Photo Shoot Out: Pixel 8a vs iPhone SE

Tom's Guide

In this Pixel 8a vs iPhone SE Photo Shoot|out, we take over 200 photos to ultimately see which one is the better mid-range phone for photography. Has the Pixel 8a made a substantial leap on last model? Will Apple release another phone under $500? Our Pixel 8a review proves it helps photographers out with its set of AI features.

Transcript

00:00Google's showing up everyone in the mid-range space with the release of the Pixel 8a.

00:04The closest match to it in Apple's lineup is the 3rd generation iPhone SE, which at

00:09this point is more than 2 years old.

00:11That may not seem like a fair comparison, but the $70 price difference between the two

00:15phones keeps Apple's phone in the conversation.

00:18In my Pixel 8a vs iPhone SE photo shootout, I'll grade them in 10 categories to ultimately

00:23determine a winner.

00:25Being the newer phone, the Pixel 8a benefits from newer hardware.

00:28It features a 64-megapixel main camera, 13-megapixel ultrawide, and a 13-megapixel selfie camera

00:34on the front.

00:35The dual-camera system is much more appealing than the iPhone SE's single 12-megapixel rear

00:40camera and 7-megapixel front-facing camera.

00:43Though it automatically can't out the iPhone SE, even when its rear camera doesn't have

00:47the pixel-crushing numbers of the Pixel 8a's 64-megapixel main camera.

00:51That's because when there's good lighting outdoors, the iPhone SE can still turn out

00:54solid results, as evident in these shots.

00:58Not only does it match the Pixel 8a in detail, but I'm convinced it also has better sharpness,

01:03which I can see when I zoom into the speed limit sign.

01:05However, it's worth mentioning that the Pixel 8a uses pixel binning with its 64-megapixel

01:10camera to produce 16-megapixel stills.

01:13There's always the option to stick with full resolution, but most people would stick with

01:17the downsized 16-megapixel option to take up less storage space.

01:21Lastly, I want to point out how the Pixel 8a does better in drawing out details in the

01:25shadows, like toward the top of the tree on the right side.

01:29Here's another example of why the iPhone SE continues to be a standout despite being more

01:33than two years old.

01:34When it comes to dynamic range, I like how it evens out the exposure between the shadows

01:38and highlights in the photos above.

01:40Yes, the Pixel 8 does offer more detail, like in the handicapped sign out in front of the

01:44CVS, but it also has a habit of underexposing the shadows.

01:48For this reason, I'm giving this one to the iPhone SE.

01:51Neither phone technically has a dedicated macro mode, but I still want to show how they

01:55perform for close-up photography.

01:57The Pixel 8a clearly has the sharper, more detailed photo of this pink flower, which

02:01is really prominent when I zoom into the ends of the stem.

02:05Both phones produce the creamy bokeh that softens the background, leaving the subjects

02:08in full focus.

02:10While the iPhone SE has the more saturated colors, the Pixel 8a paints a more realistic

02:14look.

02:15I'm kind of surprised that it's neck and neck so far.

02:17The Pixel 8a is one of the best cheap phones around for many reasons, including how it

02:22takes excellent photos in all sorts of lighting conditions.

02:24In my Pixel 8a review, I detail how its value as a mid-range phone is amplified by the inclusion

02:30of AI features, and the fact that it has the best software support in any mid-range device,

02:35with 7 years of major Android and security updates.

02:38In contrast, the iPhone SE remains Apple's only sub-$500 offering in its lineup.

02:44Obviously, I love the price and think it's the iPhone to go with on a budget, but it

02:48may be a long time before we see an iPhone SE 4 ready to replace this model, given how

02:52rumors hint at a 2025 release.

02:54I'd expect the Pixel to pull away from now.

02:57The iPhone SE again has a habit of saturating colors in these photos of the Crayola box.

03:02There's nothing wrong with it, and I'd argue others may prefer it, but the Pixel 8a simply

03:06offers truer-to-life tones.

03:09Adding on that, I also like how the Pixel 8a has the more balanced color temperature

03:13throughout the shot, whereas the iPhone SE skews green for some odd reason.

03:17A point to the Pixel.

03:19What impresses me more is how it's able to neutralize the brighter areas of the building,

03:23making the colors of the flag pop out more.

03:26Furthermore, the Pixel 8a also boosts the exposure in the shadows, which is noticeable

03:30with the carts racked up in the background and a facaded SUV in the middle of the scene.

03:35As for the iPhone SE, it's still a nice composition that holds up well, especially when it comes

03:39to sharpness, but the overall look isn't as appealing as the Pixel 8a.

03:44Under the artificial lighting conditions of these indoor shots above, the iPhone SE pulls

03:48out a slightly brighter overall image, but zooming into different parts of the photos

03:52reveals how the Pixel 8a is better.

03:55In the shattered areas of the tree in the middle of the shot, the Pixel 8a draws out

03:58more detail in the leaves, while pulling in better detail throughout the shot.

04:02These two factors alone make the Pixel 8a the better one for indoor shots.

04:07Taking photos on both phones, there's a little more that I like about the shooting experience

04:10with the Pixel 8a, but it's not by a huge stretch.

04:14If you crave a little bit more control in how you take your photos, just like myself,

04:17I like how the Pixel 8a gives me them with options for white balance, brightness, shadows,

04:22and more.

04:23There's also the option to shoot in RAW and use hand gestures for the timer too with the

04:27Pixel 8a, which you don't get with the iPhone SE.

04:30But to be fair, it still gets the job done for most people.

04:33My only complaint to this day about the iPhone SE's camera app, which also applies to all

04:37iPhones, is the annoyance I have about some of the camera's options still force me to

04:42exit the app and access them in the general settings menu, like switching on the grid

04:46line and the level marker.

04:48The first thing that stands out is the wider field of view with the Pixel 8a's selfie camera,

04:53which is better for group shots when you have a few friends in the shot.

04:56Beyond that, it's still a clear win for the Pixel 8a for how it keeps everything in the

05:00shot crystal clear and sharp, especially with the background stuff.

05:04The Pixel 8a also does better at toning down the highlights, which casts better exposure

05:08with the sky and bright spots in the far background behind me.

05:12For what it delivers, the iPhone SE still has good qualities like its sharp details

05:17and accurate skin tones.

05:19With portrait photography, just know that the Pixel 8a has a much tighter crop, so you'll

05:24need to step back a little just to get the right composition.

05:27I really love the creamy look of the background in both photos above, but the Pixel 8a pulls

05:32in greater detail and clarity when I zoom into my face.

05:35I can still make out a lot of my facial features with the iPhone SE, but the Pixel 8a has greater

05:40definition that unfortunately shows more of my wrinkles.

05:44In another upset, the iPhone SE produces the better panoramic shot above, mainly for the

05:49fact that its picture is much brighter.

05:51The green of the lawn has the shine that gets my attention over the underexposed tone of

05:55the Pixel 8a, while the detail is much more pronounced with the iPhone SE as well.

06:00Finally, I come to the phone's low-light performances, which needless to say is a one-sided affair

06:05that shows the greatest disparity between them.

06:08My backyard's always my go-to spot for checking out their low-light performances because it's

06:12nearly in pitch black conditions, with a few sources of ambient light in the far background.

06:17When it comes to what my eyes can see in real life, I can say that the iPhone SE's photos

06:21show it exactly.

06:23It's so dark that I can't see even the details of the leaves and the trees.

06:26That's the result of no night mode support in Apple's cheapest phone.

06:30In contrast, the Pixel 8a draws out these missing details with the extra push of night

06:36and as a result, makes it the superior phone for low-light photography.

06:39It's like I had a nearby light source illuminating the scene because the Pixel 8a reveals the

06:43individual leaves on the branches and other details around the tree's bark.

06:47Really?

06:48Were you surprised by the outcome?

06:50Heading into it, I already had the feeling that Pixel 8a would come out victorious because

06:54there have been a lot of improvements in camera tech over two years.

06:58However, I will admit I was surprised that the two-year-old iPhone SE can still deliver

07:03outstanding photos that can hold up.

07:05In the end, it's the Pixel 8a that wins this shootout after I looked at the 200 photos

07:10I captured between the two.

07:11I'm also not factoring in how the Pixel 8a also benefits from having a dedicated ultrawide

07:16camera, which is an added benefit for those times when I need to capture more of the scene

07:21without being forced to move a step back.

07:24And when it comes to low-light, aside from its superior performance, the Pixel 8a has

07:28the extra editing tools that help me to get better-looking results in post with AI tools.

07:33I frequently rely on Magic Eraser and Magic Editor to remove or move unwanted stuff, while

07:39Best Takes saves me the hassle of editing photos on my own if someone in a group photo

07:43is looking away.

07:44When I take these AI features into consideration, on top of the Pixel 8a's better camera performance,

07:50it's the better phone for photography hands down.

07:52But what do you think?

07:53Let me know in the comments below.

07:54You can follow us on all socials at Tom's Guide for our on-the-ground reporting and

07:58behind-the-scenes coverage.

07:59And follow me at John C. Velasco.

08:01I'll see you in my next video.

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