Pixel 6a retail box leak indicates it could break cover sooner than expected
Google's last two budget handsets were revealed in the month of August, which could be blamed on the pandemic. The Mountain View giant's first affordable phone, the Pixel 3a, was announced in May 2019 during the Google I/O conference and a couple of insiders have suggested that this year's Pixel 6a will also be unveiled in May. The phone's retail box has popped up online, which lends weight to that rumor.
The image of Pixel 6a's retail box has been posted by Techxine, which is a new tech-centric blog, so it's best to take this report with a pinch of salt. The box is a lot like Pixel 6's box, with Google's logo at the top center and the device's image right below it.
Alleged picture of Pixel 6a's retail box
The device itself also resembles the Pixel 6, as leaked renders had indicated. This would be a departure from Pixel 5a's design. It has a horizontal camera bar that expands across the top of the phone and appears to have a glass back and glossy metal sides. Since this is a budget device, it could be that it will be made of a shiny plastic material instead.
The phone seems to have two camera sensors and a LED flash unit. According to rumors, the device will get the 12.2MP main sensor that we have seen on Google handsets from Pixel 3 to the Pixel 5a, but the 12MP ultrawide sensor will be the same as the one on the Pixel 6. Similarly, it may also be equipped with Pixel 6's 8MP front camera, which will be housed in a hole punch cutout.
Per earlier rumors, the phone will sport a 6.2-inches screen and will be powered by the home-brewed Tensor chip that also fuels the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. In addition to the black variant pictured in the box, we can also expect white and green models.
The Pixel 6a might be announced during the Google I/O developer conference which will take place between 11 and 12 May. It could be a while before it hits the shelves though as a report says it will go on sale on 28 July. That may dampen its chances of becoming the best budget phone of 2022, considering the Tensor will be a little dated by then. After all, even the iPhone SE 3, which is powered by Apple's flagship chip, is struggling to attract buyers, but that might be because of its stale design.
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