Google Pixel 8a box leak shows you needn't pay the Earth for a decent phone

Google has seemingly taken a leaf out of Apple and Samsung's book in recent times, by following major phone upgrades with minor releases annually.

Its now traditional schedule sees two big milestones each year, in the form of the mainline flagship Pixel and Pixel Pro phone, followed in due course by a second coming in the Pixel "a" series.

And so, after the excellent Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro came out last year, which are among the best phones on the market, we're now warming up for the arrival of the Pixel 8a pretty soon.

This was something we could pretty much rely on regardless, but a new leak of the phone's prospective packaging has indicated that it is indeed close, and given us a look at part of its design. 

It features rounded-off edges and a dual-camera design with that familiar band across the back, although the bump looks as small as it's ever been from the limited angle we have access to.

The photo comes via 91mobiles, and is accompanied by a second of the packaging's back, which doesn't divulge much other than that the phone will support wired charging at speeds up to 27 watts. 

Beyond that, a minimalist box like this can't really spell out many more explicit facts, but we're still pretty enticed by the glimpse of what the phone will look like.

Based on Google's recent work, this grey version is likely to be the most professional and muted colour on offer for the Pixel 8a, too - expect at least some fun options if you're hoping for a more zany look. 

Of course, so much of what makes Pixel phones great to use comes down to software magic - from the excellent processing that it applies to its camera app for vivid photos, to the host of AI-enhanced Google features in its Android experience.

The Pixel 8a will almost certainly ship with the Tensor 3 chipset to ensure that it's able to fulfil all those features nice and ably in a smaller and more affordable package than the standard Pixel 8, so keep your ear to the ground if that sounds like it could be of interest.