The Google Pixel 8a and the OnePlus 12R are two of the best phones you can buy for $500. But which one is the better purchase for you? Let's find out.
After almost a year of leaks and teasing, the Google Pixel 8a is finally official. It runs much of the same hardware as the slightly more expensive Pixel 8 and offers a similar experience with onboard AI features. It is also the only $500 phone to get seven years of software updates.
While having only subtle differences from the expensive models by either company, the Pixel 8a and OnePlus 12R vary greatly. The Pixel 8a dons a simplistic look with a flat display on the front and a horizontal dual-camera camera setup on the back. Google uses a plastic-reinforced composite material back panel with a recycled aluminum mid-frame and plank to seat the cameras and flash.
The OnePlus 12R gets a frosted finish on the back, while the mid-frame and the camera bay are mainly composed of shinier, more reflective surfaces. It gets two colors primarily — gray and blue — but there’s also the special edition Genshin Impact variant with an Electric Violet back with elements inspired by the game.
There’s an optical fingerprint scanner embedded in the display. Further, in terms of durability, the Pixel 8a gets minimal scratch resistance with Gorilla Glass 3, which is several years old. The OnePlus 12R’s display has Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on top, which offers greater durability and scratch resistance than the Pixel 8a.
In contrast, the OnePlus 12R runs a more reliable and widely used Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. It is complemented by up to 16GB of RAM, but the same slower UFS 3.1 might bottleneck it from reaching the highest speeds. When it comes to charging, however, it still supports a dismally slow charging speed of just 18 watts. That means you will likely resort to charging your phone at night and keeping it tethered at a desk during the desk. If you choose the latter, Google has thankfully included wireless charging up to 7.5W on the phone. But if you wish for a quick dash of charge in just a few minutes, that may not be possible with the Pixel 8a.
The Pixel 8a essentially uses the same dual-camera setup as the Google Pixel 7a. Although the hardware isn’t spectacular — especially compared to the Pixel 8 or 8 Pro — Google extensively improves images with its machine-learning prowess. The Pixel 7a already captures detailed pictures with just the right amount of processing.
For better videos, the Pixel 8a also offers 4K timelapse, cinematic panning and focus lock, and support for the high-efficiency video format HEVC. You can also filter out unwanted background noise using Audio Magic Eraser. However, there is no HDR video recording as on the Pixel 8 phones. Google also omitted the Pro mode that is otherwise seen on the more expensive phones.
Overall, the Pixel 8a’s longer list of features and better software-based refinements propel it to the finish line as the better camera phone.Google Pixel 8a vs. OnePlus 12R: software and updates Last year, Google raised the bar for software updates on Android phones by promising seven years of support with the Pixel 8 devices. This year, the Pixel 8a is continuing that promise, which means it will outlast the Pixel 8 in terms of software updates.
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