Choosing the proper phone is never easy, especially because several manufacturers, such as Google and Xiaomi, provide competitive models with varying strengths in different areas. The Google Pixel 8a vs Xiaomi 14T stand out as two appealing mid-range phones that strike a balance between price and premium features.
While both aspire to provide flagship-level performance at a lower cost, their strengths address significantly different user demands. This is how they compare.
Design and build quality
The Pixel 8a retains the typical Google phone appearance, including the famous camera bar.
This design seems surprisingly premium for a phone with a plastic back. Its compact size, reduced weight of 188g, and IP67 certification make it both robust and practical.
However, the large bezel around the display detracts from its otherwise modern style, making it feel little dated.
In comparison, the Xiaomi 14T has a more sophisticated look, with a frosted glass back and an aluminum-effect plastic frame. It weighs 195g but stays thin and easy to handle.
Its symmetrical, small bezels and IP68 rating increase its luxury appeal, making it more elegant and suitable for consumers looking for durability in harsher conditions.
The Xiaomi 14T edges out the Pixel 8a here with its sleeker build and higher water and dust resistance.
Displays
The Pixel 8a has a 6.1-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a maximum brightness of 2000 nits.
While the display provides beautiful colours, outstanding contrast, and high brightness, the bulky bezel detracts from the immersive viewing experience.
Its stereo speakers provide adequate music quality, completing a good multimedia package for a mid-range phone.
On the other side, the Xiaomi 14T has a bigger 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 4000 nits.
This makes it suitable for HDR video and gaming, resulting in smoother images and improved outdoor visibility.
The phone’s dual speakers also deliver outstanding clarity, albeit the bass lacks depth when compared to higher-end versions.
With a larger, faster and brighter display, the Xiaomi 14T provides a better visual experience.
Cameras
The Pixel 8a’s 64MP main camera, combined with a 13MP ultrawide and 13MP selfie shooter, performs well in a variety of lighting scenarios.
Night Sight and Magic Eraser are great tools for artistic photography, and the phone’s software delivers consistently good images, especially in low light.
The lack of a pro mode may frustrate some users, but the Pixel 8a is unquestionably one of the best point-and-shoot cameras in its class.
Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 14T has a versatile triple camera arrangement that includes a 50MP main lens, a 50MP 2x telephoto, and a 12MP ultrawide. The Leica cooperation introduces unique filters and color profiles that improve the picture experience.
While daylight photos are vivid and detailed, the ultrawide camera loses the sharpness of the main lens, and its low-light performance falls short of the Pixel 8a’s.
For video fans, the Xiaomi 14T stands out with its manual controls and capability for filming in LOG format, which gives it a professional edge.
Despite this, the Pixel 8a’s superior low-light performance and software-driven photography make it the better camera phone overall.
Other differences
The Xiaomi 14T’s MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra outperforms the Pixel 8a’s Tensor G3 in gaming and heavy multitasking, but both phones do ordinary chores well.
The Xiaomi 14T also offers a huge advantage in terms of charging, with 67W fast charging compared to the Pixel 8a’s 18W wired charging and 7.5W wireless charging.
However, the Pixel 8a has wireless charging, which the Xiaomi 14T lacks.
In terms of software, Google’s clean Android 15 experience on the Pixel 8a feels more polished and bloat-free than Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2, which, while extremely customizable, is preloaded with useless apps.
Price
The Google Pixel 8a starts at £499/$499 for the 128GB device, with the 256GB option costing £559.
You may purchase it via Google’s official store as well as online retailers such as Amazon. See the best Pixel 8a discounts to ensure you get it at the lowest possible price.
However, its price rise compared to previous A-series models brings it closer to the flagship Pixel 8, making it a difficult sell for some.
