We’re less than two weeks away from Google’s I/O 2024 event, where the company will unveil the Pixel 8a mid-range smartphone. All the leaks have told us that, and Google Pixel leaks are almost always right. After all, the annual I/O event has been the natural home of this type of Pixel device.
Nobody would blame you if you were excited to get your hands on the Pixel 8a. In recent years, Pixel A series handsets have basically become cheap flagship-level devices. The Pixel 8a will essentially be a variant of the Pixel 8 when it comes to processing power. But you’ll get a cheaper price tag consistent with the Pixel A series.
A flurry of Pixel 8a leaks has revealed the phone’s specs and features, color options, launch markets, and pricing. Of course, we still expected a few surprises from Google, and it turns out we don’t even have to wait for those surprises.
Prolific leaker Evan Blass managed to find the marketing materials that Google will use for the Pixel 8a. Needless to say, they include many spoilers from the upcoming Pixel 8a announcement. If you’re looking to buy a new Android phone, you’ll definitely want to add the Pixel 8a to your shortlist.
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From the looks of it, Blass obtained the Pixel 8a product page that Google will publish on its store as soon as the phone becomes official. It’s not the US version, but a Google-translated version of one of the international marketing pages Google will use in some markets where the phone will be available.
As you can see at this link, Google’s complete Pixel 8a listing has leaked, confirming many of the rumors that we’ve been hearing.
The pages contain plenty of imagery showing the Pixel 8a design and color options. The Pixel 8a will look much like the Pixel 8 but feature livelier colors. It’ll pack the same camera bar on the back that Pixel phones are famous for, complete with two lenses.
Google will pitch the Pixel 8a as an AI phone from the get-go, which is unsurprising. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are both AI phones, and the Pixel 8a runs on the same Tensor G3 chip. Therefore, the mid-range handset will be able to support the same AI features its siblings support.
Furthermore, since it’s the same hardware, the Pixel 8a will also come with plenty of years of software support. Google mentions 7 years of Feature Drops and Security Updates, however. This isn’t as good as the 7 years of Android updates Google promised for the other Pixel 8 phones.
Google Pixel 8 Pro supports on-device AI with Gemini. Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR
Artificial intelligence dominates the pages, with Google mentioning and demoing several features coming to the Pixel 8a. Circle to Search is one of them, which is not surprising. Google just expanded the feature to several Android phones.
AI will play a big role in the camera experience. The purported Pixel 8a marketing images mention an AI camera that will prevent out-of-focus images. Other photo-related AI features include Best Take, Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, and Real Tone. The Pixel 8a will also support a voice-erasing feature to eliminate certain voices from recorded content.
Finally, the Pixel 8a comes with built-in Gemini support. I’ll repeat myself, but this is also unsurprising. Gemini is at the core of Google’s AI efforts, and an AI phone like the Pixel 8a will support it. The Pixel 8a pages mention various Gemini features, like answering questions, generating text, summarizing information, and integration with Gmail and Google Docs.
Speaking of those 7 years of software support, Google makes a big deal about the Pixel 8a’s durability. After all, the phone will have to survive as long as possible to take advantage of the upgrades. The leaked pages say the phone has an IP67 water and dust resistance rating, making it the most resistant Pixel A-series phone ever. The handset rocks scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on the front.
The marketing pages also say the Pixel 8a’s battery will last 24 hours, with Super Battery Saver mode ready to give you up to 72 hours of battery life.
The pages lack a price and release date. According to different leaks, the Pixel 8a should start at $499 and hit stores soon after I/O 2024.
You can check out the leaked Pixel 8a info in full at this link while you wait for Google to start selling the handset.