The Google Pixel 8a was announced globally and in India on Tuesday and the phone is set to go on sale through Flipkart next week. It comes as the successor to the Google Pixel 7a, bringing several upgrades under the hood and a higher price tag along with it. The Pixel 8a touts a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a bump from 90Hz on the Pixel 7a. Additionally, the new Pixel phone touts a 64MP primary camera, Android 14 OS, and a larger 4,492mAh battery. In this article, we compare the Pixel 8a with its predecessor to see what has changed.
Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 7a: specs at a glance
| Specs | Google Pixel 8a | Google Pixel 7a |
| Display | 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED display, 120Hz refresh rate | 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED display, 90Hz refresh rate |
| Processor | Tensor G3 | Tensor G2 |
| RAM & storage | 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage | 8GB RAM, 128GB storage |
| Rear cameras | 64MP + 13MP dual cameras | 64MP + 13MP dual-cameras |
| Front Camera | 13MP front camera | 13MP selfie camera |
| Battery and charging | 4,492mAh battery, 27W fast charging | 4,385mAh battery with 18W fast charging |
Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 7a: price in India
| Google Pixel 8a | Google Pixel 7a |
| Rs 52,999 for 8GB/128GB | Rs 36,999 for 8GB/128GB |
| Rs 59,999 for 8GB/256GB |
Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 7a: design
The new Google Pixel 8a looks similar to its Pixel 8 sibling. We see a horizontal visor on the rear panel to house the dual-camera sensors and an LED flash. The Pixel 7a also has the same camera module. This is a signature Pixel design and makes it easily identifiable. The edges of the phone are rounded at the corners compared to the sharp edges of the Pixel 7a.
We have a centre-positioned punch-hole cutout to house the selfie snapper. The bezels on the Google Pixel 8a are more prominent compared to the Pixel 7a and are not symmetrical anymore. This makes the phone look quite dated and chunky, especially considering the premium price tag. There is an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance on both models. The Pixel 8a can be purchased in Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, and Aloe colour options.
Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 7a: display
Google Pixel 8a has the same 6.1-inch OLED display as the Pixel 7a. However, the former offers up to 120Hz refresh rate compared to 90Hz on the latter. There is HDR support on both models and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 layer for protection.
The peak brightness of Pixel 8a is 2,000nits and there’s support for always on display with At a Glance and Now Playing. The panel used on the Pixel 8a is a full 24-bit depth for 16 million colours. As for the display is concerned, the inclusive of 120Hz gives the Pixel 8a a slight advantage.
Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 7a: performance
The Google Pixel 8a is powered by the Tensor G3 chipset similar to the Pixel 8 series. The chipset is paired with 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage. There’s also the Titan M2 chip for security.
On the other hand, the Pixel 7a ships with the dated Tensor G2 SoC with Titan M2 security chip. There is 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 storage. The performance of the Pixel 8a should be better compared to the Pixel 7a, thanks to a newer chipset on board. We should have more to talk about the performance in our complete review.
Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 7a: camera
Pixel 8a features the same camera setup as the Pixel 7a. We get a 64MP primary camera with f/1.89 aperture, an LED flash, OIS+EIS and a 13MP ultra-wide camera with 120-degree FoV. There is a 13MP front camera for selfies and video chats.
Though the camera setup is similar, the inclusion of a new Tensor G3 chipset should offer better results on the Google Pixel 8a compared to Pixel 7a.
Google Pixel 8a vs Pixel 7a: battery, software
The Pixel 8a packs a 4,492mAh battery with Qi wireless charging support. In comparison, the Pixel 7a houses a smaller 4,385mAh battery with 18W fast charging and wireless charging.
More importantly, the Google Pixel 8a runs on Android 14 out of the box and Google is promising 7 years of OS and Feature Drop updates. Pixel 7a has now received the Android 14 OS update and might get only 2 OS updates in the future.
Verdict
Compared to the Pixel 7a, the new Google Pixel 8a gets an upgraded Tensor G3 chipset that not only promises improved performance but an ISP to support the 64MP primary camera. The battery has also been bumped up and so has the software support, with the Pixel 8a promising to support up to 7 major OS upgrades. All of this comes at a cost though as the Pixel 8a sees a significant price bump over the Pixel 7a’s Rs 43,999 price tag at the time of its launch.
