Does the Pixel 8a specs justify the new price hike?
Google will soon announce the Pixel 8a, with May 2024 being the possible launch time. The tech company will likely present its latest mid-range device during the annual I/O event. Ahead of the release, features of the device have been seen, including the supposed starting price. With the complete specs now available, we want to see if it justifies the new price hike.
According to early reports, the Pixel 8a will start at €570, which is €70 more expensive than its predecessor, Pixel 7a. There will be a 256GB model, which will start at €630.
Google has been closing the gap between its premium and mid-range phones. They took the first step with the Pixel 7a, and it seems they will continue bridging the gap with the Pixel 8a. While the former debuted with a 90Hz refresh rate screen, Google will equip the latter with a 120Hz display.
Of course, it’s an OLED panel with a peak HDR brightness (1400 nits) matching that of the Pixel 8. Both devices are expected to have a similar display performance, given that the panels were co-developed by BOE and Samsung.
Another new feature coming with the Pixel 8a is the Display Output support. Google enabled the function in the Android 14 QPR3 Beta release. It will allow mirroring your Pixel phone display to an external monitor using only your USB-C cable.
Also, the device will get the Tensor G3 Octa-core processor, but slightly different from the one on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Instead of the FOPLP packing on the regular Tensor G3, which is power efficient and with an improved heat management system, the chip on the Pixel 8a uses the IPoP packing which is thicker and hotter. However, we expect an improved performance with the new core layout. The new Mali-G715 and Samsung Modem 5300 will also improve user’s experience.
Another thing is the extended Android security support. Starting from the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, all Google phones will get 7 years of Android updates. Of course, we expect the Pixel 8a to receive updates for 7 years, which include security patch builds, QPR releases, and new Android OS.
This year, Google will expand the availability of the Pixel 8a to more countries. The device will be available in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
That’s probably all the new features coming to the Pixel 8a when you compare it to the Pixel 7a. And yes, Google will use the same camera on the latter, which is a 64MP Sony IMX787. However, we expect some improvement, given that Google doesn’t rely solely on hardware but on a combination of software to output the best photos.
Does the Pixel 8a specs justify the new price hike?
Aside from the specs, supporting a phone for 7 years should come at a cost. It gives the user an option to continue using their phone for a longer period instead of buying a new one every few years. However, we are yet to see how Pixel phones will hold up for 7 years.
We believe the Pixel 8a specs justify the new price hike with all the improvements Google has made. With the new display and software features, Tensor G3 SoC, and extended support, Google has bridged the gap between the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a. We believe most people will go for the latter since it is more affordable.
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