Google Pixel 8A 256GB

In terms of camera megapixels, Pixel 8a's specifications outrank Pixel 8. But numbers here can be deceiving as the latter packs a bigger sensor to capture more light. That does not mean that the Pixel 8a fares poorly. Generally, its photos try to mimic real-life colours with a touch of vibrancy and contrast, but all in a good way.The 64MP wide and 13MP ultra-wide cameras excel at capturing great details in various lighting conditions. The Pixel 8a's software does an even better job of keeping noise levels minimal in low-light situations. Additionally, both cameras maintain consistency in terms of colour treatment. As mentioned, most photos can exhibit high contrast and shadows, resulting in a dramatic output that makes images directly social media-ready.The primary camera also gets utilised for portraits, and Google's Real Tone does an impressive job at detecting skin tones, including Indian skin tones. The bokeh effect in the portrait mode could've been richer, but the edge detection around the subject mostly remains on-point.Google has also provided more features, including Astrophotography, to capture stunning stars and light trails. While it adds versatility to the camera, star gazing can be almost impossible in cities like Delhi. That way, the Pixel 8a can be your ideal smartphone if you're in a hill station. Increasing the shutter can also do wonders for images in low light. You can see the difference between normal mode and night mode below.When it comes to videos, the Pixel 8a supports 4K recording with both the front and rear cameras. While it excels in capturing audio and maintaining stability, the high contrast in the final output can sometimes appear unnatural. In comparison, I still find my old iPhone 14 Plus doing a relatively better job of balancing between colours and contrast.But what makes the Pixel 8a exciting, even at this price point, are AI-backed editing features onboard. You can enjoy Magic Eraser to get rid of unwanted objects in photos, which works more efficiently than ever. There's Best Take for the best group shots, though it can be a hit-and-miss. My favourite remains "Magic Editor", which is capable of rearranging the subject's position in a photo.

The Pixel 8a comes with the custom Tensor G3 SoC along with an in-house M2 chip for improved security - the same chips powering the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. The phone also gets a 256GB variant this year, costing Rs 59,999. The phone uses LPDDR5X RAM and USF 3.1 storage standards, the former being a modest upgrade. Both storage variants include 8GB of RAM.The biggest advantage of using Google's in-house devices has to be getting the latest Android version. The phone runs on Android 14 out-of-the-box with the latest May 2024 security patch. The Pixel 8a also commits to an ambitious seven-year Android update cycle. You can expect a plethora of AI features, including "Circle to Search," down the line.Based on numbers, Pixel phones look modest, which even applies to Pixel 8a. You can see how the phone fares against some of its immediate peers (image below). However, real-life experiences can be significantly different, and safe to say, that you can expect a smooth performance. Additionally, the stock Android interface can be a joy to operate. Don't forget the existing AI features (for wallpaper and Photos) Google has started offering.At the time of writing the review, Google's Gemini gen-AI app does not come pre-bundled. Perhaps that will change following this year's Google IO. The gaming experience on the Pixel 8a is decent at best. The biggest issue still lingering on Pixel phones is the abrupt heating problem, which needs an immediate fix. To be clear, it did not affect my usage, though some users may find it alarming and get unhappy with their purchase in a short time.

The battery capacity has also been upgraded from 4,300mAh to 4,492mAh. The Pixel 8 stands above with a 4,575mAh unit. While you can expect an all-day battery with the highest settings enabled (AOD and 120Hz refresh rate enabled), the charging speed remains underwhelming. It only supports 18W charging, and Google continues to skip the charger in the box.Even with a 67W charger, the phone took over an hour to charge. Wireless charging support is available at 7.5W, but don't expect too much.