Purported Google Pixel 8a Retail Box Leak Tips Likely Specs, Design

Just a day after we got what might be our first look at the upcoming Google Pixel 9 Pro, a fresh leak seems to have confirmed that Google’s lower-end Pixel 8a is nearing launch. Credible-looking images of the box, showing some key specifications and a photo of the device itself, have popped up on a Vietnamese user’s X (Twitter) account and have spread quickly among enthusiasts. Google usually announces or launches its A-series Pixel smartphones mid-year, often at or around the time of its annual Google IO conference, while the flagship Pixel models are typically released late in the year. 

The timing of this leak could indicate that Google is changing its plans, and reducing the gap between the launch of each Pixel generation and the corresponding lower-cost model, though no information about a possible announcement date has yet been leaked. It’s also possible that Google has simply prepared the packaging for its next smartphone launch in advance.

The design of the purported Pixel 8a box is consistent with what we’ve seen with previous models over the past few years. It’s a plain white box with the company’s multicoloured logo and the phone’s name on top, and a large photo of the device’s rear panel taking up most of the remaining space. This box shows what is likely to be the Pixel 8a’s final design, and points to matte black being a colour option. 

As seen in the purported leaks, the Pixel 8a itself seems to have rounded edges and corners. Google’s distinctive metal camera bar runs across the width of this device but doesn’t seem to protrude much, like it does on the high-end Pixel models. It looks like this model will have two rear-facing cameras, much like its predecessor the Pixel 7a.

While we don’t see the entire box and all the labels that might have been on it, another shot shows part of a panel with regulatory information and labels. Among these are an icon indicating that the bundled charger is rated for 7.5-27W output, and is compliant with the USB Power Delivery spec. This points to the Pixel 8a supporting up to 27W fast charging. The box pictured also shows that that particular Pixel 8a’s official model number is G6GPR. 

The Pixel 8a is expected to have a 6.1-inch display, and the same third-gen Google Tensor SoC as its more expensive siblings. It will of course run the latest version of Android and users should get free updates for many years, but it’s unclear whether this lower-cost phone will be able to run all the same AI features that the Pixel 8 serles has been marketed with.

If priced in line with the Pixel 7a, the Pixel 8a could launch for under Rs. 45,000, and offers could bring that price to just under Rs. 40,000. It will face competition from OnePlus, Nothing, Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, and plenty of other Android smartphone makers, who will all launch updated models at this price level by mid-2024.