Google Pixel 8a was recently launched globally and in India. It's powered by an in-house Tensor G3 SoC and joins the Pixel 8 series as the budget offering in the lineup. The smartphone, which runs Android 14 out of the box, has now received its first software update. This update introduced an AI-backed feature to the phone, which was previously only available on the latest flagship phones. Notably, the Google I/O event, an annual developer conference held earlier this week, also witnessed the unveiling of several other AI-based features, including the Gemini 1.5 Pro update.
Google is quietly rolling out the first software update for its latest Pixel smartphone. The nearly 190MB update comes with a few updates, including the May 2024 Android security patch and Google's AI-powered wallpaper generator. There are no other notable changes with this update.
The generative AI feature was previously exclusive to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro phones. The tool helps to create unique wallpapers requested by keywords and themes specified by the user. A customized version of the feature can also be found on Samsung's flagship Galaxy S24 series.
The Google Pixel 8a comes with a Tensor G3 SoC, a 4,492 mAh battery with 18W fast charging, a 64-megapixel dual rear camera unit, a 13-megapixel selfie shooter, and a 6.1 Full HD+ OLED display inches of 120 Hz. Offered in Aloe, Bay, Obsidian and Porcelain color options, the Google Pixel 8a starts in India at Rs. 52,999 for 8GB + 128GB, while the 8GB + 256GB variant is priced at Rs. 59,999.
Among several AI-focused announcements at the aforementioned Google I/O event, the company revealed the next generation of its text-to-image AI model, Imagen 3, which includes upgrades over Imagen 2, which to present in December 2023. The tech giant also unveiled Veo, an AI-powered video generation model that is said to generate videos of over a minute in 1080p resolution.
