First update for Pixel 8a gives it an AI feature found on the Pixel 8 flagship line

Google had a surprise for us yesterday when it announced the mid-range Pixel 8a, something that we didn’t expect to see until next week’s Google I/O developer conference on May 14th. The Pixel 8a is equipped with a Gorilla Glass 3-protected 6.1-inch OLED display featuring an FHD+ 1080 x 2400 resolution, up to 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 2000 nits of peak brightness. The Google Tensor G3 chipset is under the hood and the phone comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

As for the rear camera array, it will feature a 64MP primary camera and a 13MP ultra-wide camera. The front-facing camera also weighs in at 13MP. The 4492mAh battery provides enough juice for all-day use. And the Pixel 8a is going to have some of the Google AI features that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro offer. One of these features is Google’s AI wallpaper generator which uses generative AI to create new wallpaper based on keywords and themes.

Google’s AI wallpaper generator requires more computer power than available on-device. As a result, creating the wallpaper is a task left to Google’s cloud servers which means that the feature can run on other devices besides the Pixel 8 line, and the Pixel 8a will be one of those phones. Per Android Authority, Verizon‘s website has a page that shows a software update is coming for the Pixel 8a which is version UD2A.240505.001.B1. This update adds the May 2024 security update to the Pixel 8a along with the AI wallpaper creation feature.

The 128GB Pixel 8a will be released starting on May 14th priced at $499 or 24 monthly payments of $20.79 from the Google Store. The 256GB model (available in Obsidian only) will cost you $559 or 24 monthly payments of $23.29. The colors offered with 128GB of storage include Aloe, Bay, Obisidian, and Porcelain.