The Google Pixel 8a is making a serious run at being the best budget phone, primarily due to how this Android phone keeps the same $499 price that the series is known for, while throwing in the usual yearly hardware upgrades to make it a much better phone. What's even better about the Pixel 8a is the fact that Google's giving it some of the same AI features as its flagship phones like the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. If that's not enough, it also sets the bar for software support among budget phones with its 7 years of software and security updates.