Google Pixel 8a: Rumors and leaks

We now know that Google I/O 2024 kicks off on May 14, and we expect Google to give us more details about Android 15, its Gemini AI work, and possibly even the next step in Google’s mid-range Android lineup. The product is Pixel 8a. Just this month, Google confirmed the Pixel 8a, albeit unofficially. Google’s A-series smartphones have proven to be hugely successful, thanks to the company’s excellent software support, a growing list of user-friendly features, and cheap but enjoyable hardware.

The Pixel 7a is a welcome improvement over its predecessor, including wireless charging for the first time. Will we see something equally drastic on the Pixel 8a? We’ve rounded up the current rumors and leaks for you below about Google’s next entry-level phone.

When is the Pixel 8a release date?

sooner or later we will see it

With the announcement of Google I/O 2024, and Google unexpectedly confirming the existence of 8a within a few weeks, we’re starting to get our hopes up that we’ll see the 8a announced during I/O’s opening keynote. May 14th.

Series A launches have seen quite a bit of change in the past. Pixel 5a was launched in late August 2020 the following year. The Pixel 6a was announced in mid-July, and the Pixel 7a was announced on May 10 at the Google I/O 2023 keynote.

Even as a conference aimed at developers, I/O always provides an opportunity to introduce the hardware platforms that serve this new software, such as new Android phones like the Pixel Fold, for the public to discern. It’s also far enough away from the mainline Pixel phones announced during the company’s Made by Google showcase in October that it doesn’t hurt sales.

How much does the Pixel 8a cost?

Same as 7a

From a price perspective, the Pixel 8a is likely to continue the Pixel 7a’s $499 price tag, which is a $50 increase over the Pixel 6a and 5a. Late last year, an unnamed source said the Pixel 8a would be a $499 phone, not the 7a.

What will the Pixel 8a look like?

Refined versions of Pixel 8 and 8 Pro

We didn’t get our first real look at the Pixel 8a until late fall, but the photos don’t disappoint — at least in terms of detail. In late September, Indian bloggers Abhishek Yadav An image of what is purported to be a Pixel 8a was posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), which is likely to be an engineering verification unit. Long-radius corners dominate the design here, just like on Pixel 8 devices, and there are some complaints about the display bezels. Most notable, however, is the color choice on display, which is similar to the Pixel 8 Pro’s exclusive Bay Blue.

Most notable, however, is the color choice on display, which is similar to the Pixel 8 Pro’s exclusive Bay Blue.

As mid-October approaches, Smartprix has released a CAD render of the Pixel 8a provided by OnLeaks, which more or less matches what we saw in a leak back in September. But again, color screams loudest here, and we enjoy the same rose-tinted finish we get on the non-Pro Pixel 8. This is the most implicit implication, and there’s no verbal mention from either the blogger or OnLeaks operator Steve Hemmerstoffer, but it seems like we can expect two special non-grayscale shades to be available. Of course, details like usability can get confusing, and there’s no progress on that front yet, so we’d suggest not holding your breath on the appearance.

Hemmerstoffer did provide some insight into the corner widths of the Pixel 8a, and proportionally they look wider than those on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.

Google Pixel 8a specifications

Not much is known at the moment

One source says the Pixel 8a will be codenamed AkitaThis appears to be accurate, as an August Geekbench results listing listed it as an Android 14 device, running a 9-core CPU with around 8GB of RAM. The existence of the above list is why we believe the 8a is imminent, but, as with anything in rumors and speculation, don’t take anyone’s word for it.

The SoC appears to have a similar design style to one that appeared on two Geekbench listings in April, a test platform called “Ripcurrent.”leak blogger @Tech_Reve It is claimed that this chipset is Tensor G3, which will be Google’s third-generation chipset custom-designed based on Samsung’s Exynos blueprint.

The chipsets on both the Ripcurrent and Akita versions consist of a single-core hero unit, a quad-core mid-tier unit, and another quad-core low-power unit. The biggest difference between the two is the Akita’s slower core circulation. This was true for every cluster, but the low-power group saw the largest gap at 1.7GHz versus 2.15GHz.

The Tensor G3 is out now, powering the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, it may just be that its clock speeds are slightly slower. Another complication is that it’s easy to spoof the name of the device Geekbench is running on, but that’s what we’ve done so far.

How about the Pixel 8a’s camera?

Google won’t mess with the camera

Pixel 8a camera details have yet to be revealed. Across the Pixel 6 series of devices, Google has always used the same 12-megapixel sensor for the main rear camera. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro introduced a range of new sensors, but the 7a’s camera set is significantly different from its siblings, which feature a 64-megapixel wide-angle unit and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle unit. For now, we suspect the company will move those same cameras (along with some cost savings) to the Pixel 8a.