A camera is one of the main reasons why people choose to buy a flagship phone over their mid-range counterparts. However, Samsung and Google have proven in recent years that you can get a great camera without spending a fortune. The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and the Google Pixel 8a are two of the best budget Android phones on the market, but the former costs $150 more than the latter.
Is it worth spending more just for the camera performance? That’s what I wanted to discover over the past two weeks and with a few hundred photos. The results may surprise you, because the fight between these two isn’t as clear-cut as you might think.
Read our review
The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is just one step away from greatness
It faces stiff competition
How the hardware stacks up
Let’s briefly review the hardware differences between the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and the Google Pixel 8a. The Galaxy S24 FE has a 50 MP, f/1.8 main camera, a 12 MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens and a 3x telephoto lens. Meanwhile, the Pixel 8a comes with a 64 MP, f/1.89 main camera and a 13 MP f/2.2 wide-angle lens.
In the photo groups below, the first image in each series was taken with a Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and the second with a Google Pixel 8a, unless otherwise noted.
It is a draw for day admission
The Galaxy S24 FE produces brighter images, but the Pixel 8a is more detailed
After taking photos with both phones for over a week, I’ve noticed that the Galaxy S24 FE tends to produce a brighter image. In some cases this is desirable, as in the last set of photos. The walk through the marina is crisp and clear in the Galaxy S24 FE’s shot, while it’s faint and hard to see in the Pixel 8a’s version. If you prefer a brighter picture above all else, you’ll like this Samsung phone.
However, the Pixel 8a’s photos appear to be more detailed and color accurate, as Google isn’t afraid to produce a slightly darker image. A good example of this is the first set of photos, where the Pixel 8a gives you really vibrant green and blue tones, despite having a darker image than the Galaxy S24 FE. It’s up to you to decide what you appreciate more, but I tend to like the pop of color you get from Google’s camera.
The Galaxy S24 FE wins in terms of macro performance
However, there is one quirk that could ruin it
Macro photography is designed to create images that pop and appear larger than life, occasionally using special hardware or shooting modes and almost always adding bokeh to separate subjects from their surroundings. Curiously, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE lacks a dedicated macro lens and an official macro shooting mode, but it performed excellently in my tests, successfully identifying flowers and plants and adding a slight background blur.
Compared to the Google Pixel 8a, photos taken with the Galaxy S24 FE were brighter, more colorful, and more vibrant; Normally I would criticize this kind of color profile for being unrealistic.
In this particular case, these photos were taken on a tropical island in direct sunlight, and I think the Galaxy S24 FE actually does a better job of retaining all the light and color. The Google Pixel 8a can add some desaturation to the processing, in an attempt to create a more lifelike image, and as you can see in the first pair of images, this ultimately makes the color of the purple flower feel flat.
Finally, I came across a strange bug, as the Galaxy S24 FE doesn’t have a true macro mode. After taking a macro photo, the camera refused to properly refocus for a wide shot. Several times I had to completely restart the camera app to fix the problem. This may be a deal breaker for some, even if the photo quality is better.
Related
I used the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and Google Pixel 8a for a week – here’s what I learned
Different phones for different people
Zoom quality can be a reason to buy the Galaxy S24 FE
The extra telephoto lens makes a huge difference in range and performance
There’s a reason why I say I never want to buy a phone without a telephoto camera again, and that’s because telephoto lenses offer a big increase in zoom quality. The Galaxy S24 FE has a 3x telephoto lens, which pales in comparison to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro. However, having a dedicated telephoto means the Galaxy S24 FE will crush non-telephoto phones like the Pixel 9, iPhone 16 and yes, the Pixel 8a.
Without telephoto, the Google Pixel 8a uses sensor crop to deliver 2x optical-quality zoom. Everything further forces the camera to use “Super Res Zoom”, and this is just digital zoom with software trying to improve the quality.
As you can see in the photo samples above, the Galaxy S24 FE’s 3x optical zoom surpasses the Pixel 8a’s 2x zoom in range and quality. I’ve taken photos of manta rays with every phone, and honestly, the Pixel 8a couldn’t get close enough. The resulting image looks like a rock, while the Galaxy S24 FE clearly depicts a manta ray.
The Google Pixel 8a takes the nightly crown
When you zoom in, the detail of Pixel shots is unparalleled
If you quickly scroll through the photos above, you might think that the Galaxy S24 FE takes better shots in low light. Smartphone photos are generally brighter and occasionally have better colors at night. The problem is that the details of the Google Pixel 8a are missing.
Check out the first set of photos, especially the “Casino Royale” on the photographed boat, lit in blue. The Galaxy S24 FE blows out that part of the image so much that it is almost unreadable. Meanwhile, the Pixel 8a displays this with a stunning amount of clarity despite the surrounding darkness.
In almost every low-light photo I took with the Galaxy S24 FE, there wasn’t as much detail as with the Pixel 8a. Therefore, if you care about night photography, you should choose Google’s midranger.
Related
Google Pixel 8a review: A great phone that I’m not sure you should buy
Google’s hardware lineup is in a tricky spot, and the Pixel 8a only makes things more confusing
I prefer the camera of the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
It’s close though
This showdown between the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and the Google Pixel 8a is one of the best camera tests I’ve ever conducted. If you want to use your phone for basic point-and-shoot photography, the Pixel 8a is your camera. It produces excellent color and detail during the day and retains much of that detail at night.
However, I’ll 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 blows Google’s midranger out of the water.
-
Samsung Galaxy S24FE
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE looks to bring the experience of its 2024 flagship series to a more affordable smartphone. With a 6.7-inch screen, a triple-camera setup and all the AI features you could ever hope for, this is basically the Galaxy S24+ at two-thirds the price.
-
Google Pixel 8a
The Pixel 8a wants you to forget the Pixel 8 ever existed. With some crucial upgrades over its predecessor, including a brighter display, a faster processor and a larger battery, Google’s latest mid-range smartphone is the perfect combination of speed and AI smarts. And with seven years of OS upgrades, this is the longest lasting $500 smartphone you can find today.
