Design and Display Quality
Design: The Motorola Edge (2024) and the Google Pixel 8a both bring unique design elements to stand out from the competition. The Edge uses a vegan leather material for its back, offering a non-slip and fingerprint-resistant finish. In contrast, the Pixel 8a features the iconic camera bar, which adds stability when placed on flat surfaces. The Edge is taller and thinner, making it lighter and easier to handle, though less comfortable for one-handed use. The Edge also has a slight edge in durability with an IP68 rating compared to the Pixel 8a's IP67.
Display: Both phones feature impressive displays but with different drawbacks. The Edge's wrap-around display suffers from reflection issues, while the Pixel 8a's thick bezels can be visually unappealing. The Edge offers a higher refresh rate of 144Hz compared to the Pixel's 120Hz. Both phones perform well in direct sunlight.
Performance and Software
Performance: The Pixel 8a outperforms the Edge (2024) in benchmarks, thanks to its Tensor G3 chip, which is used in Google's flagship models. Despite the Edge's Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor being less powerful, real-world performance differences are minimal. The Pixel 8a also benefits from faster LPDDR5x RAM compared to the Edge's LPDDR4X.
Software: The Pixel 8a offers a significant advantage with seven years of software support, compared to only two years for the Edge (2024). The Pixel also includes advanced AI features like Magic Editor and Photo Unblur. Both phones come with Android 14 and clean UIs, but the Edge offers unique gestures for quick access to features.
Camera
Both phones have dual camera systems, consisting of a main and ultra-wide camera.
Main Camera: The Pixel 8a's main camera delivers better-balanced images with superior HDR performance, while the Edge's main camera often produces overly contrasty photos.
Zoom Quality: The Pixel 8a handles digital zoom better, offering clearer and sharper images.
Ultra-wide Camera: The Pixel 8a provides more realistic colors and details, whereas the Edge suffers from unrealistic color representation and high contrast.
Selfies: The Pixel 8a delivers more accurate colors and better-balanced lighting, though the Edge produces sharper images.
Video: Both phones can shoot 4K video at 60FPS, but the Pixel 8a maintains consistent quality across different cameras and zoom levels. The Edge offers smoother stabilization.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery: The Edge (2024) has a larger 5,000mAh battery, significantly outlasting the Pixel 8a's 4,492mAh battery in various tests. The Edge also charges much faster, with 68W wired and 15W wireless charging compared to the Pixel's 18W wired and 7.5W wireless charging.
Audio Quality and Haptics
Audio: Both phones have subpar audio quality, but the Edge (2024) avoids the distortion issues found in the Pixel 8a at higher volumes.
Haptics: Both phones offer precise and strong haptic feedback, making typing and navigation enjoyable.
Conclusion
Motorola Edge (2024):
- Pros: Ergonomic design, long battery life, fast charging.
- Cons: Short software support, lower camera performance in certain aspects.
Google Pixel 8a:
- Pros: Long software support, reliable camera performance, advanced AI features.
- Cons: Thicker bezels, slower charging.
Verdict: While both phones offer unique advantages, the Pixel 8a stands out as the better choice due to its longer software support, more reliable camera performance, and inclusion of flagship-level AI features. The Motorola Edge (2024) excels in battery life and charging speed but is hindered by its short software support period.