Google Pixel 8a review: specs, battery & used prices

Summary

The Google Pixel 8a is Google's 2024 mid-ranger with a flagship trick: the Tensor G3 chip and seven years of updates in a 6.1-inch body that launched at $499. The used market has done the depreciation for you — an 8/128 GB unit changes hands for around $204 with the deepest listing sample of any phone in this guide (18 recent sales), making it one of the safest budget buys we track.

Display and design

The 6.1-inch OLED runs at 120 Hz with a 2,000-nit peak, scoring 77/100 on our screen-quality axis — for the price, exceptional. At 188 g with a compactness score of 87/100, it is one of the most pocketable phones in the catalog, and IP67 protection is generous for the class.

Performance

The Tensor G3 delivers fluid everyday performance, but our gaming score of 30/100 is honest about its limits: modern 3D titles need reduced settings, and sustained loads warm the frame. The counterweight is software — roughly five years of updates remain, extending support to 2031, unmatched at this price.

Camera

The 64 MP stabilised main sensor with Google's processing is the mid-range camera benchmark: point-and-shoot consistency that phones at twice the price struggle to match, with video to 4K at 60 fps. There is no telephoto, and the ultrawide is basic — our camera score of 33/100 reflects the missing versatility, not the main-sensor quality.

Battery and charging

The 4,492 mAh battery earns a 30/100 battery-life score — a full day with careful use. Charging is 18 W wired, and our charging score of 0/100 is the lowest we award: plan on overnight charging, full stop.

Verdict

At around $204 used, the Pixel 8a is the budget rationalist's phone: clean software, five years of updates left, the best point-and-shoot camera under $250, and a resale score of 55/100 that has already absorbed the worst depreciation. The 0/100 charging score is the one daily friction. If you can spend more, the Pixel 9a improves battery and charging; at exactly this price, nothing combines camera and support better.