Although it’s hard to forget — what with all of Google’s AI projects sucking the air out of the room — we did get a new piece of Pixel hardware timed with I/O this year. Despite not appearing on stage, the Pixel 8a hit store shelves timed perfectly to discussions of Project Astra, bringing Google’s latest (and, presumably, forthcoming) AI tools to a cheaper price point than ever. Although reviews, including my own, seem pretty positive about the Pixel 8a, it also seems to have spawned a broader conversation on Google’s smartphone lineup, and whether the A-series lineup should continue after this year at all.
Google Pixel 8a review: A great phone that I’m not sure you should buy
Google’s hardware lineup is in a tricky spot, and the Pixel 8a only makes things more confusing
It’s a conversation that started right as this year’s midrange Pixel became official, thanks in part to an ongoing discount on the standard Pixel 8 that failed to end prior to the announcement. With the $500 Pixel 8a spending its first couple of hours in preorder living next to the $550 Pixel 8, it was tricky for buyers to see any reason to opt for the cheaper model. MKBHD echoed this very point in his impressions, and even after Google ended its Pixel promotion across retailers, the point had already been made: the higher-end Pixel can be yours with just a little bit of patience.
We’ve seen full reviews roll out over the last two weeks, with most Pixel 8a users coming to a similar conclusion. Sure, it’s a good phone for $500 — one that will undoubtedly be even cheaper in just a few months — but when the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro constantly see hundreds of dollars in discounts, what’s the point? This goes double if you’re buying your next phone through a carrier, where trade-in promotions routinely bring all three of Google’s current smartphones down to practically free when split up over 36 monthly payments.
All of this comes as, if you believe the rumors, Google preps for a busy hardware-focused fall. It sounds like we have three Pixel 9 models on the way — four if the Fold’s successor gets a potential rebrand — splitting up the cost of the company’s hardware in an all-new way. It begs the question as to whether we’ll even need future A-series devices in the years to come, or if the constant flow of discounts — combined with older hardware sticking around for longer generations — could take its place.
Google Pixel 9: News, leaks, rumored price, and release window
The Pixel 9 series should be Google’s biggest mobile shakeup since Tensor — here’s what we’re expecting
Personally, I think Google’s Pixel lineup is looking a bit too busy for its own good. If the A-series were to stick around, I think it’d be best targeted by returning to the sub-$400 price sphere, even if that meant relying on older Tensor processors than the current flagship SoC. This way, discounts on future higher-end models wouldn’t necessarily muddy the waters — instead, those flagships would exist on their own pricing plane, while the A-series hardware filled more of an iPhone SE-esque.
I don’t even think it’d be particularly hard to do this. Simply keep the Pixel 8a around for more than its usual twelve months, cutting the price permanently to $400 — or less — sometime in 2025. Google might need to eventually skip a model number to bring refreshed A-series models into the fold, but it would be far from the most confusing aspect to the company’s lineup of hardware. With the promise of seven years of OS upgrades, it’s not like the Pixel 8a would be in danger of its software policy expiring, even a couple of years from now.
Hey Google, why I should I buy the Pixel 8a?
The Pixel 8 is constantly discounted to similar prices
But I’m curious what AP readers think. Despite my reservations on who should buy it, the Pixel 8a is a really excellent phone, and I’m quite taken by both its color choices and its matte plastic back. Do you think the A-series hardware should stick around, or should Google focus its efforts elsewhere while simply keeping older phones in the lineup for longer?