You might not have even noticed that Google launched the new Pixel 8a smartphone on Tuesday, and I can’t blame you. Google chose to quietly announce the phone on Tuesday, May 7, which is the same day that Apple unveiled the revolutionary new OLED iPad Pro and the next-generation iPad Air. If you’re not an Apple fan, though, you probably don’t care at all about the company’s new tablets. You’ll almost definitely care about Google’s Pixel 8a, though, because it’s one of the most appealing phones that Google has ever made.
The Pixel 8a might not be as powerful as the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro, but it’s not supposed to be. Instead, the Pixel 8a is all about putting Google’s latest and greatest AI features in your pocket for as little money as possible. And the best part is that the Pixel 8a is available for preorder with a special deal right now on Amazon and Best Buy ahead of its May 14 release.
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The Pixel 8a is a very capable mid-range Android phone, with the kind of specs you would expect to see in 2024. Highlights include a 6.12-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, front and rear 13-megapixel cameras, 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, IP67 water and dust resistance, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. It also packs the Google Tensor G3 processor, the Titan M2 security chip, and up to 72 hours of battery life with Google’s Extreme Battery Saver feature.
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That’s all good and well, but the real fun starts when you check out the AI features that Google added to the phone. Here are my five favorite AI features on the Google Pixel 8a:
- Best Take: Uses AI to combine similar photos into one so that, if someone blinked for example, their eyes are open in the final shot
- Audio Magic Eraser: Google’s AI can reduce or even entirely remove background noise from videos
- Magic Editor: This awesome AI-powered photo editing feature lets you do things like change the background of a photo, move objects or people, adjust the lighting, or even completely remove things from a photo
- Night Sight: Everyone knows about this great camera feature, which uses AI to combine multiple low-light exposures to make one image that’s gloriously bright and clear
- Circle to Search: This might be my favorite AI feature from Google — just circle something on the screen, and you can quickly search it on Google
That’s just a small taste of what the Pixel 8a can do. If you’ve seen enough and you’re ready to order one, there are two great pre-order options that you need to check out.
Over on Amazon, you’ll get a free $100 Amazon gift card when you pre-order a 128GB or 256GB Pixel 8a. That effectively cuts your final price from $499 to $399 for the 128GB model, or from $559 to $459 for the 256GB version since you’re getting $100 back in the form of a gift card.
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If you’d rather pre-order from Best Buy instead of Amazon, there’s a separate deal you can take advantage of. You’ll save $100 on the Pixel 8a if you’re willing to activate it with Verizon or AT&T.