Everything we know so far about Pixel 6a: Read features, design here

The renders of the rumoured mid-range Pixel 6a have been revealed in a fresh leak. These renders come from a reliable tipster who previously revealed the design of the flagship Pixel 6 series. The Pixel 6a appears to feature a design similar to Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. On the front, it has a flat display with a centred punch-hole camera. While on the rear, it sports a thick black strip that spreads through the width of the device.

The Pixel 6a seems to feature dual rear cameras. In addition, it is expected to sport an in-display fingerprint reader but no headphone jack. So, it may possibly be the first midrange Pixel to be equipped with an in-display fingerprint rear and miss out on a headphone jack. As far as the dimensions are concerned, the Pixel 6a is supposed to be a more compact device than the Pixel 6, measuring 152.2 x 71.8 x 8.7mm roughly. Besides this, the smartphone may feature a 6.2-inch OLED panel. While that was a brief introduction to the Pixel 6a, we have more details to share with you, so let’s get started.

Pixel 6a: Specs and features

After the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro launch, leaks around the midrange Pixel 6a have begun to build up. In a recent leak by 91mobiles, the complete design of the alleged Pixel 6a was revealed. The website received the renders from the popular tipster Onleaks, who was also responsible for leaking the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. The images showcase the Pixel 6a in an all-new avatar similar to what we saw on the Pixel 6 series.

The rear end of the smartphone has the new iconic camera module that runs through its width. It appears to be housing dual rear cameras and an LED flash. Also, there’s a subtle Google logo on the back panel. The rear panel seems to have a glass finish on the rear. However, it will be interesting to see if Google goes with a rear glass panel. Especially considering the price constraints for the midrange Pixel 6a.

–There’s a flat display on the front of the smartphone with small bezels on three sides and a slightly thicker bezel at the bottom. The panel also sports a centred punch-hole camera for selfies. The volume rocker and the placed to the right. On the left, there’s a SIM card slot. While at the bottom, Pixel 6a has a USB Type-C port, a speaker grille and a microphone.

–Interestingly, Pixel 6a is tipped to get an under-display for authentication. It’s worth noting that no midrange Pixel (Pixel 3a, Pixel 4a and Pixel 5a) is equipped with an in-display fingerprint scanner. Renders also hint towards the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, which has been part of all the midrange Pixels.

–The report further adds that Pixel 6a will come in a more compact design than Pixel 6. For reference, Pixel 6 measures 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 mm, while the rumoured Pixel 6a is supposed to measure 152.2 x 71.8 x 8.7mm. In addition, the Pixel 6a is expected to sport a 6.2-inch OLED panel, unlike the 6.4-inch and 6.7-inch panels on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, respectively.

–Much like the external design, the rumoured Pixel 6a could also see big hardware changes. The upcoming smartphone could ship with a toned-down version of Google’s Tensor Chipset. However, a few reports hint that A Snapdragon 778G chipset may power Pixel 6a. So it’s possible that Google may keep the Tensor chipset for its flagship offering. And continue to the Pixel 6a with Qualcomm chipsets as seen in the past.

–Google also made big changes to camera systems on the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. So we are expecting the same for the upcoming Pixel 6a. Google has been using the same camera hardware on the midrange Pixel apart from the addition of a 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera on Pixel 4a 5G. Although, the camera system has stood well. It’s time that Google improves the camera hardware on its mid-range devices too. As multiple other manufacturers have stepped up their camera game. Thus Google cannot just rely on computational photography if it wants to get ahead of the competition.

–Currently, we do not have the camera specs of the Pixel 6a. However, we can expect to see dual rear cameras on the Pixel 6a if the renders are true. While on the front, it may get a single selfie shooter. The new camera features showcased on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are likely to trickle down to the Pixel 6a as well.

–Google has moved on to making just 5G midrange Pixels. The current-gen Pixel 5a has a sole 5G variant, unlike the Pixel 4a, which had two models – a standard 4G Pixel 4a and a higher-end Pixel 4a 5G. So Google the Pixel 6a is likely to appear in a 5G only model.

Google Pixel 6a launch

The Google Pixel 5a was launched on 17th August this year. Other than that, the Pixel 4a also arrived in the month of August. Keeping the previous launch timelines in mind, we can expect the Pixel 6a to arrive during the same time next year.

Currently, there’s no information about the availability of this device in India. Google launched Pixel 5a only in the US and Japan. To add to that, the Pixel 6 series hasn’t been introduced in the country. So it can’t be said if Google plans to bring the smartphone to the country.

Google Pixel 6a India price (expected)

It’s too early to talk about the pricing of the Pixel 6a. However, we know Pixel 5a 5G launched at the same price as the Pixel 4a 5G at $450 (Rs 33,000). That said, Google is likely to upgrade the design and hardware if the rumours are true. So we can expect to see a price bump on the Pixel 6a. On the other hand, the Pixel 6 starts at an aggressive price of $599 (roughly Rs 44,600), so we guess that the price will remain under $500 (roughly Rs 37,200).