Cameras are one of the main reasons why people choose to buy flagship phones over mid-range phones. But Samsung and Google have proven in recent years that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great camera. The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and Google Pixel 8a are two of the lowest priced Android smartphones on the market, but the former costs $150 more than the latter.
Is it worth spending more money just for camera performance? That’s what I’ve been trying to find over the past two weeks and hundreds of photos. The outcome may surprise you, as the battle between these two is not as clear-cut as you might think.
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Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is one step away from greatness
facing stiff competition
How to stack hardware
Let’s take a quick look at the hardware differences between Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and Google Pixel 8a. The Galaxy S24 FE features a 50MP, f/1.8 main camera with a 12MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens and a 3x telephoto lens. The Pixel 8a, on the other hand, comes with a 64MP, f/1.89 main shooter and a 13MP f/2.2 wide lens.
In the photo groups below, the first image in each series was taken with a Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and the second image was taken with a Google Pixel 8a, unless otherwise noted.
It’s a draw in daytime strategy.
Galaxy S24 FE produces brighter images, while Pixel 8a produces more detailed images
After taking photos with both phones for over a week, I noticed that the Galaxy S24 FE tends to produce brighter images. In some cases, as in the last photo set, this may be desirable. Marina Walk looks bright and clear in the Galaxy S24 FE shot, but dim and hard to see in the Pixel 8a version. If you prefer bright images above all else, you’ll love this Samsung phone.
However, we found the Pixel 8a’s photos to be more detailed and color accurate, as Google isn’t afraid to create slightly darker images. A great example of this is the first photo set. The Pixel 8a has very vibrant green and blue hues, albeit a darker image than the Galaxy S24 FE. It’s up to you what you value most, but I tend to prefer the pop of color that Google’s camera gives me.
Galaxy S24 FE wins in macro performance
However, there is one quirk that can ruin it
Macro photography is designed to create images that pop and appear larger than life, sometimes using specialized hardware or shooting modes, and most often adding bokeh to distinguish the subject from its surroundings. . Strangely, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE lacks a dedicated macro lens and an official macro shooting mode, but it performed well in my tests, identifying flowers and plants, and adding bright background blur. It was very successful.
Compared to the Google Pixel 8a, photos taken with the Galaxy S24 FE were brighter, more colorful, and more vibrant. Usually I criticize this kind of color profile as unrealistic.
In this particular example, these photos were taken in direct sunlight on a tropical island, but the Galaxy S24 FE actually does a better job of preserving all the light and colors. I think so. Google Pixel 8a may slightly desaturate colors during processing in an attempt to create a more realistic image. As you can see in the first pair of images, the purple flower color just ends up looking monotonous.
Finally, I ran into a strange bug because the Galaxy S24 FE doesn’t have a true macro mode. After taking a macro photo, the camera refused to refocus properly on wide shots. Several times, I had to completely restart the camera app to resolve the issue. Even though the quality of the photos has improved, this may be a problem for some people.
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I used the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and Google Pixel 8a for a week — here’s what I learned
Different mobile phones for different people
Zoom quality may be a reason to buy the Galaxy S24 FE
Additional telephoto lenses make a big difference in reach and performance
There’s a reason I never want to buy a phone without a telephoto camera again. Because using a telephoto lens greatly improves the zoom quality. The Galaxy S24 FE has 3x telephoto, but it pales in comparison to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, iPhone 16 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro. However, having a dedicated telephoto feature means the Galaxy S24 FE blows away phones without telephoto capabilities like the Pixel 9, iPhone 16, and yes, the Pixel 8a.
Google Pixel 8a doesn’t have a telephoto feature and uses a sensor crop to achieve optical quality 2x zoom. Doing anything further will force the camera to use “super resolution zoom”. This is just a digital zoom with software that tries to improve the quality.
As you can see in the photo sample above, the Galaxy S24 FE’s 3x optical zoom outperforms the Pixel 8a’s 2x zoom in reach and quality. I took photos of the manta rays with each smartphone, but to be honest, I couldn’t get close enough with my Pixel 8a. The resulting image looks like a rock, but the Galaxy S24 FE clearly features a manta ray.
Google Pixel 8a takes nightly crown
When you zoom in, the detail in your pixel shots is unparalleled
If you quickly scroll through the photos above, you might think that the Galaxy S24 FE takes better low-light shots. Smartphone photos are brighter overall and colors may be better at night. The problem is that details about the Google Pixel 8a are missing.
Take a look at the first series of photos, especially the “Casino Royale” on the blue-lit boat. On the Galaxy S24 FE, that part of the image is blown out to the point where it’s almost unreadable. The Pixel 8a, on the other hand, depicts the surroundings with amazing clarity, despite the darkness.
Almost every low-light photo I took with the Galaxy S24 FE didn’t have as much detail as the Pixel 8a. So, if you value night photography, you should choose Google’s midranger.
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Google Pixel 8a review: A great smartphone you don’t know if you should buy
Google’s hardware lineup is in a sticky spot, and the Pixel 8a only confuses things further
I prefer the camera on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
It’s a close call though
This showdown between the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and the Google Pixel 8a is one of the closest camera tests I’ve ever conducted. If you want to use your smartphone for basic point-and-shoot photography, the Pixel 8a is the camera for you. It produces great color and detail during the day and retains much of that detail at night.
However, I will go against the grain and declare that I prefer the Galaxy S24 FE’s camera. Daytime performance is close enough to the Pixel 8a, and telephoto zoom performance beats Google’s midranger.
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Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE aims to bring the experience of its 2024 flagship lineup to a more affordable smartphone. With a 6.7-inch display, triple camera lineup, and all the AI features you’d expect, it’s effectively two-thirds the price of the Galaxy S24+.
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google pixel 8a
The Pixel 8a wants you to forget the Pixel 8 ever existed. With several key upgrades over its predecessor, including a brighter display, faster processor, and bigger battery, Google’s latest midrange smartphone is the perfect combination of speed and AI smarts. And with seven years of OS upgrades, it’s the longest-lasting $500 smartphone available today.
