Google Pixel 8a specs include 120Hz display, Tensor G3, and more!

Google Pixel A series phones are considered to be among the cheapest Android phones. While they made some sacrifices in terms of hardware, they made up for it with a lower price tag and using Google’s usual software and camera wizardry. Even better, Google has been closing the hardware gap between the A-series and regular Pixels — and the Pixel 7a is the best proof of that trend so far, with a smoother 90Hz display, improved cameras, and added wireless Charging support.

Thanks to sources within Google, we can preview the specs of the upcoming Pixel 8a, which brings further major improvements to the series.

One of the major upgrades to the Pixel 7a is the addition of a 90Hz display. The lack of a high-refresh-rate panel was one of the main complaints with the Pixel 6a, and Google has finally addressed the issue in its 2023 budget phone.

Pixel 8a will further upgrade the A-series display. While the display’s resolution and size remain the same, the OLED panel now supports a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak HDR brightness of 1,400 nits, which matches the high-end Pixel 8’s specs. Similar to the Pixel 8, the panels come from two manufacturers; most likely BOE and Samsung. Given all this, we can assume that the displays of both devices are closely related, and performance should be similar.

While confirming the leaked Pixel 8a design, I can also confirm that Google has also increased the corner radius of the display, which now more closely matches the design of the Pixel 8 series.

Another sign is that the Pixel 8a also supports the feature.

It’s unclear why Google included DisplayPort output without any real user software support. Still, it will certainly be interesting to see what happens in the future.

The camera has always been a highlight of the Pixel A series. Thanks to Google’s processing wonders, they’re considered the best photography smartphones in their class, although their hardware often lags behind the competition.

Last year, the Pixel 7a finally ditched the age-old primary 12MP Sony IMX363 camera sensor (which Google first used in its 2018 phone, the Pixel 3!) in favor of a more modern setup built around the 64MP Sony IMX787. This year, Google will stick with the exact same setup on the Pixel 8a’s main camera.

While the hardware hasn’t changed, we’ll likely still see some processing improvements thanks to the Tensor G3 processor, as well as slightly improved graphics. Speaking of which……

As expected, the Pixel 8a also comes with an upgraded SoC: the Google Tensor G3. This is the same processor found in the Pixel 8 series. Although Tensor G2 is a relatively small upgrade, the gradual penetration of G3 represents a larger leap for the A series.

The highlight of the newly installed SoC is undoubtedly the improved CPU. Google has ditched the ancient Cortex-X1 and Cortex-A55 cores in favor of newer, faster, and more power-efficient 2022 cores. Google has also changed the core layout from a 2+2+4 setup to a 1+4+4, giving the SoC an extra CPU core. All of this results in significantly faster chips.

Tensor G3 also brings other improvements over G2, such as an updated Mali-G715 GPU, the new Samsung Modem 5300, support for AV1 encoding up to 4K/60fps, an upgraded TPU, and a new DSP for image processing tasks.

Similar to Pixel 7a, the Pixel 8a uses a slightly different version of G3 than the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. While the silicon inside the chip is the same, the plastic packaging is different. The regular G3 uses FOPLP (fan-out panel level packaging), while the 8a’s G3 uses IPoP (integrated packaging). According to Samsung, IPoP is thicker and hotter than FOPLP, but also cheaper, which explains the decision. In reality, the difference shouldn’t be huge, and the chip should still be a massive upgrade.

The usability of Google Pixel devices generally leaves a lot to be desired. Unlike most manufacturers, Google only sells its devices in a handful of countries. For example, the Pixel 7a is only sold in 21 countries, while Apple sells its devices in more than 140 countries! Fortunately, things are slowly improving.

Pixel 8a includes electronic warranty labels for the following new areas:

• Czech Republic
• Estonia
• Finland
• Hungary
• Lithuania
• Latvia
• Poland
• Romania
• Slovakia
• slovenia

It’s important to remember that this is just a prediction and may not ultimately be entirely accurate. However, a similar listing I found before the Pixel 8 series launched did end up making it, so that’s a pretty solid indicator of potential other markets where you can buy a Pixel 8a.

The Pixel 8a is another device in the series that bridges the gap between the budget and regular Pixels. While this is definitely a good thing for customers, it also raises the question: What is Google’s plan?

The Pixel 8 series sees Google trying to distance itself between the Pixel Pro and the non-Pro, and it’s succeeded in making the Pixel 8 feel closer to the Pixel 8a than the current 8 Pro. The Pixel 7 and 7a are already so similar that it doesn’t seem to make sense for both phones to exist at the same time. It will be interesting to see how Google handles this lineup issue now and in the future.