Several rumors pointed to a May unveiling of Google’s next budget phone, the Pixel 6a, and now there’s new evidence approaching launch.
Google is likely to unveil the phone during the Google IO, which starts on May 11, although it may not go on sale until July 28. The phone may have a wider release than the Pixel 5a, which was only available in the US and Japan.
The Pixel 6a is expected to reuse the design of the Pixel 6, meaning we can expect a horizontal camera bar and a centered cutout. The phone is expected to have a 6.2-inch screen and smaller dimensions than the Pixel 6.
The handset will likely keep its predecessor’s 12.2MP primary camera, but may get the Pixel 6’s 12MP ultra-wide module and 8MP selfie snapper. This could help it become the best budget camera phone of the year.
The phone will reportedly run on the same internal Tensor chip as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, and leaked benchmark scores suggest that Google has optimized the chip to improve performance. The SoC will presumably be paired with at least 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Pricing is still unknown, and it’s hard to guess if the phone will cost more than the Pixel 5a, which retailed for $449, as the Pixel 6a will feature a flagship chip, new design, and better cameras.
Since competitor Samsung Galaxy A53 costs $449 and competitor Apple iPhone SE 3 starts at $429, a higher starting price than the Pixel 5a could make the 6a uncompetitive, so Google may have some tough decisions to make.