Despite an old rumor, it appears that Pixel 8a is happening. Shortly after the release of the Pixel 8 series, we saw the official-looking renders of the budget device, and now, we have our first look at the aluminum dummy of the upcoming phone from Google. However, it is most likely not going to be released until next year.

The Pixel 8a aluminum dummy shows how the phone has very thick bezels

The aluminum dummy that we see does not show a lot, to be honest. However, it is a good indication that the phone does exist, and we could see it come out in the near future. You can have a look at the pictures below:

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I am not sure about the accuracy of this dummy, but if you look closely, the bezels look way too thick. Even thicker than the Pixel 7a. I am hoping that has something to do with the machining process because the renders we have seen in the past do show bezels, but they don't look as thick, so it certainly is something to keep in mind.

As far as the specs are concerned, the Pixel 8a appeared on Geekbench as well and sports an underclocked version of the Tensor G3 chipset. We expect that Google will cut some corners. We just don't know how many corners will be cut with the phone.

As far as the release date is concerned, we are expecting the Pixel 8a to be released sometime in the second half of 2024 or towards the end of the first half. The phone should be released before the Pixel 9 series and will be launching with Android 14 out of the box. With the dummy out, you can expect more pictures of the device soon.

While the Pixel 8a looks great on paper, I am more excited to look at the AI-based features that it is going to bring to the table. Considering how Google made it a focal point to discuss the AI capabilities of the Tensor G3, I am really looking forward to seeing what features make it the more budget-oriented option.

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