Google Pixel 8 vs 8 Pro vs 8a: Is Cheaper Really Better?

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May 8, 2024

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Google Pixel 8 vs 8 Pro vs 8a: Is Cheaper Really Better?

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Google Pixel 8, Pixel 8a, and Pixel 8 Pro: Main specifications compared

All Pixel 8 models compared

Product

Picture

Review

Google Pixel 8 Pro Review

Google Pixel 8 Review

Not yet tested

Display

6.7-inch LTPO OLED2992 x 1344 pixels1-120 Hz refresh rate

6.2-inch OLED2400 x 1080 pixels120 Hz

6.1-inch OLED2400 × 1080 pixels120 Hz

SoC

Memory

12 GB LPDDR5x RAM128 / 256 / 512 / 1024 GB UFS 3.1 storageNo storage expansion

8 GB LPDDR5x RAM128 / 256 GB UFS 3.1 storageNo storage expansion

Android 14Seven Android upgradesSeven years of security updates

Camera

Main: 50 MP, f/1.68, OISUltra-wide: 48 MP, f/1.955x telephoto: 48 MP, f/2.8

Main: 50 MP, f/1.68, OISUltra-wide: 12 MP, f/2.2

Main: 64 MP, f/1.89, OISUltra-wide: 13 MP, f/2.2

Selfie Camera

Battery

5050 mAh30 W wired charging23 W wireless chargingReverse wireless charging

4575 mAh27 W wired charging18 W wireless chargingReverse wireless charging

4492 mAh18 W wired chargingWireless charging

Connectivity

5G | eSIM | Wi-Fi 7 | Bluetooth 5.3 | NFC | UWB

5G | eSIM | Wi-Fi 7 | Bluetooth 5.3 | NFC

5G | eSIM | Wi-Fi 6E | Bluetooth 5.3 | NFC

IP Certification

Dimensions and weight

6.4 x 3.0 x 0.3 in, 7.5 oz162.6 x 76.5 x 8.8 mm, 213 g

5.9 x 2.8 x 0.4 in, 6.6 oz150.5 x 70.8 x 8.9 mm, 187 g

6 × 2.86 × 0.35 in, 6.63 oz152.1 × 72.7 × 8.9 mm, 188 g

Offers*

This overview table gives you the first differences between the three Pixel 8 phones, and we will discuss everything else in detail here. You can also check the full nextpit reviews from the links above.

Table of contents:

Google Pixel 8 vs. 8 Pro vs. 8a: design and display
The iconic camera bar on the back is once again part of the game. However, it is noticeable that the Pro only has a single cutout for the camera sensors in contrast to last year’s Google Pixel 7 Pro nextpit reviewed. Otherwise, the corners are even more rounded compared to last year and the glass edges are symmetrical. The weight and dimensions of the Pro have only changed marginally, while the Pixel 8 has shrunk more and lost ten grams.

The phones have largely retained the design language of their predecessors. / © Google

Google offers us the color options Obsidian, Porcelain, and Bay for the 6.7-inch Pixel 8 Pro. In the Pixel 8, Rose and Hazel join Obsidian. Both devices are IP68-certified and protected by Corning glass at the front and back. In contrast to the Gorilla Glass Victus, Google gives the Pro device Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The frame is made of aluminum—polished in the Pro and matte in the base model. The glass back is the other way around: Matte for the Pro, polished for the Pixel 8. Google also mentions that recycled materials account for at least 18 percent of the smartphone’s weight.
The lower-cost Pixel 8a, meanwhile features even more rounded corners, with a similar design as the other models. The display is protected with a more basic Gorilla Glass 3, while the back is made with plastic (which Google emphasizes is 76% recycled). The basic model is only IP67-rated for water protection, but offers a more colorful palette of options, with Aloe (green), and Bay (blue) options alongside the white and black.
Looking at the display of the Pixel 8 Pro, we notice a slightly shrunken resolution of 2,992 x 1,344 pixels compared to the predecessor, while it remains 2,400 x 1,080 pixels in the Pixel 8 and 8a. All models repeat images at 120 hertz, with LTPO variable refresh rate technology reserved for the Pro. Incidentally, the brightness of the display has been increased on both devices: 1,400 nits (2,000 nits peak brightness) on the Pixel 8/8a and up to 1,600 nits (peak brightness: 2,400 nits) on the Pixel 8 Pro.
Google Pixel 8’s Tensor G3: SoC and performance
Unsurprisingly, the Tensor G3 replaces the Tensor G2 in the three smartphones. Google itself—logically—calls it the most powerful Pixel processor so far and refers to the expanded AI features. In summary, our tests revealed that the first nona-core processor falls short of its expectations.
Despite its ARM Cortex-X3 prime core with a maximum clock rate of 3.0 GHz, four Cortex A715 performance cores (2.45 GHz), and four additional Cortex A510 efficiency cores (2.15 GHz), it roughly equals the performance of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 from Qualcomm. Demanding games like Genshin Impact are not quite playable on the highest graphic settings. Of course, the processor manufactured by Samsung in a 4-nm process is completely sufficient for everyday use.
This SoC is joined by 12 GB LPDDR5x RAM and up to 512 GB flash storage in the Pixel 8. The Pixel 8 and 8a have 8 GB of RAM and a maximum of 256 GB of storage. In all three models, the storage is not expandable and unfortunately, it is only UFS 3.1 instead of 4.0 storage.
In terms of hardware, we should also mention the new temperature sensor in the Pro model. It is supposed to be enough to point the smartphone at the water for your tea, for example, to display the temperature precisely. Of course, we will also check that in the test. Both models support eSIM, Bluetooth 5.3, and now Wi-Fi 7 as well. The base Pixel 8a, however, is limited to Wi-Fi 6E, but it also supports eSIM.
Google Pixel 8 vs. 8 Pro vs. 8a: Camera
As in the Pixel 7 series, Google installs a dual-cam in the two cheaper models and a triple-cam in the Pro variant in the current edition of the Pixel.
In the Pixel 8 Pro, we find a new main camera with 50 MP, and there is also a 48 MP shooter each for ultra-wide/macro and a telephoto zoom. The latter offers a 5x optical zoom as in the predecessor, as well as a “super-resolution” zoom of up to 30x.
According to Google, the macro mode of the ultra-wide-angle sensor is noticeably better and the telezoom is significantly more sensitive to light. In the Pixel 8, there is a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor in addition to the 50 MP main camera, which also functions as a macro shooter.
The junior 8a model, meanwhile, features the same specifications as the Pixel 7a, which means: A 64-megapixel main camera, with a 13 MP ultra-wide shooter on back; plus a 13-megapixel selfie. We specifically mentioned the 7a model because it performed really well in nextpit’s review.

The camera bar of the Pixel 8 Pro now features a single long, pill-shaped notch. / © nextpit

Images are optically and electronically stabilized on all devices, and the feature set is almost identical on them otherwise as well. There are differences in the autofocus (multi-zone laser autofocus sensor on the Pro instead of single-zone laser autofocus sensor) and the video night vision mode as well as the Pro mode on the more expensive of the three models.
Compared to last year’s Pixels, they want to bring out heavier guns this year, especially in terms of software and AI. The Magic Editor can move objects around the scene and fill the gaps, and the “best shot” function is also new. What can it do? Imagine you’re taking group photos: one buddy is squinting, another has his eyes closed, and a fraction of a second later, someone else is looking down again. “Best Shot” looks for the best picture elements from a sequence and automatically assembles the best possible result.

The regular Pixel 8 has a wide and ultra-wide camera setup. / © nextpit

What emerged in both smartphones during the extensive test is the point that Google did not deliver all the promised camera features in time for the review. The cloud-based Video Boost, which came two months after the Pixel 8 launches, enhances colors, fixes some shaky recordings, and improves lighting on videos.
While the Google Pixel 8 Pro could convince in all aspects photo-wise, the base Pixel did not please so well in wide-angle shots at night. The 8x digital zoom cannot even begin to keep up with the real telephoto zoom camera of the Pro. The latter’s 30x magnified shots still pleased us even in low-light conditions (inside closed rooms).
Pixel 8 camera samples

Main camera (8x digital zoom) © nextpit

Main camera (2x digital zoom) © nextpit

Main camera © nextpit