We expected it and it surprised us at the same time. As we already told you, we expected the Google Pixel 8a to be unveiled next week, at the Google I/O 2024 keynote, repeating the pattern we already saw last year with the Pixel 7a. It didn’t, and this launch, along with the arrival of the Pixel Tablet internationally, suggests that Google wants to focus more on software, services and artificial intelligence at the event.

The past few months have been full of rumors and leaks that we’ve been repeating, and that They allowed us to get a fairly accurate picture of what we could expect from this new Pixel 8a, the smartphone that, as you already know, will complete the Pixel 8 family and join the 8 and 8 Pro introduced by Google last October. And as we have already seen with previous generations, this Pixel 8a becomes the most economical option to move to this generation.

As we saw last year with the Pixel 7a, Google again offered a slightly trimmed version of the standard model of its current generationi.e. the Pixel 8, which makes it a very interesting choice for all those users who are looking for a smartphone that is somewhere between the middle and higher range at a price that does not “fly” too much, although it is true that in this sense the Pixel 8a means price increase over the Pixel 7a, which also happened with respect to its predecessor, the Pixel 6a.

Google Pixel 8a: technical specifications

The first thing we see about this Pixel 8a is its screen, which also represents the first improvement over its predecessor, the 7a. Again we find the panel 6.1-inch OLED with FullHD+ resolution (2,400 x 1,080 pixels, in an aspect ratio of 20:9 and with a density of 430 dpi), but in this case the maximum refresh rate rises to 120 hertz. We are talking about a very bright screen with up to 1,400 nits in HDR mode, which can expand to 2,000 if we measure the top.

Inside we find, as we expected, the most current generation of Google’s SoC, a Tensioner G3 which it shares with the 8 and 8 Pro As you already know, the technology company is focusing on its computing capabilities in terms of artificial intelligence, which is verified by verifying the already large and ever-growing number of functions of the operating system and its applications that rely on AI. SoC is accompanied 8 GB LPDDR5 RAM and Google is offering us two storage options in the Pixel for the first time and, 128 and 256 GB UFS 3.1.

In the Pixel 8a’s connectivity section, of course, we find exactly what we expected. We are talking about a Dual 5G device (nanoSIM+eSIM) with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, which is wirelessly supplemented with NFC, Google Cast and, of course, compatibility with the main geolocation satellite networks. Cable connections are unified in its USB-C port, which, in addition to data transfer, will also be used to charge its battery, so 4,492 milliamps with support for 18W fast charging.

It is known that one of the points that Google always focuses on (pun intended in this case) is photography and video, which it understands as a combination of cameras, software and artificial intelligence. To capture this, the Google Pixel 8a integrates two modules into the main camera, one Quad PD wide-angle with a viewing angle of 80° with a resolution of 64 megapixels and number F/1.89 and ultra wide-angle with a field of view of 120° with a resolution of 13 megapixels and a number F/2.2. For the front camera, Google opted for a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle (96.5° viewing angle) with aperture F/2.2.

Another aspect that Google is very concerned about is security, both data and physical security of the device itself. In this last sense, it is certified IP67 and your screen is protected Gorilla Glass 3. And if we talk about data protection, it is built into your chip Titan M2and is enhanced with biometric identification features, free vpn service and Google’s commitment device will receive for 7 yearssecurity, operating system and feature updates.

The new Google Pixel 8a is now available for pre-order on its website, with deliveries scheduled from May 14 and its price is 549 euros for the 128 GB version storage and 609 euros for the 256 gigabyte model.