Back in October, we got our first look at the design of the Google Pixel 8a via the unofficial renders. The Pixel 8a is the successor to the Pixel 7a, launched at the Google I/O in May last year. The Pixel 7a featured a similar design as the Pixel 7 series, the Tensor G2 chipset, a 90Hz OLED display, a new 64MP sensor for the primary camera, wireless charging, an IP67 rating, and more at $499.
Today, we got the specifications of the Pixel 8a, thanks to Android Authority. As per Android Authority, they got the details via a source inside Google.
The Google Pixel 8a comes with a significant upgrade in the display department. The display size (6.1-inch) and the resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels) remain the same as last year, but the display on the 8a supports a 120Hz refresh rate, compared to 90Hz on the 7a. Moreover, the panel is brighter than last year, with the HDR brightness going up to 1,400 nits, versus 1000 nits. As we have seen in the renders, the Google Pixel 8a has more rounded corners than the 7a. Due to this, the corner radius of the display has increased to 128px, versus 47px on the 7a.
The display specifications now match the Pixel 8, with the only difference being the size (6.1″ vs 6.2″).
The Pixel 8a supports DisplayPort output like the Pixel 8 & Pixel 8 Pro. We may see a Samsung DeX-like feature from Google for the Pixel phones in the future.
The SOC is upgraded to the Google Tensor G3, compared to the Tensor G2. This is the same chip that the Pixel 8 series had last year and compared to the Tensor G2, there are some big upgrades in the CPU, GPU, TPU, and more. One thing worth mentioning is that the Google Pixel 7a did not have the same Tensor G2 chip as the Pixel 7 series. Instead, Google went for a less powerful version of the Tensor G2 chip for the 7a, as part of cost-cutting. The same is going to be the case with the Tensor G3 chip in the Pixel 8a.
The Google Pixel 8a uses a downgraded version of the Tensor G3, which uses the IPoP (Integrated Package on Package) packaging technology, versus FOPLP (Fan-Out Panel Level Packaging). While this results in reduced costs, the IPoP is thicker and hotter than FOPLP. In short, don’t be surprised if the Pixel 8a also has some heating issues like the Pixel 7a.
Finally, speaking of the cameras, the Google Pixel 8a has the same camera setup as the Pixel 7a. So, there is still a dual camera setup on the back where the primary camera has a 1/1.73″ 64MP Sony IMX787 sensor with OIS and the ultrawide camera has a 13MP Sony IMX712 sensor. The selfie camera has a 13MP Sony IMX712 sensor as well.
But, as we know, when it comes to smartphone cameras, it is not only the hardware that matters but also the software. So, with the new chipset and an improved software processing, the camera performance of the Google Pixel 8a is definitely going to be superior than the predecessor.
The price is not yet known, but we expected Google to launch the Pixel 8a at a similar price as the predecessor.