Google Pixel 8a Alternatives: OnePlus 12R, Apple iPhone 14, Nothing Phone 2, and More

Google has launched its next-generation Pixel 8a in India. The latest Google Pixel phone brings an interesting set of features and specifications with a special focus on AI. The handset is currently available for pre-order with sales set to begin at 6:30 am IST on May 14. The smartphone will be available for purchase from Flipkart. The Google Pixel 8a is equipped with a Tensor G3 processor, 8GB RAM, and a dual rear camera setup. 

Google Pixel 8a price in India starts at Rs. 52,999 for the 128GB variant, while the top-end 256GB option comes with a price tag of Rs. 59,999. That said, in this price segment, we already have smartphones from popular brands like Samsung, OnePlus, iQOO, and more that deliver some true value-for-money proposition, which makes the new Pixel 8a a bit overpriced. If you are considering the Pixel 8a as your next smartphone companion, be sure to check out these alternatives first. 

Apple iPhone 14

Apple iPhone 14 is among the best alternatives to the latest Pixel 8a. Although the model is slightly older, getting it at a price of under Rs. 60,000 sure makes it a value-for-money proposition. The iPhone 14 packs a 6.1-inch OLED display that offers 1,200 nits of peak brightness.

It also features an A15 Bionic chipset, which delivers excellent performance. On the camera front, the phone offers a dual-camera setup with a 12-megapixel sensor and a secondary 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. 

Interestingly enough, if you are willing to spend some extra cash, then you can also get the latest iPhone 15 model for under Rs. 70,000 price in the country, which also makes a great alternative to the Pixel 8a. 

Samsung Galaxy S23

Samsung’s flagship model from last year is also a great alternative to the Google Pixel 8a. The compact flagship smartphone from the company is currently available for under Rs. 60,000 on Amazon and Flipkart, which makes it a worthy rival to the Pixel 8a. 

Samsung Galaxy S23 offers a 6.1-inch Infinity O Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. It is powered by the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor coupled with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. 

The phone also packs a punch in the camera department with its 50-megapixel main rear camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 10-megapixel telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom. On the front, you get a 12-megapixel camera with f/2.2 aperture. The phone packs a 3,900mAh battery and offers 25W fast charging support along with wireless charging capabilities. 

OnePlus 12R

The OnePlus 12R is yet another arch-rival of the Pixel 8a. The latest OnePlus smartphone brings some flagship-grade features at a much lower price than the Pixel 8a. The OnePlus 12R price in India starts at Rs. 39,999, while the top-end model is priced at Rs. 45,999, which is still Rs. 14,000 cheaper than the top-end variant of the Pixel 8a. 

The phone packs a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with up to 4,500 nits of peak brightness and a 360Hz touch sampling rate. The screen is also protected with Corning Gorilla Victus 2. The handset is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which delivers flagship performance, along with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

For optics, the OnePlus 12R gets triple rear cameras with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. On the front, the phone offers a 16-megapixel shooter with f/2.4 aperture. The OnePlus 12R is loaded with a 5,500mAh battery and offers 100W SuperVOOC fast charging support. 

iQoo 12

Moving on, the iQoo 12 is another strong competitor to the Pixel 8a smartphone. The flagship model from the Chinese brand brings all the latest bells and whistles to the table. More importantly, it is still priced evenly with the Pixel 8a. You get the base variant that offers 12GB RAM and 256GB storage for Rs. 52,999, while the top-end variant is priced at Rs. 57,999, which is still lower than the Pixel 8a top-end variant. 

Coming to the specifications of the iQoo 12, the phone offers a 6.79-inch 1.5K LTPO AMOLED display with 144Hz variable refresh rate and 3,000nits of peak brightness. The phone packs the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. 

On the camera front, the iQoo 12 offers a triple-camera setup with a combination of a 50-megapixel Omnivision OV50H primary sensor, a 50-megapixel ultra-wid-angle lens, and a 64-megapixel 3x telephoto lens. On the front, you get a 16-megapixel shooter for selfies and video calling. The phone is loaded with a 5,000mAh battery with 120W ultra-fast flash charging support. 

Nothing Phone 2

Lastly, we have the Nothing Phone 2, which again is a good alternative to the Pixel 8a. The smartphone from Nothing offers a unique design language and a good balance of software and hardware. The phone recently received a price cut, and it now starts at Rs. 39,999 for the base variant, while the top-end variant is priced at Rs. 49,999. 

The smartphone offers a 6.7-inch full-HD+ OLED display with 120Hz screen refresh rate. The phone is equipped with the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, up to 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The phone packs a dual-camera setup with a 50-megapixel primary sensor and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. On the front, you get a 32-megapixel shooter for selfies and video calling. The handset features a 4,700mAh battery with 45W fast charging support.