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Google Pixel 8a
Midrange championGoogle’s Pixel A-series has become the golden standard for midrange phones. The Pixel 8a continues that legacy, providing an almost identical experience to the more expensive Pixel 8. Google did so much right when crafted this device, that its few flaws are easily overlooked.
Pros- Great build quality
- Amazing camera quality
- Seven years of software support
Cons- Large, uneven bezels
- May not get all AI features over time
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Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Tiny by designThe Apple iPhone SE is a very powerful device that has a decent main camera and good battery life. Unfortunately, it’s held back by its dated design and inferior LCD panel. If you are already in the Apple ecosystem and want something small, it may deserve a glance, but its a tough sell.
Pros- Great overall performance
- Decent battery life
- Good build quality
Cons- Very old design and display
- Base model should have 128GB of storage
- Proprietary charging
When shopping for your next phone, the platform of your current device will influence your next one. If you are already in the Android or Apple ecosystem, you will likely want to remain in that ecosystem. While it’s good to know what you want, sometimes it’s important to keep an open mind. This is especially true when shopping for anything other than one of the best Android devices currently available.
Some people are platform-agnostic or are open to the idea of getting something new. These shoppers are not hamstrung by platform loyalty, and can instead focus on getting the best device at that moment. For people on a budget, the Google Pixel 8a and the Apple iPhone SE 2022 represent each company’s best and most recent attempt at providing a great device at a reasonable price. The only issue is that while these midrange devices might share a similar price tag, they were not created equally.
Best budget Android phones in 2024
These days, you don’t have to pay through the nose to get a decent phone
Price, availability, and specs
Google has been on a steady cadence with its Pixel A-series devices, releasing one each year. This release schedule has allowed Google to push the envelope with each iteration, providing exceptional value for the price. The Pixel 8a was launched in May 2024 for $499 for the 128GB version or $559 for the 256GB one. It comes in four colors: Aloe, Bay, Porcelain, and Obsidian.
Apple hasn’t been nearly as consistent with the iPhone SE series, with the last one being released way back in March 2022. It will be tough for a two-year-old device in this price range to compete with a much more recent one, especially with its $429 price tag. The iPhone is available in Midnight, Starlight, and Red.
Being a Pixel and an iPhone, you can expect to find these devices everywhere phones are sold. They are available directly from Google or Apple, from retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy, or your favorite carrier.
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Google Pixel 8a Apple iPhone SE (2022) SoC Google Tensor G3 A15 Bionic Display type OLED, 120Hz IPS LCD Display dimensions 6.1″, 20:9 4.7″ Display resolution 1080 x 2400 1334 x 750 RAM 8GB 4GB Storage 128GB, 256GB 64GB, 128GB, 256GB Battery 4492mAh 2,018mAh Charge speed 18W wired, 7.5W wireless 20W wired, 7.5W wireless Ports USB-C Lightning Front camera 13MP, f/2.2 7 MP, f/2.2 Rear camera 64MP f/1.89 OIS main, 13MP f/2.2 wide 12 MP, f/1.8 OIS main Cellular connectivity Sub-6 5G (optional mmWave) 5G, LTE Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.0 Dimensions 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9mm 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm Weight 188g 144g IP Rating IP67 IP67 Colors Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, Aloe Midnight, Starlight, Red Price $499 $429
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
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iPhone SE (2022) review: An easy Android off-ramp
But there are better mid-range Android phones than the new iPhone SE for the same price (or less)
Design
Two phones that were designed for different eras
Budget devices have gone through quite a transformation over the past couple of years. It wasn’t that long ago that a midrange device meant settling on an old or inferior build compared to getting a flagship device.
That philosophy has changed, as more and more companies are choosing to keep the same design throughout their entire lineup. Complete with rounded edges and its camera visor, the Pixel 8a looks distinctly like a Pixel device and offers a design that is almost indistinguishable from the Pixel 8.
The front of the Pixel 8a is mostly display, with moderately sized bezels and a hole-punch selfie camera. It has an aluminum frame and while the back is made of plastic, it doesn’t feel cheap in the hand. The back also has a camera visor that houses the dual-camera setup.
The Pixel 8a is a compact device that measures 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9mm and weighs 188g. It carries an IP67 rating against water and dust ingress. It also has an under-display optical fingerprint sensor.
Too old for its own good
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Apple didn’t quite get the memo when it launched the iPhone SE lineup. The iPhone SE uses a design that first appeared back in 2014 with the launch of the iPhone 6. The overall design was already eight years old when the iPhone SE 2022 edition launched. The now almost 10-year-old design makes it feel antiquated and out of touch.
The iPhone SE 2022 has a small display that is flanked by very large bezels. The top bezel houses the front-facing camera and a speaker, while the bottom one has the touch sensor and home button. The home button is not a physical button, but thanks to Apple’s impressive haptics, it feels like it is. It also uses TouchID, which is responsive and very accurate.
Being from a different era, the iPhone SE is very small. At 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm and weighing 144g, the iPhone is tiny compared to any other modern device. It is built with an aluminum frame and has a glass back. There’s not a lot going on in the back except for its singular camera lens.
Display
Shiny and new or old and tiny
As time has passed, display technology has improved to the point where the best budget devices often have displays comparable to flagship devices. As a result, the Pixel 8a outclasses the iPhone SE by a wide margin.
The Pixel 8a comes equipped with a fantastic 20:9, 6.1-inch OLED, HDR display. With a resolution of 2400 x 1080, the display is sharp and its 120Hz refresh rate makes for a smooth and fluid experience. Using the display outdoors isn’t a concern thanks to its 2000 nits of peak brightness. The Pixel 8a offers a great experience no matter if you are scrolling the web or watching your favorite show.
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Unfortunately, that same experience is just not available on the iPhone SE. With a tiny 4.7-inch LCD panel, consuming media is not nearly as enjoyable. You’re going to lose the inky blacks and the vibrant colors of a modern OLED. With only 625 nits of brightness, the display is also going to appear dim or washed out in bright conditions.
The iPhone has an older 16:9 display, with a resolution of just 1334 x 750. For a screen of that size, the resolution still provides decent sharpness, but the 16:9 display ratio doesn’t always play nicely with certain websites and apps. Certain elements may get cut off or require horizontal scrolling.
Software
All about preference
Google and Apple are the only two manufacturers that have full control over both the hardware that goes into their devices, and their respective operating systems. This control leads to tight integration and highly optimized platforms.
The Pixel 8a comes with Android 14 and Pixel UI. Thanks to Google’s ability to optimize its system, Pixel UI is quite snappy and clean. It offers an adaptive design with Material You, giving your phone the ability to pull colors from your wallpaper and apply them to the theme used throughout your device.
Like its more expensive siblings, the Pixel 8a gets some fun AI tricks that range in their usefulness. You get Best Take, which lets you combine multiple photos into one, ensuring that everyone is smiling and looking at the camera. You also get an Audio Magic Eraser to reduce unwanted noises in video and a Magic Editor for photo manipulation. Google’s AI even helps with phone calls, to-do lists, and searches.
Well-integrated and well-controlled
The iPhone SE 2022 runs iOS, which is both a more integrated system and a much more controlled one. If you are already in the Apple ecosystem, it just makes sense to get a phone that can utilize its deep integration with Apple products. Mac products, iPads, iPhones, and even the Apple TV are designed to work together to create a cohesive ecosystem that has yet to be fully matched on the Android side.
Apple devices come with iMessage and FaceTime, making video calls and text chats seamless and easy. Apple’s forced adoption of RCS should finally allow it to play nice with Android users out there.
There are some issues with Apple’s approach. It lacks flexibility and can be restrictive for those who like to tinker or customize their phones. It lacks a universal back button or gesture, which can make navigating the UI annoying for people switching from Android.
Software support on both devices is fantastic. The Pixel 8a will get seven years of Android and security updates. Apple also supports its devices for about seven years, meaning the iPhone SE 2022 should continue to get updates until about 2029. Being an iPhone means you get the latest software at the same time as all other iPhones, and you typically get all the latest features.
Performance
Snappy and smooth
Google equipped the Pixel 8a with a Tensor G3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. The Tensor G3 is not nearly as fast as the last few iterations of Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon processors, but it provides snappy performance and a decent gaming experience. One thing to keep in mind is that Tensor processors can get hot. As noted in our review, we found that the Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8a continues that trend, getting hot enough to become uncomfortable to use for a bit.
The iPhone SE comes with Apple’s A15 Bionic processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage. Don’t get caught up with the 4GB of RAM, as it’s not limiting on iOS. The iPhone SE is incredibly fast and gaming on the iPhone is a great experience, minus the lackluster display. Even though the A15 Bionic is a few years older than the Tensor G3, it’s still the more capable processor in every scenario.
Apple should, however, be ashamed of itself for using 64GB of storage on the base model. It’s just not enough and, quite frankly, a slap in the face to unknowing Apple users. Apple should have dropped the 64GB model a long time ago.
Battery life
About what you would expect
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The Pixel 8a comes with a 4,492mAh battery with 18W USB-C wired charging or up to 7.5W wireless charging. The iPhone SE 2022 has a 2,018mAh battery, which charges up to 20W via its Lightning port, or up to 7.5W wirelessly.
Looking at the battery capacities, it would be easy to think that the Pixel 8a should have superior battery life, but that’s not the case here. The battery life of both the Pixel 8a and the iPhone SE are on par with what you would expect from a modern smartphone. You should be able to get five to seven hours of screen time for general use before both phones go dark. Keep in mind that the number is going to be lower if you push your phone, such as during an extended gaming session.
Camera
More cameras mean more flexibility
Google’s Pixel series is well known for its camera prowess. The Pixel 8a uses the same camera setup as the Pixel 7a, which results in the same great camera performance. The Pixel 8a has a 64MP, f/1.9 main camera with OIS and a 13MP, f/2.2 ultrawide with a 120-degree field of view. It also has a 13MP, f/2.2 front-facing camera. It can record video at up to 4K, 60fps from the main camera and 4K, 30fps from the selfie camera.
The iPhone comes with a single 12MP, f/1.8 camera with OIS. It also has a 7MP, f/2.2 front-facing camera. The single rear camera can record video at up to 4K 60fps, while the front-facing camera can do 1080p at 30fps.
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In good light, both the Pixel and the iPhone can produce some great images with the edge going to the Pixel 8a. Google’s device has a significant advantage as lighting becomes less ideal. In low-light situations, the iPhone is going to produce muddy and disappointing images.
Neither device has a telephoto camera, so zooming in with either isn’t going to be ideal. The Pixel 8a does have an ultrawide camera, which gives it a huge advantage in versatility. Being able to tap into the ultrawide gives you a greater range of flexibility when composing your shot, especially if you love landscape photography.
Which is right for you?
While the age-old Android versus iOS debate isn’t going to be settled with these devices, there isn’t much of a contest here. The Pixel 8a is easily the winner in what is a borderline embarrassing showing for Apple.
The Pixel 8a offers a vastly better display, solid performance, and great software support. It also has a superior camera system, being far more reliable over a wider breadth of situations. The only knock against the Pixel 8a is the Tensor G3 processor, which, to be quite honest, is more than capable for the vast majority of users out there.
Google Pixel 8a
The Google Pixel 8a is a near-perfect midrange device. You get a fantastic display, solid performance, good battery life, and one of the best cameras on a phone. It has a couple of shortcomings, but it offers the best blend of capabilities that makes you wonder why anyone should ever spend more on a phone.
Apple is rumored to be revamping the SE lineup sometime in 2025, which it’s in desperate need of. The iPhone SE is held back by its dated design, lackluster display, and single camera. It’s not all bad as it does offer fantastic performance and good battery life.
If you are already in the Apple ecosystem, you also get the benefit of good integration between Apple products. The iPhone SE may also please those who want a small device.
The only way an iPhone SE can beat out a similarly priced Android device is if that device has terrible performance, which isn’t the case here. If you want the Apple integration, then go for the iPhone SE, otherwise, the Pixel 8a is without a doubt the winner here.
Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Apple desperately needs to refresh the iPhone SE lineup as it feels like a device that is stuck in the past with its dated design and old display technology. It does offer great overall performance and integrates well into the Apple ecosystem. For the price, there are much better options available.
