The Google Pixel 8a (review) and the Google Pixel 8 (review) had quite a close contest in our performance comparison. The Pixel series smartphones are perhaps best known for their excellent camera prowess. So it’s only natural that we pit the two against one another to find out how the affordable Pixel 8a compares to the standard Pixel 8 when it comes to their camera capabilities. Continue reading to find out the results.
Here are the camera specifications of both phones:
| Google Pixel 8a | Google Pixel 8 |
| 64MP Quad PD wide camera | 50 MP Octa PD wide camera |
| 13MP ultrawide camera | 12 MP ultrawide camera |
| 13MP selfie camera | 10.5MP dual PD selfie camera |
Daylight
The Pixel 8a features a 64MP primary camera with an aperture size of f/1.89 and an 80-degree FOV (field of view), while the Pixel 8 comes with a 50MP primary lens with an aperture size of f/1.68 and an 82-degree FOV. Both cameras capture great daylight shots with good details, dynamic range, and contrast. The Pixel 8, however, offers slightly better dynamic range and captures a wider frame thanks to its greater FOV.
The details are also slightly better in the Pixel 8, and if you focus on the building at the back, you can notice some white lines, which are not as readily apparent in the Pixel 8a’s image. Another key difference is in the colour reproduction, the Pixel 8a leans towards warmer tones while the Pixel 8 favours cooler colour tones, which is easily observable in the images. The Pixel 8 wins the daylight image comparison.
Winner: Pixel 8
Ultrawide
The Pixel 8a uses a 13MP ultrawide lens with an aperture size of f/2.2 and a 120-degree FOV. In comparison, the Pixel 8 comes with a 12MP ultrawide lens with the same aperture size but a 125-degree FOV. When comparing both shots, the differences between them once again come in the form of colour reproduction, with the Pixel 8a’s image having a warmer hue while the Pixel 8’s image is on the cooler side.
The level of detail is nearly identical in both images, and so is the case for dynamic range. Despite having a greater FOV, the Pixel 8’s image captures a comparatively diminished frame in comparison to the Pixel 8a. The ultrawide comparison ends in a tie.
Winner: Tie
Portrait
Portrait shots highlight some major differences right away. The Pixel 8a offers superior edge detection in its portrait shots, while the Pixel 8’s edge detection is slightly off, with blurring around the subject’s frame. The Pixel 8a is not perfect either, and there’s a noticeable blur in some areas, such as the subject’s left side, but it’s comparatively better than the Pixel 8.
Both phones showcase a good amount of skin texture and there’s no evident softening present. The colour reproduction remains consistent in both. The Pixel 8a wins when it comes to portrait shots.
Winner: Pixel 8a
Selfie
Even though the Pixel 8a packs a higher-resolution selfie camera, the results are inferior to those of the Pixel 8. The Pixel 8’s selfie image is much more detailed, which is easily evident when you compare the skin texture. The Pixel 8a slightly smooths out the skin, while the Pixel 8 preserves it. The subject’s hair and the trees behind it are also more detailed in the Pixel 8’s image compared to the Pixel 8a.
Winner: Pixel 8
Low-light
In low light, we tested the camera prowess of both phones without enabling night mode. The difference between the results is quite noticeable since the Pixel 8’s image is clearly more detailed. The fur has a lot more individual strands and textures present in the Pixel 8’s image, which are mostly smoothed out in the Pixel 8a’s image. The area around the nose is also more detailed in the Pixel 8’s image. The Pixel 8 thus offers better low-light results.
Winner: Pixel 8
Low-light (night mode enabled)
With night mode enabled, the Pixel 8a’s image has a slightly better dynamic range, which you can notice if you focus on the carpet beside the bed and the wood texture of the bed itself. Since the Pixel 8a favours warm colours, the scene feels more illuminated compared to the Pixel 8’s image.
However, when it comes to details, the Pixel 8 still has a better fur texture, and its image is also sharper than the Pixel 8a. I’ll have to give the win to the Pixel 8 due to its sharper image, which carries more details compared to the Pixel 8a.
Winner: Pixel 8
Verdict
In our camera comparison, the Pixel 8 is a clear winner over the Pixel 8a. The Pixel 8 surpasses the Pixel 8a when it comes to daylight shots, with superior details, dynamic range and FOV. Even in low light, the Pixel 8 offers superior results compared to the Pixel 8a, cementing its victory.
While the Pixel 8a loses our camera comparison, it is only when we focus on the fine details that it still outputs great-looking images. To top it off, the Pixel 8a is significantly cheaper than the Pixel 8, so if you’re looking for a good camera phone, the Pixel 8a will not disappoint.
