Google Pixel 8a / Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation, 2022)

Google Pixel 8a: 8 GB RAM, 128/256 GB; North America GKV4X, rest of world G6GPR, Japan G576D, mmWave model G8HHN.

Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation, 2022): iPhone SE (3rd generation, 2022): 64, 128 or 256 GB; Midnight, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED. The A13-based iPhone SE (2nd generation, 2020) and the original iPhone SE (2016) are separate models.

SpecificationGoogle Pixel 8aApple iPhone SE (3rd generation, 2022)
Release year20242022
Display6.1-inch Actua OLED; 1080 × 2400, 430 ppi, 20:9; always-on display

The always-on display shows the time, notifications and the song playing nearby (Now Playing) at low power while the phone is locked.

Google
4.7-inch Retina HD LCD with IPS; 1334 × 750 pixels, 326 ppi; True Tone, wide colour (P3), Haptic Touch

Typical maximum brightness is 625 nits and typical contrast 1400:1. As an LCD, blacks are not as deep as on OLED and the screen runs at 60 Hz; the small size makes one-handed use easy but leaves little room for video and games.

Apple
Refresh rateSmooth Display, up to 120 Hz

The upper limit, 90 Hz on earlier A-series phones, rises to 120 Hz on this model; Google notes it is not available in every app.

Google
—
Brightness and contrastUp to 1,400 nits (HDR) and up to 2,000 nits peak; >1,000,000:1 contrast

HDR brightness is measured with the whole screen lit and peak brightness with only 5% lit.

Google
—
Cover glass and buildCorning Gorilla Glass 3 on the front; matte composite back; matte aluminium frame

The aluminium in the housing and camera bar is 100% recycled; the back cover uses 76% recycled plastic.

Google
—
DurabilityIP67 dust and water resistance (IEC 60529)

IP67 means full dust protection and resistance to brief immersion; it is one step below IP68. Protection can diminish over time.

Google
—
ProcessorGoogle Tensor G3; Titan M2 security coprocessor

It is the same chip as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Google
—
Memory and storage8 GB LPDDR5X RAM; 128 GB or 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage

There is no card slot; the 256 GB option is not offered in every country.

Google
—
Main camera64 MP Quad PD wide; 0.8 μm pixels, f/1.89, 80° field of view, 1/1.73-inch sensor; optical + electronic stabilisation

Super Res Zoom up to 8x is software magnification; there is no telephoto camera.

Google
—
Ultrawide camera13 MP; 1.12 μm pixels, f/2.2, 120° field of view, lens correction Google—
Front camera13 MP; f/2.2, fixed focus, 96.5° ultrawide Google7MP, ƒ/2.2; Portrait mode, Smart HDR 4; 1080p video at 25/30 fps Apple
VideoRear: 4K and 1080p at 30/60 fps, slow motion up to 240 fps, digital zoom up to 5x; front: 4K and 1080p at 30 fps; HEVC and AVC Google4K at 24/25/30/60 fps; 1080p at 25/30/60 fps; 1080p slo-mo at 120/240 fps; optical stabilisation for video; stereo recording Apple
Battery4,492 mAh typical (minimum 4,404 mAh); 24+ hours, up to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver

According to Google, average battery life in testing was at least 31 hours; figures are based on a median user profile.

Google
—
ChargingWired up to 18 W (with the Google 30 W USB-C charger); Qi-certified wireless charging

No charger is included; the box contains a USB-C cable and a Quick Switch adapter for transferring data from an old phone.

Google
—
WirelessWi-Fi 6E (2.4/5/6 GHz; Wi-Fi 6 in India); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; Google Cast Google—
LocationGPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou (no BeiDou in the US, NavIC added in India) Google—
Cellular and SIM5G Sub-6: North America GKV4X, rest of world G6GPR, Japan G576D (FeliCa); mmWave model G8HHN; single nano-SIM + eSIM Google—
Authentication and sensorsUnder-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock; proximity, ambient light, accelerometer, gyrometer, magnetometer, barometer Google—
USB and audioUSB-C 3.2; stereo speakers, two microphones Google—
Software and updatesLaunched with Android 14; seven years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates

The seven years count from the first sale date on the US Google Store; this was the first A-series phone with the promise.

Google
—
Dimensions and weight152.1 × 72.7 × 8.9 mm; 189 g Google—
Colours and warrantyObsidian, Porcelain, Bay, Aloe; one-year warranty in the US, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and India, two years in Europe and Australia Google—
Chip—A15 Bionic: 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

It is the same chip as in the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, which is the main reason it handles heavy tasks such as 4K video editing and keeps getting updates for a long time.

Apple
Storage—64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB

Storage cannot be expanded later; 64 GB can fill quickly if you shoot 4K 60 fps video.

Apple
Size and weight—138.4 × 67.3 × 7.3 mm; 144 g Apple
Colours—Midnight, Starlight, (PRODUCT)RED Apple
Water and dust resistance—IP67 (IEC 60529; maximum depth of 1 metre up to 30 minutes)

Apple notes this resistance is not permanent and may decrease with normal wear.

Apple
Rear camera—12MP main camera, ƒ/1.8, optical image stabilisation; Smart HDR 4, Deep Fusion, Photographic Styles; Portrait mode; digital zoom up to 5x

There is a single rear camera with no ultra-wide or optical telephoto. Apple’s list does not include Night mode for photos, only Night mode time-lapse video.

Apple
Authentication—Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the Home button

There is no Face ID; the phone unlocks and approves Apple Pay payments with a fingerprint instead of face recognition.

Apple
Connectivity—5G (sub-6 GHz, 2x2 MIMO), 4G LTE Advanced, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax, 2x2 MIMO), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC with reader mode; GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou

The model on the UK page is A2783; supported 5G and LTE bands vary by model and country.

Apple
Battery and charging—Apple rates up to 15 hours video, up to 10 hours streamed video, up to 50 hours audio; 50% in 30 minutes with a 20 W or higher adapter; Qi wireless charging; Lightning

No adapter is in the box. MagSafe is not supported, but standard Qi chargers work. The port is Lightning, not USB-C.

Apple
Sensors—Touch ID, barometer, three-axis gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor Apple
Operating system—Shipped with iOS 15 Apple