Hear me out: out of Google’s entire Pixel lineup, the A-series budget phone makes the most sense. 

Sure, the Pixel 8A misses out on the fancier stuff, like a telephoto lens or the very highest rating for water resistance. It doesn’t fold in half. But it has two things working in its favor: time and money.

The Pixel 8A arrives six months after the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, which works to its advantage. That’s enough time to let some of the early bugs shake out on the new OS and the dust settle…