Google did not reveal a definitive timeline of when ‘made in India’ Pixel 8a smartphones could hit the store shelves.
Google Pixel 8a (pictured above) was launched in India in May 2024
Pixel 8a will become the latest smartphone from Google to be assembled in India, the company confirmed on Tuesday. The handset debuted in India on May 7 as a successor to the Pixel 7a, joining the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro in Google's latest smartphone portfolio. This development comes after Google India announced the same day that production of the standard Pixel 8 has begun in India, fulfilling the promise it made at the Google for India event in October 2023.
At a media roundtable for the launch of the Pixel 9 series, Google made the announcement regarding the Pixel 8a's production in India. As per the company, its assembly in the country will start “soon”. However, it did not reveal any definitive timeline of when these ‘made in India' devices could hit the store shelves.
For the production of Pixel 8, Google's global manufacturing arm Compal has reportedly partnered with India's local electronic manufacturing services (EMS) company Dixon Technologies. The company's plans include an initial production capacity of 100,000 units monthly, with approximately 25 percent of them designated for export to global markets.
Although it would be made in India, it is unclear if the production of Pixel 8a would result in a potential price cut on the smartphone, which usually happens due to the reduced costs of local manufacturing. Notably, Google slashed prices of its entire older Pixel lineup after the introduction of the Pixel 9 series.
After the price revision, Google Pixel 8a price in India starts at Rs. 49,999 for the 128GB variant. It is available in two storage options: 128GB and 256GB. The higher storage configuration model costs Rs. 56,999. Although the new prices have been announced, Google says they will go live in the coming weeks on Flipkart, which is the company's only authorised online seller in India.
The Google Pixel 8a is available for purchase in four colourways: Aloe, Bay, Obsidian, and Porcelain.
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