Google may be having a hard time selling its flagship Pixel phones, with sales of the Pixel 3 lagging behind the Pixel 2. But the company is apparently hoping that a lower price tag on a midrange version of its Pixel might get people excited about its smartphones again.

That's the word from Brandon Lee of This Is Tech Today, who claims that the rumored Pixel 3a will have a sub-$400 starting price.

Specifically, Lee says the Pixel 3a will cost $399 for a 64GB model. The larger Pixel 3a XL will have a starting price of $479.

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If that's accurate, it's a significant cut from what Google charges for its flagship phones. The Pixel 3 debuted at $799 last fall while the Pixel 3 XL has an $899 price tag. The prices Lee floats in his video would place the Pixel 3a and 3a XL firmly in midrange phone territory — less expensive than OnePlus' flagship killer phones while costing slightly more than the budget-minded Moto G7 series.

Lee doesn't cite a source for the Pixel 3a's rumored price, but he does say in the video that someone sent him pictures of the retail packaging for the Pixel 3a. That packaging confirms many of the rumored specs for Google's upcoming phone.

(Image credit: SlashLeaks)

According to the packaging, the Pixel 3a will feature a 5.6-inch screen and come in either 64GB or 128GB versions. There's a headphone jack with the phone, and the packaging refers to a purple color, matching a leaked render of the phone posted by tipster Evan Blass last week.

The packaging doesn't mention anything about processors, but the rumor mill expects the Pixel 3a to feature a Snapdragon 670 chipset, a big step down from the Snapdragon 845 that powers the Pixel 3. (The Pixel 3a XL could feature a Snapdragon 710, at least if leaked benchmarks are to be believed.)

Opting for a less powerful processor — and reportedly, a plastic body instead of metal and glass — could allow Google to deliver a phone for the prices that Lee mentions in his video. Should the Pixel 3a sport the same software-powered cameras that make the flagship Pixels so compelling — and that's the game plan if rumors about the phones are accurate — then these new phones could generate a lot of interest from budget-conscious shoppers.

Lee's not the only one claiming to have seen Pixel 3a packaging. SlashLeaks tweeted out an image that shows the Pixel 3a box.

We'll find out soon enough if these rumors are accurate. The Pixel 3a is expected to debut next week, possibly during the Google I/O developer conference. In the meantime, catch up with all of the latest Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL rumors.