Google launched the Pixel 8a smartphone in India last week, as the successor to last year’s Pixel 7a. This packs several improvements compared to the Pixel 6a, starting from 120Hz refresh rate screen, Tensor G3, the same chip that powers the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, and there is also a slightly bigger battery. Here we have the first impressions of the phone.
Box Contents
- Pixel 8a in Obsidian colour
- USB-C to USB-C Cable (USB 2.0)
- Quick Start Guide
- Quick Switch Adaptor
- SIM Ejector Tool
The phone has a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, compared to 90Hz in the Pixel 7a. The screen is bright, and the viewing angles are good. It has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
You can also see the large bottom bezel. It runs Android 14, and the phone will be one of the first to get the Android 15 update. The company has promised 7 years of Pixel feature drop and security updates, same as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. You get all the features such as Magic Eraser, Night Sight, Photo Unblur, Best Take, and Circle to Search.
There is a centre punch-hole display retains the 13MP camera that supports 4K video recording. Since this is small, it doesn’t disturb when watching videos. The earpiece on the top doubles up as the secondary speaker, but the top bezel is large.
The phone has an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is the same as the Pixel 7a. It has the Google Tensor G3 SoC along with Titan M2 security chip. The performance is good, but it might heat up quickly on intensive gaming.
The phone has a metal frame, and you can see the antenna bands. The power button and volume rockers are present on the right side. The single SIM slot is present on the left side, and the phone has eSIM support for the second SIM. The USB Type-C port, microphone and speaker grill are present on the bottom. The secondary microphone is present on the top.
The phone has a metal camera bar that has a 64MP rear camera with f/1.89 aperture, and OIS. There is a secondary 13MP 120° Ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture. It has up to 4K 60 fps video recording for the rear camera.
Check out some camera samples.
The phone features a refined and premium design with rounded edges, a matte plastic back and a polished aluminum frame. It still looks and feels premium.
The phone also has IP67 ratings for water resistance. The Porcelain colour variant doesn’t show fingerprints. The phone also comes in the limited edition Aloe and Bay, as well as the classic Porcelain option. The phone packs a 4492mAh battery with support for fast charging and also supports wireless charging.
The Pixel 8a is available to order from Flipkart starting at Rs. 52,999 (MRP) for the 128GB model, and there is also a 256GB which costs Rs. 59,999 (MRP).
There are several launch offers, including instant discount of Rs. 4,000, Exchange bonus of Rs. 9,000 on select smartphone models and Pixel Buds A-Series at Rs. 999 with a purchase of Pixel 8a during the pre-order period till 6:30 AM IST on 14th May 2024.