There is no official word on when the Google Pixel 8a will ship. However, Google has just made a move with one of its other phones that seems to clear the deck for the launch of a new mid-range Pixel device.

The Pixel 6a, which began shipping two years ago, has disappeared from the Google Store. Sure, you can still find the phone at other retailers and wireless carriers, but all links to Google's online store direct you to the Pixel 7a.

Despite being an older model, the Pixel 6a remained in Google's lineup after the launch of the Pixel 7a last year, and Google has reduced the device's price to $349. This eliminated some of the wrinkles of the Pixel 7a's price increase, making it $499, $50 more than the Pixel 6a's original shipping price.

Google promised three years of software updates with the Pixel 6a, but since the phone debuted with Android 12, two of those updates have already expired. The end of this support period justifies Google's decision not to sell the Pixel 6a anymore.

It also boosts the likelihood that a newer phone is waiting in the wings; Pixel 8a rumors are gaining steam ahead of the arrival of that phone, which most expect to materialize at Google I/O 2024. Google has already set the first day of its annual developer conference for May 14, where it is customary for the past Pixel A series to debut. (This includes the Pixel 6a, by the way.)

The Pixel 8a will likely be powered by the Tensor G3 chipset found in the current Pixel 8 flagship, and the same AI-powered features found in these models will be available in the lower-priced 8a The Pixel 8a's camera setup is not expected to change from the Pixel 7a, but the new model could feature a display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a maximum brightness of 1,400 nits. Both of these specs would match those available from the $699 Pixel 8.

These improvements to the Pixel 8a may come at a price. Early rumors suggest that the Pixel 8a will be priced higher, in which case the phone would exceed $500.

Until the Pixel 8a arrives, perhaps as early as mid-May, we will not know if that price prediction will come true. But with the Pixel 6a out of the Google Store's product lineup, at least there is plenty of room for Google's new phone.