We see if Google’s latest budget phone can tackle the affordable iPhone 15
For many people, getting a new smartphone simply means getting the latest iPhone. Which, right now, more than likely means the iPhone 15. With a compact yet classy design, clean software, extensive support, zippy performance and a great camera, it’s all the phone you really need.
The Google Pixel 8a might have just complicated things for Apple. It ticks off all of those same boxes, but at a significantly lower price than the iPhone 15 retails for.
So how exactly do these two phones compare? Has Google really managed to undercut Apple with its latest mid-range effort?
We’ve now spent a fair amount of time with both phones, and have put both through their paces; see our iPhone 15 review and Google Pixel 8a review. Let’s dive into the similarities and differences, and try to come to some sort of conclusion over which is the better buy.
We’ll start, as always, with a quick run down of the key specifications.Google Pixel 8a vs iPhone 15: specs comparison
Let’s take look at how these two phones stack up to one another on a pure spec-by-spec basis.Google Pixel 8a vs iPhone 15: price and availability
The Pixel 8a landed in shops on May 14, 2024. That makes it quite a bit fresher than the iPhone 15, which arrived eight months earlier on September 12, 2023.
Pricing for the Pixel 8a starts from $499 / £499 / AU$849 for the 128GB model. Alternatively, you can double your storage to 256GB for $559 / £559 / AU$949.
As we mentioned in the intro, this makes it significantly cheaper than the iPhone 15. Apple’s phone starts from $799 / £799 / AU$1,499 for 128GB of storage, while the 256GB costs $899 / £899 / AU$1,699.
We’re talking about a $300 / £300 / AU$650 saving here in the Google phone’s favour. Apple’s phone is going to have to boss things from here on in if it’s to justify such a premium.Google Pixel 8a vs iPhone 15: design and display
Hold these two phones in your hand, and there’s no doubting which is the more expensive. Apple’s iPhone 15 has a flat metal frame and a cool glass back, while the Pixel 8a goes with a rounded metal frame and a plastic back.
The latter is pleasant to hold, thanks to a textured matte finish, but there’s no denying it looks and feels less premium than the iPhone 15 with its color-infused back glass.
Visually, the iPhone 15 proclaims its flagship credentials with uniform screen bezels. The Pixel 8a’s look chunkier by comparison, and the chin is especially pronounced. Apple’s phone has a superior IP68 rating too, which means it’s more water resistant than the IP67-rated Pixel 8a.
The iPhone 15 also packs a unique Dynamic Island cutout. It’s much more prominent than the Pixel 8a’s hole-punch notch, but it’s also way more functional. Not only does it house a secure Face ID authentication system, but it also surfaces widget-like heads-up notifications.
There’s no denying that the iPhone 15 has the better design of these two phones, but things aren’t such plain sailing when you come to consider the displays.
Both phones have color-accurate 6.1-inch OLED panels that can hit a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, but from there things get interesting. The iPhone 15 screen is slightly sharper, exceeding the Pixel 8a’s standard FHD+ output with a 1179 x 2556 resolution.
However, the Pixel 8a gains its own more considerable advantage with a much more fluid 120Hz refresh rate.
