In the midst of all the iPad buzz yesterday, Google launched its first Pixel phone in 2024, thePixel 8a . At$499, the mid-range Android won't best your iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in a camera shootout. But from my brief moment testing the phone ahead of its launch, it's safe to say that you won't find a more capable handset for the money.

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

Right now, in light of preorder season for the Pixel 8a,Google and severalmajor retailers are bundling the already great-value phone with a$100 gift card when you buy the device, bringing the realized cost down to just$399.

Get a$100 gift card when you preorder the Google Pixel 8a (save$100)

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For the price, you're getting a 6.1-inch Android phone with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, Google's flagship Tensor G3 chip for enhanced AI features like Magic Editor, Audio Eraser, and more, and a reliable camera system that should capture great-looking photos both during the day and night.

How do I know that? The 64MP and 13MP rear sensors on the Pixel 8a are the same as last year's Pixel 7a, which I found to be very capable, especially when they're backed by Google's computational processing. You won't find a dedicated telephoto lens on the Pixel 8a -- because you can only get so much with a$499 phone -- but with the help of software and probably a bit of AI to isolate subjects, you can achieve a similar level of bokeh when capturing portrait photos and videos.

Also: Google Pixel 7a vs. Google Pixel 8a: Which model should you buy?

For things that have improved from last year's model, the Pixel 8a now features a 120Hz display that gets plenty bright for outdoor use. The back cover has also been treated with a matte-textured layering that makes it less prone to fingerprint smudges, oil stains, and other daily wear and tear.

But the biggest kicker with the Pixel 8a is Google's commitment to providing seven years of operating system, security, and feature updates, meaning the phone should be feature-relevant until 2031. Some flagship phones today don't even get the same level of software support as the Pixel 8a, let alone handsets at a similar price.

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