Google Pixel 8a

The Pixel 8a is my new favorite bargain phone, and if you need a new phone for less, the Pixel 8a gives you more than you'd expect. You get Google's latest and greatest mobile AI tools, plus seven years of Android updates, in a package that's colorful and durable. You won't find so much of the future in any other phone that’s this affordable.

Even with a price rise in certain regions, the Pixel 8a remains excellent value for someone looking for a device with a great camera, pocketable design and the promise of many years of software updates.

Don't rush out to get a Pixel 8a if you don't have any major complaints about your current Android handset, but those in need of a desperate upgrade could do a heck of a lot worse.

It's hard to not be happy with the camera results of the Pixel 8A. Heck, the whole package remains the best value in a smartphone. That said, it's worth keeping an eye on sales. The flagship Pixel 8 has dipped as low as $499 before, and if that's the case again, it's worth snagging it instead.

With the addition of Google’s Tensor G3 chip, the Pixel 8a delivers handy AI features alongside a beautiful 120Hz OLED screen, excellent cameras and way above-average battery life for just $499.

The Google Pixel 8a is a mid-range smartphone powered by the Google Tensor G3 SoC. It starts at $499 and includes excellent camera features. It also has an all-day battery life, making it a great budget-friendly phone if you can find it on sale.

For me, the Pixel 8a offers all of the Pixel goodies I love, like Assistant Voice Typing, a reliable camera, and Call Assist features like Call Screen, in hardware that feels about as premium as you can get for a phone of this price. If I were buying a phone today, I would buy a Pixel 8a. That’s about as strong an endorsement as I can give a phone.

The Pixel 8a is Google's best mid-range hardware yet, further blurring the line between the company's flagship "premium" offerings and this mid-range winner. The cameras are still best-in-class, it's got all the AI features of the $699 Pixel 8, and thermal management has never been better. The display is still a flickering mess and a shaky history of unreliable monthly software updates makes it harder to recommend than it might otherwise be, though.