The Google Pixel 8A is a midrange phone that might go the distance

The Pixel 8A is officially here, with very little in the way of surprises since it leaked to all heck over the past few weeks — as Google hardware always does. The 8A gets Google’s latest processor, adds a bunch of new AI features, and still starts at $499 in the US. But the very best news is that the 8A adopts the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro’s seven years of software support, which is just unheard of in a midrange phone.

The 8A retains the same general shape and size as its predecessor. But its 6.1-inch screen gets a couple of significant updates: the top refresh rate is now 120Hz, up from 90Hz, and the panel gets up to 40 percent brighter, up to 2,000 nits in peak brightness mode. They’re important upgrades, especially since the 8A’s main competition in the US, the OnePlus 12R, comes with an excellent display.

This is the year of AI On Things, and the Pixel 8A is no exception. It comes with the same generative AI photo and video features that made a splash on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, including Best Take, Magic Editor, and Audio Magic Eraser. Circle to Search is also available, and the 8A will be able to run Google’s mobile-optimized on-device AI model, Gemini Nano. As on the Pixel 8, it’ll be a developer option delivered via feature drop.

Other specs are either unchanged or slightly boosted compared to the last generation. There’s still 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, though there’s now a 256GB option. Camera hardware is unchanged from the 7A, including a stabilized 64-megapixel main sensor. There’s an IP67 rating, consistent with the 7A, and battery capacity is a little higher at 4,492mAh compared to 4,385mAh. Wireless charging is available via Qi 1.3 at up to 7.5W — no Qi2 here.

The Pixel 8A is in an odd position this year, where its biggest competition may come from Google itself. As of now, Samsung’s midrange Galaxy A55 5G appears to be skipping the US, giving the Pixel 8A an open lane. The aforementioned OnePlus 12R is also an option, but it isn’t sold through the major wireless carriers, and that’s how most people in the US buy their phones. That just puts it against the standard Pixel 8, which is often on sale. We’ve even seen it match the 8A’s $499 price.

Google will surely be careful with its pricing strategy around its three 8-series phones, but with the 7A sticking around in the lineup for now and possibly four new Pixel phones coming later this year, that’ll be quite the strategy. In the meantime, the Pixel 8A is available for preorder starting today; it ships on May 14th.