5G Pixel 6a could be unveiled earlier this year; tipster sees May introduction during I/O

Ever since Google released the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XLin May of 2019, the mid-range Pixel devices have picked up their own following. Packed with an impressive camera, stock Android, first crack at Android software updates, Google's gimmicky software tricks, and better-than-normal battery life, the mid-range Pixels are a value buyer's dream.

Soon, Google did away with the "XL" versions of its mid-range phones and in the last two years, it released the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), and the Pixel 5a. And this year, we should see the Pixel 6a with design cues based on the new look of the Pixel 6 series, including the rear-facing camera bar. According to a tweet from All About Samsung'sMax Jambor, the Pixel 6a is scheduled for a May unveiling.

This could mean that the phone will be introduced at the Google I/O developers conference which was held last year from May 18th through May 20th after COVID forced the cancellation of the event in 2020. We might see Google I/O 2022 take place around May 26th. That is the date when Google will announce the Google Pixel Watch according to tipster Jon Prosser, who says that the announcement could be made during Google I/O.

The Pixel 6a is rumored to sport a 6.2-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080p. While the rumor mill was churning out speculation that the handset would be powered by the  Snapdragon 778 SoC late last year, AndroidPolice says that the Pixel 6a will be carrying the Google Tensor GS101 chipset which is the same silicon used inside the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

The main camera sensor on the back could be the Samsung GN1 which weighs in at 50MP and is the same sensor used on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. According to some code hidden by Google, there are two different versions of the Pixel 6a's rear camera array being tested. One version, called "cloudripper," uses the same sensors found in the Pixel 6 Pro. The other version, "bluejay," uses mid-range sensors which makes this version more believable.

This year's Pixel 6a unveiling, if done in May as Jambor says, will happen much earlier than the last two models which were the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5a, both of which were announced in August. On the other hand, the Pixel 3a line first saw the light of day in May during Google I/O 2019 so an introduction of its mid-range handset earlier than August isn't so far-fetched. The design will call to mind the Pixel 6 series.

Google Pixel 6

The Pixel 6 is also available at BestBuy with our without carrier plan activation. All storage and color versions are in stock.

$599

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Google Pixel 6 Pro

Same BestBuy conditions apply to the Pixel 6 Pro too. You can get an unlocked version or a version with a carrier plan.

$899 ⁹⁹

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Using the Tensor chip for the Pixel 6a would increase the odds that Google will include all or most of its latest AI and Machine Learning based features on the Pixel 6a.We would expect to see some of the features found on the Pixel 6 line make it to the Pixel 6a including the Magic Eraser. The latter removes parts of a photo that you don't want in the background.

Motion Mode, which adds a blur to the background of action shots, might also be onboard. Other new features including the improvement to the At a Glance widget and the colorful Material You design come from Android 12 which will be preinstalled on the Pixel 6a.

One feature that won't make it to the Pixel 6a from last year's Pixel 5a that you wish did is the earphone jack. And we do wonder whether Google will return to the rear-mounted fingerprint reader on the 6a in light of the initial issues with the under-screen fingerprint scanner found on the Pixel 6 line. We do have to mention that after the January update, Pixel 6 series users weren't complaining as much about the slow and lagging under-screen reader.

But even if the company has figured it out, the Pixel 6a is going to cut corners here and there and an under-screen fps is one place where it would make sense to go backward; especially since that is what many Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users have said that they would have preferred.

If you use your phone mainly to take photos, the Pixel 6a should probably be on the list of handsets that you'll want to investigate. First, though, we need to see what the official specs of the Pixel 6a are once the device is announced as soon as May 26th.