Summary
- The Google Pixel 8a may debut at I/O 2024 on May 14, with FCC listings now revealing four model numbers.
- More Pixel 8a details have already emerged, including a possible $550 starting price and new features like 256GB of storage.
- Meanwhile, the Pixel 8a is expected to have a design with rounded edges, departing from the boxy shape of the Pixel 7a.
The Google Pixel 8a is expected to be unveiled this spring, potentially during I/O 2024, which we know will take place on May 14. Phone manufacturers typically send their devices to the FCC for certification months ahead of launch. However, these FCC listings also give us a good idea of what to expect from a yet-to-be-launched device, and that’s exactly what’s happening with Google’s upcoming mid-tier phone.
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Listings in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) database have uncovered four Pixel 8a model numbers, possibly meant for multiple markets worldwide. The model numbers G8HHN, GKV4X, G6GPR, and G576D have popped up on the regulator’s website and can be independently verified, provided you use Google’s three-digit grantee code A4R. These FCC listings don’t reveal a lot more about the Pixel 8a series but offer credence to a recent leak.
As 9to5Google points out, a leaked Pixel 8a retail box out of Vietnam in late January revealed the model number G6GPR. As we’ve now learned, this is among the four versions of the Pixel 8a that Google will sell later this spring. Google is notorious for being unable to keep its future devices under wraps. We experienced this phenomenon with the Pixel 8 launch last fall, and the trend has continued so far leading up to the Pixel 8a’s anticipated I/O 2024 unveiling.
We already know a fair bit about the Pixel 8a
The first Pixel 8a leak appeared in September when we were still getting around to the Pixel 8 leaks. A month later, the first unofficial renders made the rounds, revealing practically everything about the design of the midranger, including its dimensions. We also came across some decent-looking wallpapers meant for the device last year.
More recently, Google has officially acknowledged the Pixel 8a’s existence. We’ve also learned that the midranger may witness a price bump, taking its starting price to $550. This suggests that Google could possibly make some improvements to the hardware compared to the Pixel 7a. But this could well be wishful thinking on our part at this point.
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There’s some good news, too. For instance, the Pixel 8a should be available in a 256GB storage configuration, a first for Google’s midrange A series of phones. Meanwhile, the phone will feature significantly more rounded edges, a shift from the Pixel 7a’s relatively boxy shape.