The Pixel 8a is finally here. Google’s latest barely-hidden mid-range smartphone is everything that was suggested by various leaks and rumors . But now that the specs are all locked in, we can better determine what exactly the latest A-series Pixel device will be about.

With one foot firmly planted in the familiar mid-range space, the Pixel 8a borrows heavily from its cousins in the same generation, sidestepping the very fine line that separates it from the flagship Pixels. By packing all that ambition into the same price point, the Pixel 8a redefines what mid-rangers can do, and what they could look like in the future.

Here's why the Pixel 8a is so much more than a traditional A-series Google device, and how it turns the whole idea of a mid-range device on its head.

Sure, the Pixel 8a is similar in many ways to its predecessor, the 7a. In terms of camera, battery and charging, chipset, and size, it continues in the vein of A-series devices from previous years, running parallel to but a rung below the more premium devices of the same generation. But such are the sacrifices required to pull the 8a back from reaching flagship price points. Everywhere else, though, there’s a clear departure from what the A-series has traditionally offered, and into more premium territory.