Google Pixel 6a May Be Launched Next Month As Sundar Pichai Teases New Hardware, Android At I/O 2022 Event

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai teased Android and hardware announcements for the upcoming Google I/O event that is slated to be held in May.

Pichai mentioned that the Pixel 6 has been the fastest selling Pixel ever. Image: Google

New Delhi: Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai teased Android and hardware announcements for the upcoming Google I/O event that is slated to be held in May and will likely see the launch of Google Pixel 6a and Pixel Watch. During the company's earnings call, Pichai also mentioned that the Pixel 6 has been the "fastest selling Pixel ever".  

"Pixel 6 is a huge step forward for the Pixel portfolio. And it’s been great to see the response from Pixel users. It’s the fastest selling Pixel ever. And we are building broad consumer awareness of the brand and making good progress. I’m excited about the products we have coming and look forward to sharing more at Google I/O," the company CEO said during the earnings call.

It is likely that the tech giant makes more than one announcement at the Google I/O event next month. The company CEO also mentioned that the Android team will "showcase at I/O the many helpful features and services that Android and its platforms provide".

Earlier this month, the smartphone was spotted on the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website, thus, indicating that the launch of Pixel 6a is near.

According to the US FCC listing, four models of the Google Pixel 6a have been spotted that are: G1AZG, GX7AS, GB17L, and GB62Z. One model out of these comes with 5G mmW support and the other three have a sub-5G band. As per the FCC listing, the GB62Z and GX7AS models are parent models while the GB62Z model is the one that supports 5G mmW. One of these models may be the Pixel 7. A previous FCC listing had suggested that GX7AS model is related to the Google Pixel 6a.

Expected specs and features of Google Pixel 6a

If we look at the previous leaks and rumours the Pixel 6a is likely to look like the flagship Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro with a similar camera design at the back. Some leaked images of the purported Pixel 6a's packaging and early benchmarks suggested that the device is likely to offer performance similar to that of the pricier Pixel models.

The Google Pixel 6a is likely to sport a 6.2-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate as well as an in-display fingerprint scanner. The Pixel 6a may be powered by a Google Tensor chipset and the storage configuration would be 6GB RAM + 128GB memory. There could be a 4,500mAh battery with support for 20W+ fast charging. Other likely features could be facial recognition and Android 12 OS.