I shot 200 photos with the OnePlus 13R and Google Pixel 8a — here's the best cheap camera phone
These midrange phones are evenly matched

A OnePlus 13R vs. Google Pixel 8a camera face-off figures to be more intriguing than past showdowns involving midrange phones from OnePlus and Google. Google's Pixel A series devices have dominated this rivalry, thanks to a combination of hardware and Google's photo-processing prowess.
But I noticed something when putting together a OnePlus 13 vs. Pixel 8a comparison — the photos shot by OnePlus' latest midrange model compare very well to what the Pixel 8a produces. And that's an impressive feat to pull off since we consider Google's handset to be the best camera phone under $500.
At $599, the OnePlus 13R costs a little more than that. But OnePlus is willing to bet that the phone's improved camera setup makes it worth spending a little more than you'd have to pay for the Pixel 8a. To see if that argument holds up, I shot hundreds of photos with both camera phones to see how those images compare across a variety of different categories. Here's how this OnePlus 13R vs. Google Pixel 8a camera showdown turned out.
OnePlus 13R vs. Google Pixel 8a: Camera specs compared
Before we dive into the photo face-off, let's consider the camera setups of these two phones, since the OnePlus 13R and Pixel 8a bring some different specs to the table. Like the OnePlus 12R before it, the 13R features three rear cameras. But the dedicated macro sensor has made way for a 50MP telephoto lens that delivers a 2 optical zoom while also specializing in portrait shots. The rest of the rear cameras on the OnePlus 13R are more conventional — a 50MP sensor handles the mains hooting duties while an 8MP lens takes care of ultrawide shots.
Google limits telephoto cameras to its Pro flagships, so the midrange Pixel 8a makes do with a 64MP main camera and a 13MP ultrawide lens. You can zoom in on shots with the Pixel 8a, but you've got to rely on Google's Super Res Zoom feature to keep noise from creeping into the shot.
Row 0 - Cell 0 | OnePlus 13R | Google Pixel 8a |
Main rear camera | 50MP (f/1.8) | 64MP (f/1.89) |
Ultrawide camera | 8MP (f/2.2), 112-degree FOV | 13MP (f/2.2), 120-degree field of view |
Telephoto lens | 50MP (f/2.0) with 3x optical zoom | None |
Front camera | 16MP (f/2.4) | 13MP (f/2.2) |
Up front, the OnePlus 13R offers a 16MP camera, while the Pixel 8a turns to a 13MP lens for selfies. Neither phone offers a macro mode, so we'll skip that comparison in this photo face-off.
OnePlus 13R vs. Google Pixel 8a: Outdoor photos
How the cameras perform outdoors depends on what kind of lighting you're shooting in. In the above image of my daughter posing next to a downed redwood tree, I think the Pixel 8a does a better job highlighting the rings of the tree trunk. Without a lot of direct sunlight, the OnePlus 13R doesn't produce as balanced a shot, though it does do a better job of capturing my daughter's skin tone compared to the more pale look favored by the Pixel 8a.
Other photos captured during that redwood forest hike also turned out better with the Pixel 8a, which uses its photo processing software to adjust for the shadier setting. When the sun's out, though, the OnePlus 13R finds itself on more even footing. When I pointed the two camera phones up at the sky to capture some tree tops, the OnePlus 13R highlights the blue sky, while the sky in the Pixel 8a shot looks a bit washed out.
As we'll see throughout this photo comparison, the Pixel 8a favors darker coolers, which sometimes creates a blue cast over its pictures. That's particularly true of a shot I took of the waterfront side of the San Francisco Ferry Building; that same shot with the OnePlus 13R produces much more accurate colors and a less cool tone. A photo of a sculpted shrub also looks a lot better when the OnePlus 13R captures as, as you can see more dapples of sunlight in its shot.
Overall, these two camera phones are pretty evenly matched when in the great outdoors. The Pixel 8a produces more consistent shots in different lighting, but at its best, the OnePlus 13R has the more eye-catching colors.
Winner: OnePlus 13R
OnePlus 13R vs. Google Pixel 8a: Indoor photos
The OnePlus 13R's tendency to brighten colors really comes in handy when you move indoors, as you can see in this photo of a Reuben sandwich. The corned beef is bright and pink, the bread looks toasted and inviting. Contrast that with the Pixel 8a shot, which is too muted and cool.
That said, the Pixel 8a's more restrained approach to color serves it better more often than not when you're dealing with indoor lighting or ambient light steaming in from windows. The negroni I'm enjoying at a San Francisco watering hole looks a lot more realistic in the Pixel 8a photo, while the OnePlus 13R renders the red campari in an almost unearthly glow. Similarly, some overhead red lamps decorating a lunch stand look far better composed in the Pixel 8a photo — they're bright red blobs in the OnePlus 13R shot.
I also appreciate how photo-processing algorithms account for uneven lighting when I took a photo of a map hanging at a Guerneville diner. You can see a faint shadow of my arm in the lower portion of the OnePlus 13R picture, but that's been eliminated by the more balanced lighting of the Pixel 8a image.
As with outdoor shots, when the OnePlus 13R is on its game, it can really take some excellent indoor photos, particularly of food. (Some pizza slices look a lot more appetizing in the OnePlus 13R photo than they do in the Pixel 8a's washed-out image.) But consistency is the name of the game here, and the Pixel 8a's indoor shots look better on average.
Winner: Google Pixel 8a
OnePlus 13R vs. Google Pixel 8a: Dynamic range
When it comes to dealing with shadows and light, the Pixel 8a does the better job striking a balance. Both phones capture a decent image of some holiday decorations hanging in the trees of a city park, but the Pixel 8a photo offers a more even tone, without dulling the colorful ornaments. The OnePlus 13R pumps up the color, as is its wont, but parts of the shot where sunlight break through come pretty close to getting over-exposed.
That difference appeared frequently when sorting through different images shot in shadow. A Willie Mays statue looks more heroic the way the Pixel 8a handles the setting sun, while the OnePlus 13R image seems a bit flat to my eye. More details pop in another photo of a seal outside the San Francisco Giants ballpark, while the sky is a richer shade of blue at sunset when the Pixel 8a is on the job.