It has a premium price, but can the Pixel 8a handle the premium heat?

Google took the wraps off the Pixel 8a recently, and while the usual hue accompanied its launch and cry over pricing (“too high, too high”) in India, this time, there was an additional edge to the outcry. That is because, with the Pixel 8a, Google has pretty much taken its ‘a’ series out of what many consider to be the budget flagship zone and into distinctly premium waters.

Starting out at Rs 29,999…and look where we are now

This marks a steady increase in the prices of the a-rated Pixel in India. The Pixel 4a was launched at Rs 29,999 in 2020, which was distinctly premium mid-segment and actually competed against the likes of the OnePlus Nord. This was, for many people, the perfect affordable Pixel – clean Android with assured updates that worked smoothly on a relatively affordable device. That impression, however, went out of the window with the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7a, which were both launched at a much higher Rs 43,999, placing them closer to the ‘budget flagship” zone that lay between the premium flagship segment and the premium mid-segment.

The Pixel 8a, however, starts at Rs 52,999 for 128 GB and has a 256 GB variant priced at Rs 59,999. This is not only significantly higher than the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7a, but its 256 Gb variant is actually more than twice the price of the first a-series Pixel launched in India, the Pixel 4a, and actually comes at the price at which the Pixel 7 (without the ‘a’) was launched in 2022. Let’s face it: the way things stand today, the a-series Pixel is closer to the premium flagship zone than the affordable/ flagship killer one that its recent predecessors were.

Following Apple and Samsung’s premium footsteps?

Many would say that Google is only following the example of the likes of Apple and Samsung in having phones at three distinct price points, all of which are premium. After all, the iPhone has an SE, and the Galaxy S has an FE variant that is more affordable than their ‘proper’ flagships while still being premium offerings. The challenge that Google, however, faces is that the Pixel a series has a perception of being “the affordable Pixel,” and while this might still be the case (the Pixel 8 starts at Rs 75,999 after all), the Rs 52,999 price tag does not sit too well with the “affordable” claim.

Making the price seem unreasonably high is also the Pixel 8a’s spec sheet. The Pixel 8a does come with the same speedy and smart Tensor G3 processor seen on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, and it even shares a very similar design with a slightly frosted glass finish on the back, curved corners, and that super distinct camera bar on the back that screams ‘this be a Pixel’ to all comers. Google has also boosted the spec sheet as compared to the Pixel 7a.

Although the display remains a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED one, it now has a refresh rate of 120 Hz and is significantly brighter. The cameras seem similar in megapixel terms (64 and 13 on the back, 13 in front) but are also believed to be significantly better in quality. The battery size has been increased slightly (4492 mAh from 4385 mAh), and of course, the Pixel 8a comes with a truckload of smart features that simply work better on it than its predecessor, thanks mainly to that processor. And you also get seven years of assured Android updates.

Update: Pixel 8a Review: The Pocket-Friendly Pixel goes premium!

With big prices come fewer spec compromise options…and way better competition

There are, however, still compromises that are totally out of sync with its price segment. While we think the back of our white Pixel 8a looks lovely, some might not be happy that its being a plastic one. It is also odd to see a phone with such premium pricing sporting Gorilla Glass 3 protection when phones at half its price come with Gorilla Glass Victus. Similarly, while the battery size has been slightly increased, the 18W wired charging speed is right out of the sub-Rs 15,000 zone, and even the 7.5W wireless charging speed is not exactly premium (the Nothing Phone (2) charges wirelessly at 15W). Interestingly, many of these features had been present on the Pixel 7a as well and had been very difficult to justify at its lower price of Rs 43,999 (read our review), where the competition while intense had been less premium.

At Rs 52,999, the Pixel 8a finds itself within striking distance of devices like the iQOO 12, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, and, at just a little more, the OnePlus 12, which totally outclasss it in spec terms. In fact, we have been deluged with queries as to whether it makes more sense to purchase the older Pixel 7 (which is retailing at Rs 46,999) or the Pixel 7 Pro (which is retailing at Rs 64,999), which, despite being older, are perceived as “proper” Pixels, and not “affordable” a-rated ones like the Pixel 8a.

That is actually the biggest challenge the Pixel 8a faces as it leaves the budget flagship zone and steps into premium smartphone waters – that of vastly better-specced competition. To be fair, the Pixel a-series was never a spec monster, but its rivals in the past came from lower price points and never from premium ones. With the Pixel 8a, that changes. This is why the biggest USP of the Pixel 8a – its software experience – will have to be even further ahead of the competition than its predecessors were. It has much more to deal with and overcome while justifying its higher price tag. Stay tuned for our review to find out whether it succeeds in doing so. As of now, all we can say is that the Pixel 8a remains the ‘affordable Pixel’, but it is now a premium one in terms of price.