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Google Pixel 8a hands-on: 3 features make this my favorite $499 phone today

A morning spent with the newest Pixel revealed vital upgrades that make it the mid-range phone to beat.

Besides having near-symmetrical bezels on all sides and a flat design that should make applying screen protectors a breeze, the 6.1-inch Actua display passed my initial eye test, delivering vibrant colors and more than enough resolution (1080 x 2400) for its size. Kerry Wan/ZDNETWhen I first held the Pixel 8a, two thoughts came to mind: 1) The 6.1-inch size makes it very comfortable to hold up for photos and videos, and 2) The new "Aloe" color looks more like spearmint gum than the slime green that early renders had suggested. Achieving that price meant Google had to scale back on certain aspects, such as the less durable Corning Gorilla Glass 3, the slower peak 18W charging rate, and the dual-camera setup that's been recycled from last year's Pixel 7a.

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