As Google gears up for the launch of its new budget contender—or, should I say, the new mid-range contender—leaks and rumors don’t seem to come to an end. Earlier this week, official renders of the Google Pixel 8a were leaked in a Google Fi Wireless ad. Now, we have the leaked pricing of the device, and spoiler alert: it’s more expensive than the Pixel 7a.
In a recent leak shared by PassionateGeekz, the pricing for the Google Pixel 8a has been spotted on a Canadian retailer’s website listing. The 128 GB variant of the Pixel 8a will allegedly cost $705 CAD, while the 256 GB variant will cost $790 CAD. That’s a $200 CAD increase from the launch price of the Pixel 7a, which was $599 CAD.
ALSO READ: Google Pixel 8a Live Images Allegedly Surface Online: India Price Tipped
The specifications
That’s just the pricing. What about the rest of the phone? Well, let’s start with the design of the phone. The Pixel 8a, as seen from the leaked renders, has a similar design to the Pixel 8 with a rounded frame and a camera visor that extends the back of the phone.
The Pixel 8a will be available in four colorways—Obsidian (black), Porcelain (white), Bay (blue), and Mint (green). From the same renders, we also have a glimpse of the phone’s display that showcases the 6.1-inch display surrounded by thick bezels all around.
The display is expected to be the same as the Pixel 7a—6.1-inch 1080p OLED display with a refresh rate of 90 Hz and a peak brightness of 1400 nits. The 8a will use the Tensor G3 but this will be an underclocked version of the chip used on its elder siblings.
As for the camera, the Pixel 8a is rumored to feature a 64 MP main camera, which, paired with the 13 MP ultra-wide camera, completes the dual camera setup. On the front, there will be a 13 MP camera for capturing selfies.
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On the battery front, there will be the usual 4,500 mAh battery paired with 27W fast wired charging and 7.5W wireless charging. The device will run on Android 14 out of the box and is expected to get 7 years of OS and security updates.
Here’s a summary of the rumored specs of the Google Pixel 8a.
- 6.1-inch 1080p OLED, 90 Hz, 1400 nits
- Tensor G3 with Titan M security chip
- 8 GB RAM
- 64 MP + 13 MP rear
- 13 MP front
- 4,500 mAh, 27W wired, 7.5 wireless
- Android 14, 7 OS updates
ALSO READ: Google Pixel 9 Pro Live Images Showcase Triple Rear Camera and New Camera Visor
Google Pixel 8a: Is it even a budget phone anymore?
Let’s talk pricing again. The Google Pixel 7a was priced at $599 CAD or INR 39,999 in India. If we believe that the leaked pricing is correct, the Pixel 8a is ~30% more expensive than the Pixel 7a. When the phone lands in India, it could easily go beyond the INR 45,000 mark.
For instance, the Google Pixel 8 that launched last year was INR 16,000 more expensive than the Pixel 7 that launched the previous year. So, a 30% increase in the price of the so-called “budget” Pixel 8a isn’t surprising, but it’s a disappointing move from Google.
Furthermore, a ~30% increase in price makes little sense for the Pixel 8a, since Google isn’t offering much to justify that price. The Pixel “A” series has always been positioned as the budget phone that offers most of the features of the vanilla Pixel but at a lower price.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. What are your thoughts on the Pixel 8a? Let us know in the comments section below.
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