It’s only been over a week since Google announced the launch of its Pixel 8 and 8 Pro devices, but it looks like we’ve already gotten a new look at the company’s upcoming (but still unannounced) budget-friendly phone, the Pixel 8a. Every generation, there’s speculation that Google might axe its A-series smartphones, but as with previous years the company has maintained a more affordable Pixel model, for fans after a wallet-friendly option.
With that in mind, online tech leaker @OnLeaks in collaboration with tech site Smart Prix has released a new batch of product renders which show off the Pixel 8a’s design, and if these prove to be the final design then it looks like Pixel fans are in for a very familiar experience, although that’s always been the case with Pixel A-series models. Additionally, we’ve also been able to get a sneak peek into some of the 8a’s hardware specifications – let’s take a look!
Design and Display
Like the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7a before it, the Pixel 8a adopts a design that mostly incorporates the look of its flagship brethren, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Based on the renders that were posted online, the Pixel 8a comes with the same overall hardware style as seen on Google’s more expensive phones.
For one, the Pixel 8a’s design comes with the rounded corners that Google decided to re-introduce with the Pixel 8 devices, after going for a more boxy look with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series. As such, it does retain the aluminium frame, which extends into the camera bar on the rear panel of the phone. At the moment however, it’s unclear if the Pixel 8a will come with a glossy rear panel like the Pixel 8, or a matte finish like on the 8 Pro.
It’s also predicted that the Pixel 8a will feature a 6.1-inch display, which technically serves as a differentiating feature to set it apart from the regular Pixel 8 model. This places the phone’s size roughly around the same dimensions as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 7a.
Unsurprisingly, the 8a also features a dual camera setup on the rear panel, with a main wide sensor alongside an ultra-wide sensor. These are accompanied by a front-facing selfie cam situated on the centre of the display, the latter of which features some considerably thick bezels, especially on the bottom. With that being said, internal spec details are scarce at the moment, although earlier leaks do give us some insight as to what to expect in terms of performance on the Pixel 8a.
Benchmark Leaks
A while back, a listing was spotted over on GeekBench which shows a device codenamed “Google Akita.” Since the device codename didn’t correspond to any known Google devices at the time, it’s strongly speculated that the Akita might be in fact the Pixel 8a. In terms of benchmark performance, the device was able to get a 1218 single-core score, and a 3175 multi-core score.
Other details in the GeekBench listing point to 8GB of RAM, Android 14 pre-installed, and a Mali-G715 GPU. It’s also expected that the phone will pack the latest Google Tensor G3 chipset, although it’s likely that Google might equip the phone with an underclocked version of the G3.
In any case, it’s likely that we’ll see more leaks of the Pixel 8a in the coming weeks and months, especially given the amount of Pixel leaks that usually flood the internet before a major Google product launch.
