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Google Pixel 8a
Get Pixel 8a if you want Pixel 8's chip and 7-year update promise for less: it launched at $499, against Pixel 8's $699 launch price.
Product images
Google Pixel 8a, from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Get Pixel 8a if you want Pixel 8's chip and 7-year update promise for less: it launched at $499, against Pixel 8's $699 launch price. More than four and a half years of updates remain, and it has a 6.1-inch 120 Hz screen, 64MP and 13MP rear cameras and a 4,492mAh battery. Pixel 8 adds IP68, Gorilla Glass Victus, Wi-Fi 7 and 27W wired charging; neither has a telephoto.
Who it is for
- Shoppers on a tight budget who still want a long update runway. Google's 7-year clock started in May 2024, later than the 2023 Pixel 8's.
- People who want a compact phone: 152.1 × 72.7 × 8.9 millimeters and 189 grams, with a 6.1-inch screen.
Who should skip it
- Zoom fans. Without a telephoto, Super Res Zoom tops out at 8x.
- Anyone hard on phones. The cover glass is Gorilla Glass 3, where Pixel 8 uses Victus.
- Fast-charging fans. Wired charging stops at 18W, against 27W on Pixel 8.
What sets it apart
- Tensor G3, the Titan M2 security chip and 8GB of RAM, the same as Pixel 8.
- A 6.1-inch, 1080 × 2400 Actua screen with a 2,000-nit peak (1,400 nits for HDR) and up to 120 Hz.
- A 64MP main camera on a 1/1.73-inch sensor with optical stabilization, a 13MP ultrawide and a 13MP selfie camera.
Caveats
- Wi-Fi 6E rather than Wi-Fi 7, and models sold in India have Wi-Fi 6.
- Selfies are fixed-focus, and front-camera 4K tops out at 30 fps.
Key specs
In the same order on every phone page, so you can compare models.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 6.1-inch Actua, 20:9; measured diagonally as a rectangle, so the actual viewable area is less | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Display type | OLED Actua; Smooth Display up to 120 Hz; Corning Gorilla Glass 3 cover glass; HDR; 24-bit color; >1,000,000:1 contrast | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Display resolution | 1080 × 2400 at 430 ppi | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Refresh rate | Smooth Display, up to 120 Hz | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Peak brightness | Up to 1,400 nits (HDR) and up to 2,000 nits (peak) | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Always-on display | Always-on display with At a Glance and Now Playing on Pixel 8a | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Dimensions | 152.1 × 72.7 × 8.9 mm (6.0 × 2.9 × 0.4 in) | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Weight | 189 g (6.7 oz) | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Build | Gorilla Glass 3 front; matte composite back; matte aluminum frame; fingerprint-resistant coating; IP67. At least 24% recycled materials by product weight; 100% recycled aluminum in the housing and camera bar; 76% recycled plastic in the back cover | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Colors | Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, Aloe | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Water and dust resistance | IP67 dust and water resistance (Google footnote 18) | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Chip | Google Tensor G3; Titan M2 security coprocessor | Google Pixel 8a tech specsSame chip as Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR5x | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Storage | 128 GB / 256 GB UFS 3.1 | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Rear cameras | 64MP Quad PD wide, ƒ/1.89, 80°, 0.8 μm pixels, 1/1.73" sensor, optical and electronic stabilization; 13MP ultrawide, ƒ/2.2, 120°, 1.12 μm pixels, lens correction | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Zoom | No telephoto; Super Res Zoom up to 8x | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Front camera | 13MP, ƒ/2.2, fixed focus, 96.5° ultrawide field of view | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Video | Rear: 4K and 1080p at 30 or 60 fps; digital zoom up to 5x. Front: 4K and 1080p at 30 fps. Slow motion up to 240 fps | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Battery capacity | Typical 4,492mAh; minimum 4,404mAh | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Battery life | 24+ hours; up to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Wired charging | Up to 18 watts wired with Google's 30W USB-C charger, sold separately (Google footnote 6) | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Wireless charging | Qi-certified wireless charging; no wattage given for Pixel 8a | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Operating system | Launched with Android 14 | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Updates | 7 years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates from first availability on the US Google Store | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Cellular | 5G Sub-6 on North American model GKV4X and rest-of-world model G6GPR; mmWave on G8HHN; Japan model G576D | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz, HE80, MIMO in the US, Canada, UK, EU, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore; Wi-Fi 6 in India. Bluetooth 5.3 (diversity); NFC; Google Cast | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Ports and buttons | USB Type-C 3.2; power button; volume controls | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| SIM | Dual SIM: one nano-SIM and eSIM | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| NFC and payments | NFC for tap-to-pay | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| GPS | US: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS; India adds BeiDou and NavIC; elsewhere GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and BeiDou | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Biometrics | Under-display fingerprint sensor (Fingerprint Unlock); Face Unlock; pattern, PIN or password | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Other sensors | Proximity, ambient light, accelerometer, gyrometer, magnetometer, barometer | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| US launch price | $499 (US) at launch on 7 May 2024 (Pixel 8a launch blog) | Google blog, 7 May 2024 |
| Price band | Previous-generation A-series, launched at $499 | Based on the $499 launch price |
| Announced | 7 May 2024 (Pixel 8a launch) | Google blog, 7 May 2024 |
| Availability | Pre-orders from 7 May 2024; in stores from 14 May 2024. No longer Google's current A-series phone as of 2026-09-19 | Google blog, 7 May 2024 |
Google Pixel 8a extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel 8a vs Pixel 8 | Pixel 8a: 6.1-inch, 64 and 13 megapixel cameras, Gorilla Glass 3, IP67, Wi-Fi 6E, 18W wired, 4492 mAh, $499. Pixel 8: 6.2-inch, 50 and 12 megapixel cameras, Victus, IP68, Wi-Fi 7 (US and EU), 27W, 4575 mAh, $699. Both: Tensor G3, 8GB, 7 years of updates | Google Pixel 8a and Pixel 8 tech specs |
| IP67 | IP67; Pixel 8 is IP68 | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| Gorilla Glass 3 | Gorilla Glass 3; Pixel 8 uses Gorilla Glass Victus | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
| 18W wired charging | Up to 18 watts wired on a Google 30W USB-C charger, sold separately | Google Pixel 8a tech specs |
Pixel 8a is Google’s A-series take on Pixel 8, announced on 7 May 2024 and in stores from 14 May 2024 at $499. It keeps Pixel 8’s chip, memory and update promise, and saves money on the glass, the water rating, Wi-Fi and charging speed.
More than four and a half years of updates
Pixel 8a’s 7 years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates started in May 2024, when it first became available on the US Google Store. As of September 2026, more than four and a half years are still to come. It launched with Android 14, and because it came out after the 2023 Pixel 8 with the same promise, its support runs later than Pixel 8’s too.
Pixel 8a or Pixel 8?
| Spec | Pixel 8a | Pixel 8 |
|---|---|---|
| US launch price | $499 | $699 |
| Screen | 6.1-inch | 6.2-inch |
| Cover glass | Gorilla Glass 3 | Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Water and dust | IP67 | IP68 |
| Main camera | 64MP | 50MP |
| Ultrawide | 13 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Front camera | 13MP | 10.5MP |
| Battery | 4,492mAh typical, 4,404mAh minimum | 4,575mAh typical, 4,485mAh minimum |
| Wired charging | Up to 18W | Up to 27W |
| Wireless charging | Qi, no wattage given | Up to 18W on Pixel Stand (2nd gen) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 (US and EU) |
| Chip, RAM, updates | Tensor G3, 8GB, 7 years | Same |
Most of the gaps are durability, connectivity and charging speed. The chip, memory and update promise are shared, and both have a main camera and an ultrawide, just with different sensors. If you’d pay extra for Gorilla Glass Victus, IP68 and quicker charging, Pixel 8 is the one; if not, Pixel 8a saves money with the same chip and a later end to updates. For the newest compact model, see Pixel 11.
Cameras
The 13MP ultrawide covers a 120° view, and the main camera pairs optical with electronic stabilization. There’s no telephoto, so Super Res Zoom does the work: up to 8x in photos and 5x in video.
Battery and charging
Google rates the 4,492mAh battery for 24+ hours; Extreme Battery Saver raises that to as much as 72 hours. Wired charging peaks at 18W, even on Google’s 30W USB-C charger, which is sold separately.
Price
Pixel 8a cost $499 at launch in the US, for 128GB or 256GB of storage, and came in Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay and Aloe. These days it’s sold used or refurbished, so check the price against its condition before you buy.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- Google Pixel Help — Pixel phone hardware tech specs — accessed 2026-09-19
- Google blog — Meet Pixel 8a: The Google AI phone at an unbeatable value — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Is Pixel 8a water-resistant?
Yes, to IP67 for dust and water. Pixel 8 carries the higher IP68 rating.
Does Pixel 8a charge wirelessly?
Yes, on Qi-certified chargers, though Google gives no wattage for it and it doesn't support Qi2. Pixel 8 is rated at up to 18W on Google's Pixel Stand (2nd gen) and 12W on Qi EPP chargers.
Is Pixel 8a made from recycled materials?
Partly. Google says at least 24% of it by weight is recycled, including 100% recycled aluminum in the housing and camera bar and 76% recycled plastic in the back cover.
Can Pixel 8a shoot 4K?
Yes, at 30 or 60 fps from the rear cameras, and slow-motion capture reaches 240 fps.
Official product page: Google Pixel 8a. Tech specs: Google Pixel 8a specs.