Google’s annual developer conference I/O is still a few days away, but the company has already announced the new mid-range monster, thePixel 8a. There are several reasons you might want to buy this phone, such as the seven years of software updates, a newer Tensor G3 chip, and a more Pixel 8-style design than the outgoing Pixel 7a. However, on the software front, this little phone has one particular feature that telemarketers could soon come to dislike with passion.
The Pixel 8a is Google’s cheapest phone to promise on-device AI and 7 years of updates — but only just
All this for $500? It might be time to cross the Pixel 8 off your list
Like almost every Google smartphone we’re expecting this year, the Pixel 8a has the usual Pixel-exclusive bits like Call Screen,Hold for Me, andClear Callingalongside a healthy smattering of Gemini AI features. If scammers and annoyingly persistent telemarketers get through those filters, we are usually left with no option but to explain why the call bothers us, wag the proverbial finger with half-hearted threats, or just hang up immediately.
Emoji to the rescue
However, the Pixel 8a ships with a new feature calledAudio Emoji, which essentially allows playing easily identifiable sound effects like a drumroll, applause, or piano riff during a call (viaAndroid Authority). In a utopian world, this would help you express your reaction to the caller with fewer words and interruptions, but spamming these sounds could be a confusingly new and inoffensive way to befuddle telemarketers, robocallers, and spam callers.
While we don’t condone being outright rude to anyone doing a job to make ends meet, there are always instances where some callers just don’t read the room before hastily redialing. If that happens, you could just spam the sad trombone sound till they hang up — although there is a bit of a cooldown period after each reaction, so you won’t be able to go nuts with it.
Google has confirmedAudio Emoji are availableon the Pixel 8a and are rolling out to other Pixel phones as well. Even if this feature isn’t available right off the bat, though, the Pixel 8a offers fantastic value for its $500 asking price.
Google Pixel 8a
Google’s new Pixel 8a packs a load of features at a price usually reserved for phones with less impressive software support. With 7 years of promised updates and fun, Google-y features like the new Audio Emoji, it might just be the new king of software among midrange devices.
