Once again Google finds a way to ruin a good thing. With a $150 price difference between the 8a and main 8 series, I have absolutely no reason to purchase the 8a. There was a time when the A series was half the price of the main series.
When the 7a launched the regular 7 was almost the same price already, so the gap is actually bigger than last year. But I guess they'll just make the upcoming Pixel 9 more expensive as well to restore the gap again.
I think the article only mentions the prices in the Google store, which are way more expensive than other shops. The Pixel 8 128GB is currently available at 550€.
So the Pixel 8a at 570€ would be the more expensive model.
The only reason we have $2k flagships is because they have more premium features which people with lots of disposable income would want to buy. But where are these features now? Provided you aren't shoving extra displays in your device for kicks, everything is ubiquitous (or you're just paying extra for a SaaS unlock). If Tensor G3 sucks like G2 sucks, that impacts all Pixel 8's, not just the A.
There's no more space in the market for an A model and a flagship model. In terms of being the appropriate option for the average person looking for a new phone (i.e what a flagship actually is in principle), the A model is the flagship now.
That's why the price is increasing - it's too popular, they've realised price is once again the driving factor behind most purchase decisions and are now acting to try and preserve the status quo of people buying needlessly expensive handsets for no reason.
I'm not sure about pixel 8/8a,, but I'm typing this on a pixel 7 and it sure ain't got no headphone jack, Jack. If that was my prerogative I'd be using a budget Xiaomi device
This just gets worse and worse, but I still think the lack of sd card slot is the worst thing they never included in the pixel series, and now they are going ahead and fucking with the A series so that it's barelly any cheaper than the flagship?
Google needs to take a steap back and reconsider it.
Aside from the Nexus One, Google phones have not had micro SD card slots. It's crazy how one part of the company (Google Drive) can influence the other (Nexus/Pixel).
Then again, Samsung makes micro SD cards and gutted the slot from their S series too..
I had the 8 GB Nexus 4 and it was annoying to have to clear cache from apps ever so often.
I've had Pixels pretty much the whole time since the Pixel 2, I've dailied every generation except the OG and the 6a, coincidentally. I'm on the 7 now and really like it after thinking the 6 was hot trash. Out of curiosity, why is the 7 "intolerable"? What makes the 6a better?
No youre not. Calyx is a joke, sorry. DivestOS may be okay but its still very different from GrapheneOS.
And no tiny custom Android can fix the issue that hardware manifacturers will not supply a single byte of firmware updates after their contract is done.