of course it will get toasty samsung manufactured the google tensor there is nothing new about that sooner or later pixel will rollout updates that will optimize the heating issue in short reduce the performance
I'm sure the price will drop but this is way too expensive.
"6.7 inch mega bastards" I relate, still on 13 mini cause the size is great
Between this and Nothing 2a, I'd rather go with the 2a
hello sir...between 7a and 8a what should i buy?
if you just want a pixel that has 4 years of security updates left, then get the 7a if there is a good deal (its £300 right now). its a good phone. but if you want the higher refresh rate, brighter screen, possibly more AI stuff and longer (better) updates, then get the 8a. i'm going to wait until Jan to get the 8a, price should drop low.
@@vicky20237 ok ,thank You 😎
i actually find the bezels cute lmao
When you get screen burn in, like my pixel 7 Pro has, it's not such good value.
I abandoned ship at NO SD mem card support.
For £499 I'd rather get a used Pixel 8, OnePlus Nord 3 or 10T , Galaxy A55 or S23 or S23+.
I wouldn't buy one because the Google search widget can't be removed... and I want less commodification of my data, not less.
I know you can download skins which allow this, but WTAF.
Spurt you live in the UK you don't have sunny days.
아이폰 15프로 쓰는 중인데 베젤 얇은 것 때문에 화면에 자꾸 손가락 눌려서 오히려 불편함... 태평양 배젤이 오히려 좋음
Why buy bezels when you can just buy Pixel 8 🤓
but isnt the Pixel 8 base model not also avaible for the same price