Pixel 8a could steal some of the best Pixel 8 features — here's what they are
A recent report has stated that the Google Pixel 8a may be getting a 120 Hz display as one of several substantial upgrades.
This report comes to us from Android Authority, thanks to an inside source at Google. The most notable upgrade revealed in the report is that the Pixel 8a's screen will now support a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,400 nits. This would allow it to match the Google Pixel 8’s refresh rate and peak brightness (although in our testing we only got as high as 1,349 nits).
The leak has also given us more information about the Pixel 8a's camera too. According to the report, the Pixel 8a will have the same camera setup as the Pixel 7a. This includes a 64MP main camera, a 13MP ultrawide camera and a 13MP selfie camera.
In our Pixel 7a review, we praised the cameras, but noted that its photos feature a dark color tone that might turn some users away. But despite that, it's a frequent contender amongst some the the best cheap phones on the market. In fact, it held up nicely when we shot 200 photos between the Pixel 7a and Nothing Phone 2a.
The report also backs up previous claims that the Google Pixel 8a will have a version of the Google Pixel 8's Tensor G3 chip. While the Tensor G3 is less powerful than the Galaxy S24's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or the iPhone 15's A16 Bionic chip, it is still a major improvement over the prior Tensor G2, and more powerful than most chips used by phones of a similar price to the Pixel a-series. The Pixel 8a's version of the chip is reported to be slightly thicker and run slightly hotter than the Pixel 8's version due to it seemingly using a cheaper plastic outer casing instead of a metal one, but it should otherwise be the same.
Finally, there are indications that the Google Pixel 8a will be available in more countries. According to the report, the Google Pixel 8a has electronic warranty labels for Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
One issue facing Google is finding the right way to price the Pixel 8a compared to the Google Pixel 8. While Google has not revealed a price, a recent leak in the German market did state that phones had risen in price, unfortunate news for what's supposed to be a budget model.
We do not have a set release date for the Google Pixel 8a, but it will likely be announced at the next Google I/O event on May 14 and May 15. For the time being keep an eye on our Google Pixel 8a hub, which we continually update with any news or rumors until the phone's eventual release.
