Pixel 8a vs iQOO 12 vs OnePlus 12R vs Galaxy S23: Specs Compared

Google Pixel 8a has made its debut as the successor to the Pixel 7a from last year. As an upgrade, the Pixel 8a brings a better display, the latest Tensor G3 SoC, and a slightly larger battery. The phone's design is in line with the rest of the Pixel 8 series, with rounded corners, and it is both slimmer and lighter than the 7a. Its pricing, however, places it in the mid-premium smartphone segment, going head-to-head with current and previous-gen flagship heavyweights such as the iQOO 12, OnePlus 12R, and Samsung Galaxy S23.

Design and Build

The Pixel 8a features a sleek, compact design with a glass front, aluminium frame, and plastic back. It measures 8.9 mm thick and weighs 188g.

The iQOO 12 and OnePlus 12R boast premium glass-sandwich designs with aluminium frames, measuring 8.1/8.4 mm and 8.8 mm thick, respectively. The iQOO 12 is also available in a special BMW-M Edition with iconic tricolour stripes underneath an enamelled glass design.

The Galaxy S23 is the most compact of the bunch, with a 7.6 mm thickness and a weight of 168g. The S23 and the OnePlus 12R have Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on the front, while the Pixel 8a only gets Gorilla Glass 3.

Display

The Pixel 8a features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2000 nits.

The S23 also uses an AMOLED display with a Full HD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1750 nits.

Meanwhile, the iQOO 12 and OnePlus 12R both feature larger 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED displays with a 2800 x 1260 resolution and higher 144Hz and 120Hz refresh rates, respectively.

Performance

The Pixel 8a is powered by Google's in-house Tensor G3 nona-core chipset, while the iQOO 12 features the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. The OnePlus 12R and Galaxy S23 are powered by the last-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The iQOO 12 and OnePlus 12R offer up to 16GB of RAM, while the Pixel 8a and Galaxy S23 max out at 8GB.

Software and AI-features

Pixel 8a runs on stock Android 14 and is promised seven years of OS, security, and Feature Drop updates, making it a clear winner in terms of long-term software support. 

It offers AI-powered features like Audio Magic Eraser to reduce distracting noises in videos, Magic Editor to edit backgrounds and objects, Photo Unblur to improve blurry images, Circle to Search for image and text recognition, and Live Translate for real-time translation.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 has One UI 6.1 based on Android 14. Samsung promises four years of OneUI upgrades and five years of security updates, which is decent but not as long-lasting as the Pixel 8a. 

The Galaxy S23 recently received the Galaxy AI update and now gets AI capabilities like Circle to Search, Generative Edit for background editing and object removal, Interpreter app, and AI-powered language translation during calls and messaging.

The OnePlus 12R runs on OxygenOS 14 based on Android 14. OnePlus has committed to five years of software updates, which is better than Samsung but still lags behind the Pixel 8a. The new OxygenOS 14, built on Trinity Engine, promises fast and smooth performance. 

The 12R also gets a large cooling surface area, a dual vapour chamber with Laval nozzle technology for efficient heat dissipation, and a graphite sheet for improved heat transfer during gaming.

The iQOO 12 Comes with Funtouch OS 14 based on Android 14. iQOO promises three major OS updates and four years of security patches, the shortest software support among the lot.

It boasts gaming features like Game Frame Interpolation for up to 144 FPS interpolation, Game Super Resolution for improved image clarity, and a 6K VC Four-Zone Cooling System with optimized temperature control and a larger vapour chamber than its predecessor.

The Pixel 8a stands out with its guaranteed long-term software support and a comprehensive suite of AI-powered features. The Galaxy S23 also offers impressive AI capabilities, while the OnePlus 12R and iQOO 12 focus more on performance optimization and gaming enhancements.

Camera

The Pixel 8a features a dual-camera setup with a 64-megapixel primary sensor and a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera. The iQOO 12 boasts a triple camera system with a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor.

The OnePlus 12R has a similar triple camera setup but with an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. The Galaxy S23 also has a triple camera system with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera.

All four phones have OIS and can record video at 4K UHD as standard, while the 12R and S23 can also record 8K video.

Battery and Charging

The Pixel 8a packs a 4492mAh battery that supports 18W wired and 7.5W wireless charging. The iQOO 12 and OnePlus 12R feature larger 5000mAh and 5500mAh batteries that support 120W and 100W wired charging, respectively. The Galaxy S23 has a relatively small 3900mAh battery but supports 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.

Pricing and Availability

The Pixel 8a is priced starting at ₹52,999 (8GB+128GB) in India, putting it into the mid-premium segment. The iQOO 12 price also begins at ₹52,999 (12GB+256GB), while the Galaxy S23 has received price cuts in the past and now starts at ₹56,999. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 12R is the most affordable of the lot, priced at ₹39,999.

Final Thoughts

The Pixel 8a offers a balanced package with a compact design, a capable camera system, and a clean, stock Android experience. The iQOO 12 and OnePlus 12R cater to performance enthusiasts with their top-tier chipsets, high refresh rate displays, and fast charging capabilities. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 stands out with its premium build quality, excellent display, and versatile camera system, but it has a smaller battery than its competitors.