Why Does the Pixel 8a Exist?

In this clip, Andrew and David talk about the new Pixel 8a!
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[@AndroidDigest]

It exists for plenty of reasons. All of you are missing some key information: The Pixel 8a will be on sale for about $399 and eventually even $350 in a few weeks. Just because the Pixel 8 was on sale, that doesn't mean the Pixel 8a shouldn't exist. The Pixel 8 released around October of last year. It went on sale a lot, then the Galaxy S24 came out. Does that make the S24 shouldn't exist? Of course not. Retail prices on newer devices are often higher than sale prices on older devices. But after the initial launch, just like the Pixel 7a, we will see the Pixel 8a at like $150 to $200 cheaper for 90% of the same phone. Just like the Fold 6 will be a "bad deal" at launch costing $1,800 when you can buy a used Fold 5 today for like $800. But the Fold 5 drops in price eventually too. It's just dumb and unfair to say a product shouldn't exist because it RETAILS near other products sales prices. That's one thing I think a lot of reviewers are missing. They often give advice and reviews that only lasts for one or two weeks, instead of analyzing the markets long-term and saying what they expect the prices might be in the future, they simply say yes or no, buy it now or don't buy it now, but the review videos only give advice that only lasts about a week and then they move on. This video obviously isn't a review, but the advice here won't last. Give better advice. And you all ALMOST went there. But it got interrupted. You should say "if they are a similar price, buy the Pixel 8. BUT if you're getting a $100 gift card to Amazon, or Best Buy, if you're finding the Pixel 8a on sale. It's going to be one of the best bargains out". That's the better advice. Not completely destroying a phone for no reason.

[@beebs4881]

Target has the 8A for $499 with a $100 gift card right now. Deeper discounts mat come soon

[@BlueeIcee]

i got a 7 pro for like 399, and imo it's a much better device@@beebs4881

[@rowburt]

pixel 8a with GrapheneOS is the way to go if you want a secure phone with amazing privacy, as long as you dont care about CPU and GPU performance.

[@nithinmmukundan]

You can only review for what's currently in the market not something that "could be". At this point of time 8A has terrible value proposition. In countries like India, there is no gift card. And of course, when and if the price drops, the reviewers can come and tell that "Now this makes sense to buy".

[@RiseandGrindFacts]

I'd have not minded if it had atleast 30w of charging But man 18w is slow and unacceptable at this price even if it sales at 300 Not worth it!

[@SimonVelazquez]

I think you guys are getting hung up on the MSRP, despite Google constantly putting their phones on sale. If you pre-order the 8a, you only paid $300.

[@AndroidDigest]

$400. Not $300. But yes.

[@mjjones1045]

They are constantly raising the price as well, so being on sale does not matter as much.

[@SimonVelazquez]

@@AndroidDigest I should've been more specific. I got the pixel 8a through Google Fi and only paid $299.

[@alexanderwhite7105]

Yeah, on Google Fi I can get it for $299.

[@EverydayTechSJB]

​@@mjjones1045 It's the same price as last year

[@Mirtual]

I'm buying it. Don't care if it's similar to the 8, it's cheaper by quite a bit so I don't see why not

[@a1000island]

I have the eight but I do like the rounder design of the 8a and the slightly colors camera bar as well

[@Mirtual]

@@a1000island how's the battery? That's the only thing holding me back, last time I had a pixel the battery was terrible

[@nachoproblem]

It was nice when the "c" line was like a 40% cheaper version of the flagship from 6 months ago, just plastic with one or two things missing. Now there isn't much point because you can get the flagship phone from 6 months ago for around the same price when it goes on sale. Whoever they hired that came up with this pricing scheme is horrible at their job. "let's release a phone that is barely cheaper than our flagship but it has worse specs."

[@tylersanders2388]

This phone is 30% cheaper than the pixel 8. People like you are seriously under exaggerating how much of a difference $200 is coming from a $500 phone. You are parroting tech reviewer talking points and getting upsold by Google to buy their more expensive 6 month old hardware that is basically the same

[@nachoproblem]

@@tylersanders2388 did you not listen to the video or read my comment? The pixel 8 goes on sale a lot for around $500 to $550 making the a series pointless. I owned every pixel A phone up until the 4a. I dot the 4a for like $250 on sale and the launch price was $350. The pixel 4 was $799 and the pixel 5 was $699. A huge difference without it being on sale and the best bang for your buck. I bought 3 pixel 4a's for me and others and it was the price of pretty much one pixel 4. You obviously lack critical thinking skills and didn't understand what points people are making and you are drinking all of the kool-aid to justify the high price on a phone that used to be the best bang for your buck.

[@tylersanders2388]

@@nachoproblem the pixel 8 does not go on sale for 500 to 550 regularly. That is the used price of a pixel 8. It goes on sale for $650 regularly and I’m sure the 8a will go on sale for 450 regularly as well. You have some weird rose colored glasses about past budget phones when this release is similar to past pixels

[@nachoproblem]

@@tylersanders2388 I never said it goes on sale for $500-550 "regularly." I said it has gone on sale for that much. It is even cheaper if you combine it with a carrier's trade-in bonus. Man, you are not smart or good at math at all. "this release is similar to past Pixel phones." I literally just said how it is not and that the price difference changed after the Pixel 4a. You can literally Google the past prices of all of the Pixel phones and you can see that the Pixel 4a was a great deal and then they started adjusting their lineup for the pixel 6/5a and now, as they stated, you are better getting last year's pixel flagship than a new Pixel c product. They ruined the point of the Pixel c. I won't be wasting anymore time replying to you because you lack critical thinking and the ability to read to understand. You are one that just likes to argue because you have nothing else going on.

[@C3lloman]

But it hasn't got worse specs practically. Pixel 3a/4a were plastic with bigger bezels just like the 8a now, but now you get the same chip as on the top end phone too and even with 120 Hz display unlike what you got with the 4a.

[@sidewalkere]

Because sales aplly to everything. Because $100 is still a lot of money. Because not everybody falls from ladders.

[@MrQuay03]

Then get Pixel 8 used for slightly cheaper price or Pixel 7 pro excellent used for $320.

[@sacgeekgirl]

The fact that I get a Pixel ad before watching every YT vid rn 😅😂😅

[@jeffreyjoseph559]

It’s abusive at this point, between the KZbin ads and the NBA playoff ads 😂

[@euanb8484]

In the UK at this exact time I'm commenting there is a trade in offer on the google store where you can get a minimum of £150 off on the 8a with any device, allowing me to trade in an old iPhone 8 and getting £200 off MSRP making it £300. The Pixel 8 however gets a trade in offer of £75 and only allows certain models I've discovered, so even if the pixel 8 goes down in price, it wouldn't be seem in a better value to most people and seeing the 8a as a really good option for them.

[@daveo8673]

Just traded an iphone 11 was offered £280 so the Pixel 8A is costing me £220

[@CURT7714]

Can’t wait til mine arrives! I actually love the A-Series and hope it stays around. You Geeks don’t speak for everyone 🤪

[@Cargo_Bay]

All the retailers selling it offer 100$ gift card, so it depends what you find more value for (Best Buy, Amazon, Target)

[@AndresEduardoMD]

Google is ahead of us. They probably are anticipating an important increase in the price of Pixel 9. So at the end of the year, when the Pixel 8 would be around $500 and Pixel8a would be around $350, you’ll have to make a choice, you get “last year phone” at a higher price, or you can get a 2024 phone for a cheaper price (of course considering the Pixel 9 would be in a different range of price). That’s when the Pixel 8a it’s going to have sense and become a best seller phone. 🤯🤯🤯🤯

[@AmandaHuggenkiss]

The $100 Google Store credit would be good for five months of KZbin Premium at $19 per month

[@jmendoza310]

Got the 8a for $399, huge upgrade from the Pixel 5a. My 5a would overheat often, the 8a gets warm here and now but i can still use it. Was debating waiting for the pixel 9 but id rather just wait for the pixel 10. At $399 the 8a is a beast!!

[@GOkuKakarot17]

Why didnt u buy a pixel 7

[@jmendoza310]

@@GOkuKakarot17 I had the 7. The 8a has 120hz display, Tensor G3 and more rounded corners. Feels better in the hand. I don't use the cameras a lot tbh.

[@GOkuKakarot17]

@@jmendoza310 😑 if I'm ever buying a pixel it will be only for camera

[@xAlienWarfareGamingx]

Bought mine at the $500 msrp and it came with $100 Amazon Gift Card and considering I always buy stuff off of there anyways that basically put the phone at $400, well worth it considering Im upgrading from an old OnePlus 6t thats over 5 years old.

[@VadapavBabu]

Pixel 8A could have been a smaller phone (5.4" or 5.6") and all iPhone mini users would've have immediately switched to it because 12 mini and 13 mini are kinda old now (4 and 3 years old respectively) and also because Apple killed the mini series and there is no small form phone in the market to fill that void right now.

[@kylecastellino6402]

You can get the pixel 8a basically for free if you trade in your pixel 7 or 7 pro in Australia…

[@EmmaMoshood-qb8tt]

I look forward to seeing you all in person; you guys are great! 👍 👌

[@Mirtual]

What do you mean by this?😊

[@EmmaMoshood-qb8tt]

​@@Mirtual I know this might be off-topic, but I just wanted to say that I really love the team, especially David and Marquees.

[@Mirtual]

@@EmmaMoshood-qb8tt yeah but are you meeting them in person? How?

[@MrComicalmoodydan]

It seems like a decent device and it's free if you sign up for Google Fi for 2 years at the moment. Yes the MSRP is high but it's not going anywhere near that unless you just want it fully unlocked no carrier.

[@QuellTheHeresy]

People always fail to mention than the display is a craply rigid OLED panel (poor off axis performance, uniformity ect) and that tensor a series processors are actually made in a worse way than the main phones, just get the 6,7 or 8 and ignore the cost cutting devices.

[@a1000island]

Whole time both 6 and 7a took the MKBHD blind camera test two years in a row But yeah avoid these crappy phones that are fair priced with decent performance and pretty much the best cameras

[@QuellTheHeresy]

@@a1000island you're paying a very similar price at launch for an objectively inferior phone to the main series, then people get them and complain about the cameras lack of versatility, the poor performance and heating and the display uniformity, at least in the case of the 8a the 8 is a no brainer whatsoever.

[@komodoensis-rex]

Hopefully the speakers aren't trash like the 7a

[@QuellTheHeresy]

They will be, but an EQ can make them a bit brighter and louder at least.

[@udayabhaskar]

Andrew in the thumbnail 🥴🥃😂

[@gbsorenson]

Google Fi subscribers could get $200 off when pre-ordering the 8A, my adult son is still in my Fi group and could use a new phone so I ordered him the 256gb model for $349. I think that's a pretty good buy.

[@apollojackson3342]

I like how most of the comments are finally mostly positive because it's always the other way around. But also everyone has a good point and that is why I recently bought it. It is a good phone with good hardware and software for a cheap price that is currently better than a lot of other phones so that is why it exists

[@tzechZ4]

Apple redrops the mini and people would lose their minds

[@mommyofceos]

I really like the phone. Purchased for my son and I don't see why you wouldn't buy it ijs

[@theb4dwolf]

Just ordered the 8a for €215 with my carrier discount.

[@eddierubio2796]

google messed this whole launch up badly. they set the price too high knowing they would discount it and then once they discounted the 8 to 550 they set that price. The deals disappeared so it looked like there was a 200 dollar difference between the two and then screw earl y adopters by releasing a 3 day sale in the UK for only the pixel 8 starting today taking the 8 to 850 and keeping the 8A at 499. They managed to screw over the early adopters, devalue the price of the 8A int he first two weeks and totally piss everyone off. the 8A should have been set at 350 from the start and just maintain the price.

[@QuellTheHeresy]

What's dumber is that you can still get the 8 at certain retailers for like £560 so only 60 more than the 8a.

[@a1000island]

The 7a is now 350 brand new that's 150 less Had the 8a been 350 and they kept that same price difference the 7a would cost 200 brand new Make that make sense...

[@pixelgaming7261]

Google probably released the Pixel 8a before Google I/O because everybody had leaked everything about it, so there was nothing else new to show.

[@Fchwpo0530]

to sell the 8

[@freakazoid9889]

On launch no, but give it a few months and on contract you will see 8a for around 15$ a month for 2 years and no downpayment. That's like $360. It's well worth it at that price. Especially in today's economy. I'm talking CAD.

[@Scooper48]

Hear me out, if the supposed rumours are true for the Pixel 9 series. Google should drop the a series and make the Pixel 9 the equivalent of the a series, and then have the 9 Pro and the 9 Pro XL as the other two options, the A series is just a waste of time at this stage.

[@Oxol33]

They should have gone with the 4a form factor and added an SD card slot.

[@QuellTheHeresy]

No pixel has ever or will ever have an SD card slot.

[@vitaliivanziak8047]

Mostly for Android developers

[@noahmaune713]

It's a great phone

[@Hiluxtaco]

Google will lower the price of the 8a shortly to $399..

[@wario7393]

A phone being on SALE shouldn't be considered as their real price. MSRP is the OFFICIAL price thatba brand is communicating to the world. If they don't want people to conaider that the actual price, they shouldn't have said that 499 is the MSRP. Just imagine if the script is flipped. Apple just announced that the MSRP of the new iPhone 16 Pro is $1500. But they often went on sale for $900. Which price would the media use as the Official pric of 16 Pro?

[@pixelgaming7261]

We need a $200 Pixel 8c.

[@a1000island]

You need a refurbished 6 or 7a then

[@MrSmith717]

I also don't know why the Pixel 8a exists if Pixels don't seem to be getting better. I have a Pixel 6 for 2 years now and it is getting buggier and buggier. Display records touches weirdly, battery getting worse and worse, fingerprint sensor still carp and it weighs like a ton compared to other phones. Pixel Assistant is also almost unusable comparing how well it worked and understood my questions like time zons, population of cities etc. The only saving graces are the camera, somewhat okay performance and the stock OS.

[@Tim_Dunkin]

When are ppl gonna understand when they drop the price of one they drop the price of the other? It's not a difficult concept to grasp I swear lol

[@renofumi28]

Pixel 8a is the stupid phone that going to get a lot of love. So stupid that it's been rumored for a really long time and it came out really really late, and pixel fans still love it because the 8a is packed with feature that exist on their flagship device.

[@thefergyfilms]

Pixel ruined the A series by hiking up the price and giving it too many costly features. It should have remained a minimalist phone for $300 without wireless charging, without a 2nd wide lens camera, with the plastic build, & with the headphone jack.

[@michaeljeacock]

8a will also go on sale just like every bloody pixel phone. all you are saying is don't buy any pixel on release day.

[@anomaly810]

Bruh it would be on sale No Me: surprised Pikachu face

[@VinnyUnion]

so that you can make money from talking about it.

[@DylanPattyn]

A always sucks…. Never seen one worth getting instead. Played with a 7A last year and even with tensor its not worth it. Dont understand the market for the A’s, SE’s or FE’s at all. Seems like a scam compared to the base models

[@dontliem1]

I really like original SE and mine’s still working. At the time of release it was modern hardware in more convenient form factor than 6. Now I use 12 mini and I think SEs today should use its body, it’s so good

[@CartManBrahhhhh]

What a bunch of nerds. It's a gorgeous looking phone. When the 8 drops 8a also drops in price. Still worth the difference for almost the exact same stuff?

[@djbullet1]

Google knights are here 😊

[@lbeetech]

Why do any Pixel phones exist?

[@AmandaHuggenkiss]

For photography …

[@lbeetech]

@AmandaHuggenkiss It's a phone though, there are plenty of much better small digital cameras...

[@3rdWorldNola]

Just buy an iPhone...😢

[@wingious]

No one care’s about it all people do is buy it and return it 🥱