Head to head
Google Pixel 8avsGoogle Pixel 8
The short answer
Neither the Pixel 8a nor the Pixel 8 wins a row by a gap you’d notice. The Pixel 8a gets security updates for longer: until May 2031, against October 2030 for the Pixel 8.
- Released
- 2024-05-14endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Security updates until
- 2031-05-01endoflife.date — Pixel, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Released
- 2023-10-04endoflife.date, retrieved 2026-08-20
- Security updates until
- 2030-10-01endoflife.date — Pixel, retrieved 2026-08-20
0 wins for Pixel 8a0 wins for Pixel 82 gaps borderline4 differences you won’t notice
Verdict: nothing you’d notice between them
On the makers’ figures and the named third-party sources, neither the Pixel 8a nor the Pixel 8 wins a row by a gap you would notice. 2 gaps are borderline, differences most people would not notice: fast charging (30 W from the maker against 18 W from GSMArena) for the Pixel 8 and wireless charging (18 W against 7.5 W, both from GSMArena) for the Pixel 8. The differences in weight, display size, battery capacity and Geekbench 6 (CPU, multi-core) are below the thresholds you would notice. Both state the same refresh rate, peak brightness, typical brightness, HDR peak brightness, storage (base) and RAM. The other 32 rows have no threshold or no direction to judge by, so nobody wins them.
True to scale
Outlines from each maker’s published dimensions, drawn to scale. Corner rounding is our drawing convention, not a measurement.
Specifications
A win is marked only where the figures can be ranked and the gap is one you could notice. A row the site has no threshold for says whether the two differ, and that it is not ranking them. = marks the same figure on both, ≠ not ranked a difference with no ranking. Every figure carries its source.
Body
Display
Platform
Memory
Camera
Battery
Connectivity
Benchmarks
7 attributes neither phone has a sourced figure for
OS versions supported · Google Mobile Services · Telephoto · Claimed video playback · AnTuTu benchmark · 3DMark Wild Life Extreme · SAR (EU, head). Rows appear as sources are cited — a gap in our data, not a statement about either phone.
Questions
Is the Pixel 8a better than the Pixel 8?
On the figures, neither: no row has a gap between them you’d notice. The differences that exist are borderline, too close to notice, or not ranked.
Which has the better battery?
The Pixel 8 is ahead on paper, but not by a gap you’d notice: battery capacity, 4,575 mAh against 4,492 mAh (both Google).
Which is lighter?
The Pixel 8 is lighter on paper, but not by a gap you’d notice: weight, 187 g against 189 g (both Google).
Which has the brighter screen?
Neither: both state 2,000 nits for peak brightness (Google). Both state 1,400 nits for typical brightness (Google). Both state 1,400 nits for HDR peak brightness (Google).
Which gets updates for longer?
The Pixel 8a gets security updates for longer: until May 2031, against October 2030 for the Pixel 8. Sources: dates from endoflife.date.
Other comparisons
The pairs a buyer of either phone would also weigh. Any two phones in the catalogue can be compared from the chooser.