Google Pixel 8A rumour roundup: What to expect from the affordable Pixel

Google’s I/O developer conference is scheduled to be held on May 14 this year. And along with several exciting announcements including Android 15, the Gemma LLM (Gemini’s smaller counterpart), we may also see Google taking wraps off of its next budget Pixel device – the Pixel 8A.

While the phone is yet to be announced, it has been doing the rounds in rumour mills for months now and is expected to come with several exciting upgrades over its predecessor, the Pixel 7A. Here’s the scoop.

Tensor G3 SoC

The Google Pixel 8A will feature the Tensor G3 SoC, the same one found in the higher-end Pixel 8 series phones. The new chipset is expected to sport a newer improved CPU, which gets power-efficient cores, and also a new layout. Compared to the previous 2+2+4 layout, the new Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8A is expected to get a 1+4+4 layout, which means it will now have an extra CPU core. This could make the phone a lot faster than earlier.

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In addition to this, the CPU is expected to be paired to a new Mali-G715 GPU, along with the Samsung Modem 5300, and support for AV1 encoding up to a 4K resolution at 60 fps. What’s more, there is also going to be a new digital signal processor for image processing tasks.

64MP primary sensor

Now, on the camera front, no significant upgrades are expected to the Pixel 8A. It is expected to sport the same 64MP Sony IMX787 sensor as the Pixel 7A, coupled with a 13MP sensor on the front

This is because Google upgraded the camera with the 7A, ditching the 12MP Sony IMX363 sensor. While the hardware isn’t up there as with many other manufacturers and their offerings, Pixels are still considered to have some of the best smartphone cameras in existence to date.

This is because they have some of the best on-board real-time image processing mechanisms on any phone today. The fact that the Tensor G3 is expected to get even better image processing capabilities this year, points in the same direction in the case of the Google Pixel 8A.

120Hz display

The Pixel 8A is expected to receive an upgraded display this year as well. Last year, the Pixel 7A finally got a 90Hz refresh rate display, since one of the most major complaints users had with the 6A was the fact that its refresh rate was capped at 60Hz.

The device is expected to get an OLED panel – same as last year, with the same size and resolution. That is a 6.1-inch display with a resolution of 2,400×1,080 pixels. This time however, rumour has it that the phone will get a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,400 nits, over the 7A’s 1,000 nits. This means that the Pixel 8A’s display will be on par with the more expensive Pixel 8. Design leaks also suggest that the corner radius of the display has increased, which means that the Pixel 8A will mimic the design of the Pixel 8 much more closely.

DisplayPort output support

Google, with the Pixel 8 released a long-awaited feature – DisplayPort output support. DisplayPort, like HDMI, allows you to mirror or project your phone’s screen on a larger display such as a monitor or TV. Unlike HDMI however, it allows for higher resolutions and refresh rates, particularly useful while gaming or graphic designing.

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Now, the feature was enabled only with the recent Android 14 QPR3 beta release. While it is still not fully functional or accessible to everyone, it certainly is a handy feature to have. What’s more, the Pixel 8A is also expected to receive the feature.

Not much is known about the Google Pixel 8A’s RAM and storage configurations yet, or the battery. However, it will be interesting to see if Google really does bridge the gap between its regular Pixel phones and the ‘A’ series line-up, with the Pixel 8A. Moreover, it will also be interesting to see how the device stacks up against the premium Google Pixel 8 Pro.