While my Pixel 7a is still going strong, that hasn't stopped me from eyeballing all the exciting new upgrades tipped for the upcoming Pixel 8a. Google's next mid-tier phone could arrive sooner than expected, with pre-orders rumored to begin on May 7 and sales to start a week later when Google I/O Conference kicks off on May 14.
That's according to noted leaker Billbil-kun at Dealabs, who claims Google plans to open pre-orders one week before formally announcing the Pixel 8a at Google I/O, Phone Arena reports. Granted, this should be taken with a healthy pinch of salt given that Billbil-kun is known for gaming-related leaks, not Android, and it would mark a stark departure from Google's previous Pixel releases. It's hard to wrap your head around why Google would open pre-orders for a phone before formally announcing it, and the leak doesn't specify if the company plans to soft launch the Pixel 8a at another event besides its annual developer's conference.
