Google Pixel 8a: Rumors and leaks

We now know that Google I/O 2024 will kick off May 14, where we expect Google will give us more details about Android 15, its Gemini AI efforts and maybe even the Pixel 8a, the next entry to the company’s mid-range Android lineup. Just this month, the Pixel 8a was confirmed by Google, although unofficially. Google’s A-series of smartphones has proved extremely successful thanks to the company’s combination of great software support, a constant drip of user-friendly features, and hardware that’s cheap but cheerful.

The Pixel 7a was a welcome advance from its predecessors with the inclusion of wireless charging for the first time. Will we see something as drastic make an appearance on the Pixel 8a? We’ve rounded up the current rumors and leaks about Google’s next entry-level phone for you below.

When will Google release the Pixel 8a?

We could see it sooner than later

With the announcement of Google I/O 2024 and the fact that Google accidentally confirmed the 8a’s existence all within a couple of weeks, we’re starting to get our hopes up that we’ll see the 8a announced during I/O’s opening keynote on May 14.

In the past, the A-series announcement has moved around quite a bit. The Pixel 5a came out in late August 2020, the following year. The Pixel 6a in mid-July, and the 7a was announced at the Google I/O 2023 keynote on May 10.

Even as a conference aimed at developers, I/O always presents an opportunity for Google to introduce new hardware to serve as a showcase for its latest software, such as a new Android phone like the Pixel Fold, for the public’s discernment. It also lands far enough away from the mainline Pixel phone releases that occur in October during the company’s Made by Google showcases so as not to cannibalize sales.

How much will the Pixel 8a cost?

We could be in for a price hike this year

It’s possible that the Pixel 8a will carry over the Pixel 7a’s $499 price tag — a $50 hike from the Pixel 6a and 5a. Late last year, an unnamed source claimed that the Pixel 8a would be the one to take on that $499 price tag and not the 7a.

A report from WinFuture says that the Pixel 8a might see a slight price increase over the 7a, which would see the device go from $499 to about $549. Given the pricing trajectory of Pixel a series devices through the years, a higher asking price is well within the realm of possibility.

What will the Pixel 8a look like?

A refined version of the Pixel 8, 8 Pro

It took until the thick of autumn before we got our first real look at what a Pixel 8a might look like, but the pictures didn’t disappoint — at least in terms of detail. In late September, Indian blogger Abhishek Yadav posted images to X (formerly Twitter) of what was purported to be a Pixel 8a, likely an engineering validation unit. Long-radius corners dominate the design here, much like they did with the Pixel 8 devices, and there were some complaints about the display bezel. Most notable was the choice of colorway on display, something similar to the Pixel 8 Pros’ exclusive Bay blue.

As mid-October approached, Smartprix published CAD renders provided by OnLeaks of the Pixel 8a that more or less matched up with what we could see from the leak in September. But again, color yells the loudest here, and we were treated to a Rose-esque treatment that the non-pro Pixel 8 got. It’s the most tacit of implications that don’t get a verbal mention from either the blog or OnLeaks operator Steve Hemmerstoffer, but it seems as though we may be able to expect two special non-grayscale hues on offer. Of course, details such as availability can get messy, and nothing has been picked up on that front yet, so we suggest not holding your breath about looks.

Hemmerstoffer does offer some insight as to how wide the corners on the Pixel 8a may be and, proportionally speaking, they look to be wider than the ones on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.

Recently, photos of what looks to be the Pixel 8a have surfaced on X, as spotted by DroidReader. The phone is showcased in the Bay blue and Mint green colorways, giving us an idea of what the device will most likely look like in the real world. Having the Pixel 8a leak in Mint isn’t too surprising, given Google’s introduction and promotion of the color for its Pixel 8 and 8 Pro models.

Geekbench/Pocket-lint

Google Pixel 8a specs

Not much is known right now

One source called out the Pixel 8a’s codename as Akita, and that seems to be accurate, as a Geekbench result listing from August pegs it as an Android 14 device that’s running a nine-core CPU with roughly 8GB of RAM. The existence of said listing is why we believe that an 8a is getting closer to release, but, as with anything in rumor and speculation, don’t take anyone’s word for it.

The SoC seems to be styled after one that was seen in two Geekbench listings dating back to April for a supposed test bed named “Ripcurrent.” Leaks blogger @Tech_Reve claimed this chipset to be the Tensor G3, which would be the third generation of Google’s custom design that has been based on Samsung’s Exynos blueprints.

The chipsets on both Ripcurrent and Akita builds are clustered identically with a single-core hero unit, a quad-core mid-tier unit, and another quad-core low-power unit. The big difference between the two is that the Akita’s core cycles slower. It’s the case across each cluster, but the low-power group sees the widest gulf at 1.7GHz versus 2.15GHz.

The Tensor G3 has now been launched, powering the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and it might just be that it is clocked to a slightly slower speed. Another complication is that it’s easy to spoof device names for Geekbench runs, but this is all we have to work with so far.

What about the Pixel 8a’s cameras?

Google doesn’t mess around with cameras

Camera details for the Pixel 8a have yet to spill. Up through the Pixel 6 generation of devices, Google has been relying on the same 12-megapixel sensor for its main rear camera. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro introduced a new array of sensors, but the 7a’s camera set was remarkably different from its siblings with a 64-megapixel wide unit and a 13-megapixel ultrawide.

At this moment, we suspect the company will carry those same cameras (and some cost savings) over to the Pixel 8a. There simply haven’t been any major leaks or rumors to suggest a different camera setup compared to last year’s model. Of course, this could change at any moment, but updated camera hardware would likely have leaked by this point if it were to be a part of Google’s road map.

Software support on the Google Pixel 8a

Will the Pixel 8a get 7 years worth of updates just like the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro?

While nothing is yet confirmed, a new Android Headlines leak suggests that the Pixel 8a will receive 7 years of security updates. Importantly, the leak makes no mention of OS or feature updates. It’s still possible that Google will promise 7 years of platform updates for the Pixel 8a. In all likelihood, however, the perk will remain exclusive to the company’s more expensive flagship models.

Of course, it almost goes without saying that the Pixel 8a will either launch with — or get first access to — Android 15 out of the box. Google is hard at work on finalizing the software release, with platform stability expected to arrive sometime around the end of the summer.

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