This is what the Google Pixel 8a looks like

Just yesterday we said that with the Google Pixel 8a launch date imminent, the trickle of Pixel 8a leaks was becoming a flood. And here's a new one, which shows the new affordable Android in the flesh – or rather, in the plastic and glass.

The leak comes via Techdroider on X, which posted front and back photos of the new phone. The device is switched off in the images so we can't see the rumoured peak brightness of 1,400 nits. But we can definitely see that it looks like a Pixel, and quite a bit like a Samsung A series too. 

Judging by the post comments, the Pixel 8a's looks are going to be a little divisive: the bezels are quite large by current Android standards, particularly at the bottom of the device. But the rest of the design fits nicely with the existing Pixel range and to my eyes looks more premium than its price tag might suggest.

What we know about the Google Pixel 8a

We're expecting the Google Pixel 8a launch date to be 14th May or thereabouts, because that's when the Google I/O event takes place. The price tag is expected to be the same as, or at least very close to, the current pricing. That's $499 in the US and £449 in the UK.

Specs-wise we're looking at the same Tensor G3 we've already seen in Google's Pixel 8, the GPU is a Mali-G715, and it's expected to be available with two storage choices of 128GB and 256GB respectively. The Google Pixel 8a OS is Android 14 and the battery is reportedly a 4,500mAh unit with support for 27W fast charging.

The camera hardware isn't particularly exciting, but it's not bad either – and of course Google's Pixel phones lean heavily on computational photography to do much of their magic. We're expecting a 64MP main camera with OIS, a 13MP ultra-wide camera and a 13MP selfie shooter.

In addition to that high brightness, the 6.1-inch OLED display is expected to have a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR. We've already seen from regulatory filings that the phone will have Bluetooth 5.3, and we think there will be four colour choices to begin with. 

Together the upgrades aren't massive, but assuming the leaked specs are correct they do a decent job of keeping the Pixel 8a in the running against its rivals for the best cheap phone crown: it's a decent specification for what will hopefully remain a decent price.