Is the Pixel 8a, with all these cool upgrades we’re hearing about, be able to rule the mid-range market? Let’s talk about it!
*Header image — render of the Pixel 8a
The world of leakers is an exciting, action-packed movie-like place. Some companies fall into the hands of leakers (Samsung, Google) more easily than others (Apple). But no one is safe from their big unveiling being somewhat spoiled on X or Weibo (Chinese social media platform).
All those leaks have a bright side to them, though. For all of us phone enthusiasts, leaks mean we get to have pieces of the mobile tech future puzzle early. Almost how like the ancient astrologers staring at the stars predicted emperors rising and falling (mind you, some were pretty accurate with predictions).
Google’s upcoming Pixel 8a, a highly-anticipated mid-ranger, has also fallen victim to being ‘unveiled’ on the internet before its time. And all we’re hearing sounds pretty exciting! All these cool rumored updates beg the question: how much better the Pixel 8a will be? Is it going to win the hearts of mid-range buyers and rule the market? Let’s discuss it!
Pixel 8a improvements over the Pixel 7a
The Pixel 7a is already made from winning material. At $499, the phone is a very strong performer, be it with its Tensor G2 chip or its camera prowess. It’s a solid mid-range device that’s worth its price tag. And from rumors and leaks, we’re hearing Google has even more cool things in store for its successor, the Pixel 8a.
We hear the Pixel 8a will be curvier than the 7a. Most likely the curves will help with comfort while you’re holding it, despite the 7a feeling pretty comfortable already.
Renders courtesy of @OnLeaks and SmartPrix
We hear that it will have a matte texture back instead of its predecessor’s glossy finish. Now that’s a design upgrade. Glossy phones seem to be getting out of fashion now, and the world is all about matte texture and silky smooth feeling. It seems the Pixel 8a will jump on that trend train. On top of that, a matte finish keeps fancy-look-ruining fingerprints smudges away.
As for colors, we have Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay, and Mint. Google is already quite good with bringing cool colors to the market, so despite those not being too much of a surprise, they’re still… well, winning colors.
Rumors say the Pixel 8a will finally come with a 120Hz refresh rate. The 7a came with 90Hz, which was a substantial upgrade from the 6a. And now, we’re likely getting 120Hz, which is even better.
Pixel 7a display
We’re also getting a brighter display with a rumored peak brightness of 1,400 nits. That’s a very notable upgrade from the Pixel 7a’s 1,000 nits. This matters especially when you’re outdoors. Yep, phones with lower brightness displays are so hard to interact with during bright and sunny days.
The Pixel 8a will come with Tensor G3 (the one in the Pixel 8 series), but rumors say it may be slightly underclocked for the 8a. However, it should still be able to win over the Pixel 7a’s G2 chip. Rumors also indicate a bigger battery is coming, and faster charging.
