Google’s Pixel 8a is Official at $499 and With Promising Upgrades

The Google Pixel 8a is an official phone as of this morning, with pricing, specs, and features all now confirmed. For those who have been following the leaks and rumors of Google’s new A-series phones over the past several months, you might know it all. For those not paying close attention, here’s everything new in the Pixel 8a.

The Pixel 8a is the latest A-series device from Google that drops in with a $499 price to start. That’ll get you 128GB of storage, but Google will also sell a 256GB of the Pixel 8a for the first time. They have upgraded the display to 120Hz (and increased its peak brightness), tossed in the Tensor G3 (same chip as the Pixel 8 Pro), gave it IP67 water and dust resistance (a first), pushed the battery close to 4500mAh (kept wireless charging), and gave it the same solid camera found in the Pixel 7a. They also included WiFi 6E and are going to update the 8a for a full 7 years, just like the other Pixel 8 phones.

This new phone from Google comes in the classic Obsidian and Porcelain colorways we’ve come to expect. They also gave us Bay (blue) and are introducing Aloe (green) for the first time. The entire outside of the device is covered in a matte finish and protective Gorilla Glass, plus it’s made of recycled aluminum.

Because this phone runs Tensor G3 and has 8GB RAM, it comes with access to Google’s Gemini AI. Pixel 8a owners will be able to access AI summaries of emails and docs, Circle to Search, faster voice typing, Pixel Call Assist, Magic Editor, Audio Magic Eraser, and Best Take.

For a $499 phone, there is a lot to like about the Pixel 8a at first glance. We can’t wait to test it.

Pixel 8a specs: The Pixel 8a makes a meaningful jump in specs over the Pixel 7a, mostly thanks to the upgraded chipset (Tensor G3), 120Hz display, and option of 256GB storage. The rest will be familiar, but thankfully, you get those all of those solid upgrades without a price increase. That’s big because we really were expecting a price hike and then Google surprised us by not going that route.

• Display: 6.1″ Actua OLED Display – 120Hz, 1080×2400, Gorilla Glass 3
• Processor: Tensor G3, Titan M2
• Storage & RAM: 128 / 256GB UFS 3.1, 8GB LPDDR5
• Battery: 4492mAh
• Rear Camera: 64MP main (f/1.89, 80° FOV), 13MP ultra-wide (f/2.2, 120° FOV)
• Front Camera: 13MP (f/2.2, 96.5° FOV, fixed focus)
• Charging: Fast charging, Qi wireless charging
• Connectivity: 5G, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, eSIM
• Durability: IP67, 1-year warranty
• Other: Under display fingerprint reader, Face unlock, USB-C 3.2, stereo speakers
• Software: 7 years OS, security, Feature Drop updates
• Size: 152.1 x 72.7 x 8.9mm, 188g
• Colors: Aloe, Obsidian, Porcelain, Bay

Pixel 8a 5G network bands (US): There will likely be two models of the Pixel 8a sold in the US, one with both Sub-6 5G and 5G mmW, along with another that lacks 5G mmW connectivity. The 5G mmW will standout because they will cost more, like the one that Verizon is selling, which is $50 more than the non-mmW model. For those curious, below are all of the supported bands and the model number of each version here.

• 5G mmW + Sub-6 Model: G8HHN
  • GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
  • UMTS/HSPA+/HSDPA: Bands 1,2,4,5,6,8,19
  • LTE: Bands B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/17/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/41/48/66/71 5G
  • Sub-6: Bands n1/2/3/5/7/8/2
• 5G Sub-6 Model: GKV4X
  • GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
  • UMTS/HSPA+/HSDPA: Bands 1,2,4,5,6,8,19
  • LTE: Bands B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/17/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/41/48/66/71
  • 5G Sub-6: Bands n1/2/3/5/7/8/12/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/41/48/66/70/71/77/78

Availability: The Pixel 8a is up for pre-order today and will arrive on May 14 at a starting price of $499. That’s the unlocked model sold through several retail partners and the Google Store. Carriers will have their own models as well, like Verizon’s which has 5G mmW and retails for $549.99.

Pixel 8a Pre-order Links: Google Store