Summary
There is a possibility that the Google Pixel 8a may be the first of numerous smartphones that Google will introduce this year. It is anticipated that it will be released the following month, at a time that is proving to be highly intriguing for phones in the medium price bracket.
Some of the most impressive mobile devices that have been produced in recent times are those that are more affordable but yet have some premium features. This includes the current Pixel 7a, which impressed us with its excellent cameras, display that refreshed quickly, and budget-friendly pricing of less than $500.
However, other manufacturers of mobile devices are also releasing low-cost phones that are rich in features. The Galaxy A series from Samsung has been steadily improving over the last several years, and the recently introduced Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 are an attempt to compete with Google’s flagship smartphone. We have already had the opportunity to test the OnePlus 12R, which offers premium power and battery life while maintaining a price point that is comparable to that of the Pixel 7a, which is $499.
This increased level of competition has prompted Google to react in a certain way. At the same time as the clock is ticking down to an anticipated Pixel 8a debut in May, a rising number of speculations about the Pixel 8a will give some hints.
In this article, we will discuss everything we have learned about the Google Pixel 8a up to this point, as well as what we anticipate the latest iteration of Google’s more affordable smartphone will include.
GOOGLE PIXEL 8A CHEAT SHEET: BIGGEST RUMORS
- Rumored release date: May 14, 2024
- Predicted price: $549
- Design: Similar to Pixel 8, with 6.1-inch 120Hz display
- Cameras: Similar to Pixel 7a (64MP main; 13MP ultrawide; 13MP selfie)
- Specs: Tensor G3, 128GB or 256GB storage, 4,500 mAh battery, 27W charging
- Software: Android 14
GOOGLE PIXEL 8A RELEASE DATE RUMORS
Although there is no official word on when the Pixel 8a may debut, we have a fairly solid idea as to a probable launch date now that Google has confirmed when Google I/O 2024 will take place. This is because Google has stated that the event will take place in 2024. To be more specific, the annual developer event begins on May 14 and continues for two days in Mountain View, California, which is located close to the headquarters of the corporation being discussed.
What is the significance of the date of Google I/O? Due to the fact that three of the five Pixel A series phones that Google has launched have been shown off for the first time at the annual Google I/O conference held by the corporation,. Two notable outliers occurred in the year 2020, when the COVID-19 epidemic caused Google I/O to be canceled, and in the year 2021, when supply issues caused the introduction of the Pixel 5a to be pushed back to August.
The Pixel 8a is expected to arrive no later than the beginning of summer, regardless of whether Google makes the phone accessible immediately after the company’s annual developer conference (I/O) or sets a delivery date for a few weeks later. Now that Google has ceased selling the Pixel 6a, which has been on the market for two years, at its online shop, the possibility of this happening is much more likely. This would allow Google to make room in its product line for a new midrange phone.
GOOGLE PIXEL 8A PRICE
There is still a lot of uncertainty around the pricing of the Pixel 8a, despite the fact that the release date of the phone is becoming more certain. The number of reliable price speculations that have appeared up to this point is rather low; however, we anticipate that this will rise during the next several weeks as Google I/O draws closer.
Here is what we do know: the price of the Pixel 7a, which is the only variant available, is $499. When compared to the pricing of the Pixel 6a, it represented a $50 increase. We would be quite shocked if Google were to hike pricing once again on its affordable phone, despite the fact that the cost of manufacturing phones has been on the rise, which has resulted in higher costs across the board with recent device launches.
One thing that the firm is likely to want to do is keep a certain amount of price difference between the Pixel 8a and the Pixel 8, which costs $699. Another factor that puts pressure on Google to maintain a low price point for its mobile devices is the pricing of competing products such as the OnePlus 12R. Maintaining the Pixel 8a’s price at or below $500 may help with both of those issues.
According to a German store source, a recent report from German media has disclosed the pricing of both the 128 GB and the 256 GB Pixel 8a in euros. The story was published in Germany. According to reports, the price of the two versions has increased to €569 for the 128GB version and €630 for the 256GB model between the two models. Compared to the Pixel 7a, this would represent an increase of around sixty euros. In spite of the fact that those prices are true, a rise in costs in one place does not always suggest that prices will go up somewhere else.
GOOGLE PIXEL 8A DESIGN AND DISPLAY
The designs that Google debuted with the Pixel flagship, which was released in the autumn of the previous year, are often reflected in the Pixel A line of smartphones. There is a good chance that this pattern will continue, with the Pixel 8a following in the footsteps of the Pixel 8. You may anticipate a camera bar that is rectangular in shape and runs the length of the rear panel of the phone. It will have rounded edges and a curved appearance.
According to the first renderings of the Pixel 8a that have been released, the forthcoming phone seems to have a design that is rather recognizable. However, a slightly bigger bezel on the bottom of the display seems to be the most significant deviation from the Pixel 8, although this is something that is characteristic of devices in the Pixel A series. A picture of the Pixel 8a that US Cellular shared early seems to have confirmed the anticipated design.
There is a leak that suggests that the Pixel 8a will be available in four different hues: porcelain, obsidian, bay, and mint. These are the colors that seem to be available.
It has been speculated that the Pixel 8a will have dimensions of 152.1 x 72.6 x 8.9 millimeters, which is in accordance with the information that accompanied the first render that surfaced online. This would be comparable to the 152.4 x 72.9 x 9.0mm Pixel 7a, although it would be significantly smaller.
In the event that such specs turn out to be genuine, you would normally anticipate that the Pixel 8a will once again sport an OLED display measuring 6.1 inches, exactly like its predecessor. The screen on the Pixel 8 is 6.2 inches, so this is a tiny bit smaller than that.
We were under the impression that Google would continue to employ a display with a refresh rate of 90 Hz on the Pixel 8a in order to differentiate it from its flagship phones, which would have 120 Hz displays. A rumor, on the other hand, asserts that the screen of the Pixel 8a will likewise get a 120Hz rate and that its maximum brightness will be equal to the 1,400-nit rating given to the Pixel 8.
The best possible glimpse of the likely appearance of the Pixel 8a comes from a photo that TechDroider released and uploaded to X (also known as Twitter) in the autumn of 2017, prior to the launch of the Pixel 8. Everything that you would anticipate seeing, such as the camera bar, the punch-hole cutout for the front camera in the display of the phone, and so on, is clearly obvious in that picture. As are the bezels, which are regrettably somewhat thick.
Despite the fact that the gadgets in the Google Fi advertisement do not resemble any of Google’s current phones in terms of color and design, a video purports to show the Pixel 8a in its natural environment.
GOOGLE PIXEL 8A SPECS
The second change that is clear to anticipate for the Pixel 8a is the system-on-chip that will be used to power the gadget. This change is in addition to the appearance of the phone. Ever since Google made the move to its own Tensor hardware with the Pixel 6, every successive A-series device has been equipped with the same processor. When it comes to the Pixel 8a, it would be the Tensor G3 product that was released in the autumn of last year.
Benchmarks that have been leaked for the Pixel 8a indicate that the device is using a version of the Tensor G3 that has been underclocked. Not only did the Pixel 8a’s performance on Geekbench finish worse than that of the Pixel 8, but it also fell below that of the Pixel 7. On the other hand, we would advise against placing too much stock in it, since the manufacturers of mobile devices are still working out the best ways to optimize silicon before releasing their products. There are several instances in which the version of the G3 that was responsible for those unimpressive results may not be the one that is included in the completed phone.
Having said that, the Tensor processor has not really taken performance into consideration up to this point. In its place, Google has focused on the tensor engine of the silicon and the artificial intelligence-powered features that it is able to enable. In order for the Pixel 8a to acquire the features of the Pixel 8, such as the Magic Editor and improved Call Screen capabilities, you need to keep an eye out for them.
The launch of the Pixel 8a is expected to coincide with the introduction of a battery health feature that will reportedly reveal statistics on the battery of a device. This information comes from a Google developer who remained anonymous while replying to concerns about the reason why the capability was first available on earlier Pixel phones in March but was later removed.
GOOGLE PIXEL 8A Camera
Given that cameras are one of the most important components of any Google phone, it is surprising that we have received so little information on the cameras that are included on the Pixel 8a. In light of this, it would seem that Google does not intend to make significant modifications to the 64-megapixel primary camera and the 13-megapixel ultrawide lens that are present on the Pixel 7a. In light of the fact that Google has just made the transition to a 64-megapixel sensor with the debut of the Pixel 7a, it would not be surprising if the firm did not introduce a significant number of modifications with the Pixel 8a. (Here is a more in-depth look at the probable differences between the Google Pixel 8a and the Pixel 7a.)
It is possible that Google may bring a similar improvement to the Pixel 8a. The Pixel 8 did benefit from more powerful image processing, which improved the colors and details in the photographs that it shot. Additionally, the ultrawide lens of the Pixel 8 has a macro close-up mode along with its ultrawide camera. This is yet another feature that has the potential to be included in the Pixel 8a edition.
GOOGLE PIXEL 8A SOFTWARE
In light of the fact that Android 15 is not expected to be released until the autumn, we anticipate that the Pixel 8a will make its debut with Android 14. As this article is being written, Android 15 is currently available in beta form; we anticipate that users of the Pixel 8a will be able to install the beta version of Android once they have the phone in their possession.
The software issue that we are curious about is the sort of support that Google intends to provide for the Pixel 8s. Google guarantees that the 7a will get software upgrades for a period of three years, in addition to providing security support for an additional two years. On the other hand, the Pixel 8 brought significantly wider support, with Google giving software and security upgrades for seven years to cover flagships released in the autumn of last year.
Given that the Pixel 8a will be equipped with the same Tensor chipset as the rest of the Pixel 8 range, we are curious to find out whether or not Google will reserve prolonged seven-year support for its more costly flagship devices. If it does, then we will be very interested in watching what happens.
GOOGLE PIXEL 8A: WHAT WE WANT TO SEE
Our wish list of enhancements that we would want to see implemented in the Pixel 8a was developed at the beginning of the new year. This is something that we won’t go over again, but the introduction of the OnePlus 12R has made it more important than ever before for Google’s cheap phone to have improvements made to its battery life.
During our bespoke battery test, the Pixel 7a was able to achieve a battery life performance that was comparable to that of a typical smartphone. This is unquestionably an upgrade over its predecessors. With the OnePlus 12R, however, the competition has been completely blown away, as it has produced the second-best result in our rankings of the greatest phone battery life. It would be unreasonable to expect the Pixel 8a to be able to reproduce that, but it would be nice to see some further advancement in the area of battery life that is longer with charging.
The display on the Pixel 7a was sufficiently bright in comparison to the displays on other phones in the midrange price bracket; nonetheless, manufacturers of mobile devices continue to push the limits of how bright their screens can go. A display with a maximum brightness of 4,100 nits is included in the OnePlus 12R, which once again raises the standard in this segment. Despite the fact that we did not come close to reaching that level during our testing of the phone, the display is still brighter than the screen found in the Pixel 7a devices. We have high hopes that the Pixel 8a will rise to the occasion.
on any more modifications, we are still awaiting any information on possible plans for the Pixel 8a. In addition, we anticipate that the rate of rumors about the Pixel 8a will accelerate significantly now that a possible debut date is getting closer.
