Google Pixel 8a review: all the AI, for less

The Google Pixel 8a isn’t a flagship phone, but it performs well and could last seven years.

Google Pixel 8a
(Image: © Future / Ian Evenden)

Our Verdict

The Google Pixel 8a may not be a flagship phone, but it's very nicely made and offers good cameras, a colourful OLED screen, and enough AI power to be genuinely useful.

For

  • OLED screen
  • Good cameras
  • Excellent battery life

Against

  • Not a flagship
  • No tele lens
  • Plastic construction

Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

A phone may not be an essential creative tool in the same way as a laptop or a mirrorless camera, but something like the Google Pixel 8a can be an important part of your workflow, especially in the early stages (and a contender for the best budget camera phone). Not only does it allow constant communication with colleagues and clients, but you can use it and its AI tools as a notebook for inspiration and its battery lasts a long time.

Key specifications

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Chipset

Tensor G3

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Memory:

8 GB LPDDR5

OS

Android 14 (at launch, seven years of updates)

Storage:

128 GB/256 GB

Screen size:

6.1in

Screen type:

OLED touchscreen

Resolution:

1080 x 2400

Refresh rate:

Max 120Hz

Peak brightness

2,000 nits

Rear camera

64MP f/1.9 main, 13MP f/2.2 ultrawide

Front camera

13MP f2/2

Ports:

1x USB 3.2 Type-C

Wireless connectivity:

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, 5G

Dimensions:

152x73x9mm

Weight:

189g

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Google Pixel 8a

GEEKBENCH 6

CPU Single-core:

1739

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CPU Multi-core:

4463

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GPU OpenCL:

6471

PC MARK WORK 3.0

Score

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Battery life

17h 19m to 20%

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[Product name] score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design:

Nicely built with plenty of recycled materials

5/5

Features:

Two cameras, Google AI, and general Android cleverness

4/5

Performance:

Falsl behind the flagships, but very good for the money

4/5

Value:

Keenly priced, even more so if you can find it at a discount

4/5

Image
Nothing Phone 2a:

https://www.creativebloq.com/reviews/nothing-phone-2a

A well-specced budget smartphone with a good camera, the Nothing Phone 2a evolves the brand's innovative design in a fun new direction.

Image
Honor Magic 6 Pro:

https://www.creativebloq.com/reviews/honor-magic-6-pro

The Magic 6 Pro offers excellent cameras, screen and performance at a price that might undercut Samsung by enough to make it very attractive.

Image
Xiaomi 14:

http://creativebloq.com/reviews/xiaomi-14

One of the best smartphone cameras out there, but twice as expensive as the Pixel 8a.

The Verdict
9

out of 10

Google Pixel 8a review: all the AI, for less

The Google Pixel 8a may not be a flagship phone, but it's very nicely made and offers good cameras, a colourful OLED screen, and enough AI power to be genuinely useful.

TOPICS
Ian Evenden

Ian Evenden has been a journalist for over 20 years, starting in the days of QuarkXpress 4 and Photoshop 5. He now mainly works in Creative Cloud and Google Docs, but can always find a use for a powerful laptop or two. When not sweating over page layout or photo editing, you can find him peering at the stars or growing vegetables.

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