Google made the Pixel 8a official this week, with all of the specs, software features, and pricing now out in the open for all to see. With that being the case, we’ve been making the rounds online, trying to get a vibe for how the Android community at large is feeling about the device. As per usual, Google’s latest smartphone appears to have many people torn.
When it comes to Pixel smartphones, people on the internet are never shy to share their opinions. The Pixel 8a is no different, with a healthy amount of people asking a blunt question: Why buy this phone when the Pixel 8 already exists? While we suppose that’s a question someone could ask, even though it’s literally $200 cheaper than the Pixel 8, there is a place for what’s sure to be more nuanced conversation, especially when we look at Google’s history of having the Pixel A series on sale via places like Google Fi.
Google’s hardware is a portal to Google’s services, whether it be things like Google Search, Google Photos, or Google Fi. The new Pixel 8a is just the latest device to help get you invested in the Android/Google ecosystem, and at $499, it’s actually a solid smartphone option with what’s sure to be a great camera and 7 years of OS upgrades. And yes, it’ll likely be on sale all of the time.
Now with my opinion out of the way, let’s see what the Android community is thinking. Below we have a collection of comments from both the Droid Life community, as well as the reddit community. Enjoy and feel free to get into a bit of discourse below.
Community Reactions
recycled_ideas – The perpetual problem with midrange phones. If price is your primary concern (as is the case in a lot of the developing world) they’re still too expensive and if price isn’t your primary concern you just give too much up.
SevenSmallShrimp – This is why I got the 8 when it was on sale last month. The 8a will be a more interesting deal when the 9 comes out and they stop selling the 8, but for now its in a weird no mans land.
Melvin – Why pay more for pixel 8 when this has 95% of what P8 offers?
ranger danger – Not sure why anyone would buy this when you could just get the Pixel 8 for like $150 more especially with summer deals coming up.
Ken (In reference to $100 gift card pre-order gift) – Why do companies do that silly stuff? Just knock $100 off the price. I don’t need a $100 gift card. It’s the same value. Just shows you how inflated the cost of a phone is at launch.
Obility – Probably gonna get a lot of comments saying “why does this even exist” but oddly enough, despite being a worse deal than the normal models, it still sells a good chunk. IIRC, it was the 7a that allowed google to bite a chunk out of apples Japanese market shares.
Patrikbatemansaxe – Overpriced thicc bezeled crap. That’s what it is.
As you can see, there are a lot of different takes, but many people seem to think that the Pixel 8a simply isn’t cheap enough. As silly as it may seem, this $499 price does allow Google and retailers to hold sales on the device while still make money. You can never underestimate the power of a good deal, especially around that Black Friday time.
Again, feel free to share your Pixel 8a opinion down below. And don’t worry, you can spill your guts, this is a safe space.