Why the Pixel 8a photo leak makes me worried for Google’s latest budget phone

The first images of the Pixel 8a have leaked online, and if the leak is accurate, I am concerned about the design of the upcoming budget phone.

Last year’s Pixel 7a looked sharp, mirroring the design of the pricier Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. It offered a good balance of features and looks, and many expected the upcoming Pixel 8a to follow suit. But a new leak suggests otherwise. The Pixel 8a might ditch the sleek design for something more akin to budget Android phones.

Based on images shared by TechDroider on X, the Pixel 8a looks sleek in black with a matte finish. The back is clean with the Google logo centered and the classic camera bar up top housing the dual camera system. But things take a turn when you flip the phone over.

The smartphone can be seen with particularly thick bezels on the display, especially at the bottom. The meatier-than-expected black borders make the phone look cheap, and certainly not like the previous Pixel A models. Except for the slightly thicker bottom, the Pixel 8a appears to have a uniform thickness along the other three edges.

Thick bezels are a dealbreaker. Smaller bezels make a larger phone easier to handle and use. On top of that, the Pixel 8a rumors say it’ll cost $100 more, pushing it over $500. At that price point, in the mid-range market, you would expect a phone to at least look good. Other options I’ve used, like the Nothing Phone 2 and the OnePlus 12R, have sleek designs with barely-there bezels, at around the same price point.

There’s a chance the Pixel 8a leak is early, and that Google might unveil the phone with thinner bezels. But, if the leak is accurate, the Pixel 8a’s design raises some concerns. The budget phone was shaping up to be a great choice. As a recent Android Authority report revealed the smartphone will ditch the 90Hz refresh rate and opt for a higher 120Hz.

The Pixel 8a is also rumored to get a brighter display, support for DisplayPort output, and the newest Tensor G3 chip powering everything. But, if this is its real design, you might want to not get your hopes up too high for the aesthetics of the device.