Google Pixel 8a

Google Pixel 8a reportedly getting another price increase

Ben Schoon | Mar 5 2024 - 10:16 am PT

Google’s “A-Series” Pixel releases have long been praised for their affordable price points, but it seems Google is looking to yet again move that price up with the launch of Pixel 8a this year.

The Pixel 3a launched back in 2019 for $399, cutting the cost of the company’s flagship in half. Subsequent releases kept in that same price range, with Pixel 4a at $349, and Pixel 5a and 6a both at $449. Last year, Google raised the price for the first time in a while, launching the Pixel 7a at $499 last May.

According to a new report from WinFuture, Google plans to give the Pixel 8a another price increase when it launches likely in the next couple of months.

The report cites German retail sources, where the Pixel 8a is listed for €569.90, up from the Pixel 7a’s €499. This also implies that the device would be sold in the US for around $549. The Pixel 8 currently starts at $699, so this price increase on the Pixel 8a would bring the gap back to $150 as it was with Pixel 6a and Pixel 6 ($449 and $599).

The reason for the price increase isn’t made clear, but the device is expected to be powered by Tensor G3 and likely bring some of the AI tricks from Google’s flagships, which first launched late last year. The design is also being updated, as previous leaks have shown.

The store listings further mention variants with 128GB and 256GB of storage as well as four colors. The colors listed are pulled directly from the Pixel 8 Pro, with “Obsidian,” “Porcelain,” “Bay,” and “Mint.” We suspect these might be placeholders, but it wouldn’t be out of line for Google to bring the colors from its flagship to the budget-focused device.

An exact release date for the Pixel 8a currently isn’t known, but it seems very likely the device will launch at Google I/O, repeating last year’s pattern.