Google unveils Pixel 8a smartphone with Google Tensor G3 chip and AI-powered features

Google has just unveiled its latest smartphone – the Pixel 8a – which is powered by the latest Google Tensor G3 chip and boasting most of the same AI features found on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro including Gemini, Best Take and Audio Magic Eraser.

The Google Pixel 8a will be priced from $849 and goes on sale on May 14.

The Pixel 8a remains faithful to the Pixel design with rounded edges and a matte back panel along with the signature polished aluminium rail which houses the dual cameras.

Onboard is a 6.1-inch Actua OLED display with a 1080 x 2400 resolution at 430PPI (pixels per inch) and a Smooth Display refresh rate up to 120Hz.

The screen offers up to 1400 nits brightness (HDR) and up to 2000 nits peak brightness with HDR support and the ability to display more than 16 million colours.

The new Pixel 8A has an IP67 dust and water resistance rating making it the most durable A Series phone Google has produced.

The new Pixel 8a comes in three colour options Obsidian, Porcelain and Bay.

And for the first time, the device is being offered with a larger storage capacity option of 256GB Which gives you even more room to store your favourite content on the device.

The device is powered by the Google Tensor G3 chip and has the Titan M2 security co-processor.

It has 8GB RAM and is available in a 128GB and 256GB storage variants.

The Google Pixel 8a smartphone is equipped with AI to help you find information and get things done.

Users can install the Gemini app and make it the default assistant which lets you type, talk or add images to get started.

Gemini can help users write emails, take notes, brainstorm ideas, plan a holiday and summarise your recent emails.

The Pixel 8a is the first smartphone at this price that lets you access the power of Gemini.

Other AI-powered features include Circle to Search which basically means circling an object in an image to find out what it is or where you can buy it.

Also onboard the Pixel 8a is Call Assist which includes Call Screening and Hold For Me which allows you to leave an on-hold queue and receive a call back when you get to the front of the line.

On the camera side, the Pixel 8a has dual rear camera which includes a 64-megapixel main lens and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide lens.

It also has a 13-megapixel front facing selfie camera with a large field of view so you can fit even more of your friends into the shot.

The Google Tensor G3 chip enables several AI-powered tools.

These include Best Take which lets you choose the best expressions for the people in your photos, Magic Editor where you can reposition and resize objects in your photos and Audio Magic Eraser which can remove distracting background noises in your videos.

On the security side, it includes a built-in VPN for additional protection when you’re connecting to public wi-fi.

Customers who purchased the Pixel 8a will also receive seven years of software support which includes Android OS upgrades and security updates.

The Google Pixel 8A is available to pre-order it from today and starts at $849.

It’s available from the Google Store, JB Hi-Fi, Telstra, Optus, Officeworks and Harvey Norman.