This story was updated on May 1st. Update below.
Google’s Pixel 8a will likely make its debut in two weeks at the company’s I/O developer event. But that hasn’t stopped the leaks, which have so far mostly focussed on specifications and design. Now, though, we have some insight into the handset’s price.
The information comes from reliable tipster OnLeaks, via SmartPrix, and shows that Google isn’t planning to hike the Pixel 8a’s price in the U.S. The 128GB Pixel 8a will sell for $499, while there’s now a second 256GB storage option, which will retail for $559.
While the 256GB is new, that base unit will cost as much as the Pixel 7a did when it launched last year. There were concerns about Google upping the price of the Pixel 8a, but it looks like those rumors were based on the price of higher storage model, which, if accurate, is a new option Google is offering 8a buyers.
OnLeaks (and MySmartPrice) had previously revealed that the 8a will follow the Pixel 8’s design principles with rounder edges and a generally less boxy design than the Pixel 7 series.
In terms of specifications, according to Android Authority, the 8a will have an improved 120Hz OLED display with a higher maximum brightness of 1400 nits. The 7a’s 64MP Sony IMX787 camera sensor will return in the 8a, while the handset will be powered by a slightly downgraded version of the Tensor G3 chipset found in the flagship Pixel 8 range.
Elsewhere, some promotional images, obtained by Android Headlines, shows that the new budget Pixel will come with seven years of security patches. But there’s no mention of supporting the phone with seven years of Android updates and parts, as is the case with the main Pixel 8 phones. Google could differentiate between its main, and cheaper, lines with how many years of updates it offers depending on the device. Or, the Android Headlines image doesn’t tell the full story.
We also don’t know what AI skills the Pixel 7a will have. There will be a heavy focus on Gemini, and generative AI in general, at I/O and I suspect Google will have some Pixel 8a-related surprises for us. We’ll know more in a couple of weeks.
Update May 1st: Some more renders of the Pixel 8a have leaked via @MysteryLupin on Twitter/X, who posted over 30 pictures of the upcoming Google phone and the cases it will launch with.
The renders look like the press images Google sends to reporters ahead of a launch and show much of what we have already seen, including the rounder design and two camera sensors on the back.
What is interesting is that there’s a coral color case, which hasn’t been seen in previous leaked images. This could be another variant Google decides to release later in the device cycle, as it did with the Mint model for the Pixel 8 in January, or it’s simply another case color option. Google is quite intentional with its official case colors, so this could be a clue that we’re getting a new hue for the Pixel range at some point in the future.
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