Google Pixel 8a will improve on the Pixel 7a — but at what cost?

Madeline Ricchiuto
·2 min read
Woman holding Pixel 7a in snow with water droplets on it .
Woman holding Pixel 7a in snow with water droplets on it .

Our favorite smartphone is set to become even better later this year, when the Google Pixel 8a replaces the Pixel 7a as Google's latest budget-conscious smartphone. The Pixel 8a will feature a number of improvements over the previous generation including the new Tensor G3 chipset.

While every generation comes with its improvements, the changes coming to the Google Pixel 8a will be coming with a price increase over the Pixel 7a. The projected starting price for the Pixel 8a is $550 according to German outlet winfuture.de, the Pixel 8a may price itself out of the budget market.

Is the Pixel 8a worth its high sticker price?

Google Pixel 8a renders
Google Pixel 8a renders

In addition to the expected upgrade to the Tensor G3 chipset, Google is also expected to overhaul the Pixel 8a's battery.  According to MySmartPrice, the Pixel 8a will feature a 4,942mAh battery which is a pretty significant upgrade to the Pixel 7a's 4,385mAh battery. One of the Pixel 7a's weakest points in comparison to the OnePlus 12R was its comparatively short battery life.

The Pixel 8a is also expected to come in 128GB and 256GB models with 8GB of RAM. Paired with the Tensor G3 chip and a 6.1-inch display, the Pixel 8a will be a solid improvement over the Pixel 7a. However, the Tensor G3 on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro under performs compared to its Apple and Qualcomm rivals.

So while the increased battery capacity and performance with the Pixel 8a is better compared to the previous model, is it enough to justify the high entry price?

Outlook

One of the best selling points for the Pixel 7a is its low starting price. Retailing at $499 at full price, the Pixel 7a is often on sale for far lower. Which makes it a fantastic budget device. And that $499 price was already a large jump up from the Pixel 6a. So raising the starting price for the Pixel 8a leaves Google's budget crown up for grabs.

After all, the OnePlus 12R has truly absurd battery life, better performance, and starts at $499. Plus, there's always the rumored iPhone SE 4 that could easily pull Google's audience over to the dark side.

Of course, the price change and spec upgrades are still just rumors and speculation right now. We'll have to wait until the Google I/O event which is expected for May or June of this year.