Leaked Renders Of The Google Pixel 7a Reveal Refreshed Camera Bar Design

It's been less than two months since Google refreshed its smartphone lineup with the flagship Pixel 7 smartphones at the company's "Made by Google" event. Along with the Google Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro, this event witnessed the launch of the company's first Pixel-branded smartwatch: The Google Pixel Watch. The company also teased its upcoming tablet, the Google Pixel Tablet, at the same event.

With all of its 2022 launches already done, tech enthusiasts have been yearning to see what the Google may have in store for them in 2023. While we still do not have a launch date for the Pixel tablet, current expectations are that it could arrive in the first quarter of 2023. However, those waiting for Google to announce a new smartphone may have to wait much longer. Logically, the next smartphone launch from Google is the Pixel 7a, which isn't due before July 2023, still eight months away.

There has been a steady stream of speculative leaks surrounding the Pixel 7a for the past few months. While some leaks claimed that the device might feature wireless charging, others claimed the Pixel 7a could use a high refresh rate display. On Nov. 29, 2022, renowned tech leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks) — in collaboration with Indian tech publication Smartprix — showcased renders of the upcoming Google Pixel 7a to the world. These images give us our first-ever glimpse into the design aspects of one of Google's most important products for 2023.

Why fix something that isn't broken?

Even a passing glance at the renders of the Pixel 7a should prove enough to show that this device borrows a good chunk of its design language from its predecessor — the Pixel 6a. However, several elements have also been borrowed from Google's newer Pixel 7 handsets. Take the case of the prominent camera band at the rear — which is now in a lighter silver color shade as opposed to the black bar on the Pixel 6a. The lens arrangement and the positioning of the LED flash remain unchanged as well. To conclude, Google seems to be in no hurry to change the design language for Pixel smartphones in the foreseeable future.

In addition to showing us what the Pixel 7a may end up looking like, Hemmerstoffer with e@OnLeaks also revealed the tentative dimensions of the phone. He claims that the handset measures 152.4 x 72.9 x 9.0mm across, which is nearly identical to the size of the Pixel 6a. 

Unfortunately, we still do not know what to expect from the Pixel 7a in terms of hardware specs. As outlined earlier, there have been rumors about the possibility of the Pixel 7a featuring Sony's IMX363 and IMX787 image sensors for its cameras, and that the device may feature a high refresh rate display. Hemmerstoffer also stopped shy of revealing the possibility of the Pixel 7a offering support for wireless charging.

Given that we have ample time before Google launches the Pixel 7a, there is a good chance that we could see a lot more Pixel 7a-centric leaks in the months to follow.