Google Pixel 8a preview: specs, release date and everything we know
Updated: Google confirms Pixel 8a is on the way - sort of
Is value the first thing that comes to mind when deciding if an upcoming phone deserves a spot in your pocket? Then you’re going to want to know all about the upcoming Pixel 8a. Google’s next wallet-friendly phone looks set to bring features and performance from the mainline Pixel range into more affordable territory, and should rank among the best phone cameras for the money.
With the current Pixel 7a now approaching the end of its expected sales run, and Google sort of confirming a successor is on the way, the rumour mill is churning over what to expect. Will the Tensor G3 make an appearance? Could we see a reveal at the annual I/O event? We’ve got all the details.
Google Pixel 8a expected release date
First up, will there actually be a Pixel 8a? Early rumours suggested Google was considering a move to biennial releases, which would’ve put it more in line with Apple’s iPhone SE model; that phone sees an update roughly every two years, and is next due a refresh in 2025 according to analysts. If Google did wait an extra year, we’d expect any new phone to be called the Pixel 9a, aligning it with that year’s mainstream Pixel phones.
More recent signs suggest the Pixel 8a is indeed happening, with benchmark results appearing online and leaked images of prototype devices doing the rounds. Google has also now submitted the Pixel 8a to the FCC for approval, hinting it will be appearing sooner rather than later. Four variants, listed as G8HHN, GKV4X, G6GPR, and G576D, indicate different phones for different markets – possibly with an mmWave 5G modem in countries that support the tech, and without it in countries that don’t.
Google itself had previously revealed the Pixel 8a’s existence – sort of. Responding to a thread on the Android issue tracker that questioned why the extended battery statistics page seen in Android 14 QPR1 beta wasn’t part of the official March 2024 update for Pixel devices, a Google software engineer replied “We only enable this page on Pixel 8a and beyond, so this is WAI(Working as Intended)”. That implies the Pixel 8a will arrive with a new Android update in tow, bringing features including the extended battery statistics.
Assuming this is accurate, we’re circling May 2024 in our diaries for the official reveal date – a look back at previous A-series phones shows why:
- Pixel 7a – revealed 10th May 2023
- Pixel 6a – revealed 11th May 2022
- Pixel 5a – revealed 17th August 2021 (US and Japan only)
- Pixel 4a, 4a 5G – revealed 3rd August 2020 (pandemic year)
- Pixel 3a, 3a XL – revealed 7th May 2019
Ignoring a COVID-related release date shuffle in 2020, and the follow-up phone that saw a very limited worldwide release, Google has favoured May for its A-series device reveals. That aligns with the firm’s I/O conference, which has almost always been held during that month. The Pixel 8a would make most sense to debut at I/O 2024.
We’re also starting to see the previous-gen Pixel 6a disappear from the Google Store. While you might find it at third-party retailers, you won’t be able to nab it straight from the Big G. That suggests the tech giant is gearing up for the Pixel 8a’s release, and a Google I/O 2024 launch looks ever more likely.
As for pricing? The Pixel 7a set you back $499/£449 at launch, which was a jump from the Pixel 6a’s $449/£399 starting price. While we’re hoping Google manages to avoid multiple price hikes on the trot, signs are pointing to the Pixel 8a climbing higher again – just like the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro did. German tech site Winfuture suggests €570 is the target for the base model – roughly $620 or £500 – and a larger capacity version being even more expensive.
Google Pixel 8a hardware & design rumours
According to Android Authority, the Pixel 8a is known internally at Google as “akita”, in line with the firm’s penchant for animal-themed codenames. We can expect a design evolution that borrows from both the outgoing Pixel 7a and current Pixel 8 generations.
That means more rounded corners, a more prominently curved camera bar (possibly made from aluminium) and a few new colour options. The Artic Blue shade last seen on the Pixel 7a seems like a good candidate to return. Smartprix has created renders to show what the phone should look like, suggesting the handset will be smaller and slimmer than before. 2.5D curved glass on the front is also a possibility.
A more recent leak, courtesy of a Pixel group on Facebook (via Google News Telegram), shows what appears to be a genuine Google retail box, showing off a black Pixel 8a with the aforementioned curves, along with a label that points to 27W charging speeds.
One juicy rumour posits Google has put the Pixel 8a in plain sight, by including Porcelain and Bay versions of the upcoming handset in a YouTube preroll ad for its Google Fi wireless service (image shown above). The devices pictured have a relocated microphone hole and slightly different curves to the Pixel 8, and match earlier leaked renders of the handset. However, the video was posted by an account with next to no subscribers and no history of accurate leaks, so take this one with a fistful of salt for now until more people report seeing it.
A 6.1in screen is expected, matching the Pixel 7a. Hopefully it’ll have a 90Hz refresh rate, like last year – but a 120Hz panel would be even sweeter. Overall dimensions will mainly shift on account of the curvier corners, rather than to make room for a bigger display. Either way it’s expected to be just as pocket-friendly as the current model.
Other leaks have been on the software side. Kamila Wojciechowska and Smartprix have revealed what are apparently the default Pixel 8a wallpapers, which are credited to American photographer Andrew Zuckerman – the person who was behind the full-fat Pixel 8’s wallpapers. They suggest we’ll be seeing three handset colour options at launch: emerald, sky and liquorice.
The rear cameras are an unknown right now, but it’s likely Google will keep a little wiggle room between the Pixel 8a and the pricier Pixel 8. Looking back at the Pixel 7a, that phone had a 64MP primary snapper and 12MP ultrawide; the Pixel 8 has a 50MP/12MP setup – but more pixels doesn’t mean a better sensor. We’re expecting a very similar setup to the Pixel 7a. Google has also started to separate its Pixel phones on the software front, with the flagship Pixel 8 Pro getting manual shooting modes for the first time. Might the firm hold more back from the A-series line-up? That remains to be seen.
Timing will dictate whether the Pixel 8a arrives with a Tensor G3 processor or not. If it lands in the first half of 2024 you can bet it will, bringing AI cleverness and respectable performance to the more affordable end of the smartphone spectrum. 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM seem likely candidates for a mid-range handset, and you can bet it’ll be running Android 14 out of the box. There are whispers of a 256GB variant, which would be a first for the A-series, but only for the black version of the handset. We’d expect to see wireless charging, too, after it appeared on the Pixel 7a.
Google Pixel 8a feature wish list
We raved about the Pixel 7a’s performance, camera ability and general value for money in our five-star review – but still found a few areas that left room for improvement. These are the sore spots we’re hoping Google will tackle for the sequel.
Cleverer cameras
One of the big reasons to pick up a Pixel 8 Pro this year was its AI-assisted camera and image editing tech. Best Take, Magic Editor and Video Boost all promised to help us take better photos and videos – or at least edit our snaps to make it look like we did. We’re hoping that tech will dilute down to the Pixel 8a, and Google won’t see fit to restrict it to the pricier, “full-fat” Pixel phones.
A superior screen
We get it, Google has to differentiate the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a somewhere – but does it really have to be the display? Rival brands have been squeezing 120Hz refresh rate panels into their affordable phones for years. It makes the Pixel 7a’s 90Hz panel feel behind the times – even if it was a welcome step up from the Pixel 6a’s 60Hz screen. A 120Hz option would seal the deal. The Pixel 8 generation also introduced much brighter “Actua” panel tech, which we’d like to see make a return here.
Faster USB-C charging
Google remains sluggish when it comes to charging speeds. Even the premium Pixel 8 Pro is left in the dust by rival flagships from Chinese brands such as Oppo and Xiaomi. We’d love to see the Pixel 8a pick up the pace, even just a bit. We’d also sell a kidney for Qi2 wireless charging to make the grade, bringing MagSafe-style magnetic accessory support to the Pixel range for the first time. We know Google is working on bringing the tech to its phones. But, expect it’ll wait until the Pixel 9 series and debut it on the more premium models first.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor