Google Pixel 6a: Release Date, Specs, And Pre-Order Info

Google has officially revealed the Pixel 6a, a mid-ranger with the in-house Tensor chip that serves as Android's answer to the iPhone SE. The Pixel 6a shares its design DNA and some of its core specs with the Pixel 6 flagships but brings the price down to just $449. Starting with the specs, the Pixel 6a offers a relatively small 6.1-inch OLED display with an FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) display and Corning's Gorilla Glass 3 on top, but the screen refresh rate is capped to a standard 60Hz value.

The imaging hardware includes a 12.2-megapixel primary camera sitting alongside a 12-megapixel ultra-wide shooter, while selfie duties are handled by an 8-megapixel front snapper. The rear camera can shoot 4K videos at up to a 60 fps frame rate and slow-motion clips at up to 240 fps. Google is porting over support for neat tricks such as Magic Eraser, Real Tone, Night Sight, and Face Unblur to its latest offering.

The build is IP67-rated, while authentication is handled by an in-display fingerprint sensor. The battery fitted inside the phone is a 4,410 mAh unit that supports fast charging, but there's no wireless charging convenience on the offer here. Google touts 24 hours of battery life on a single charge and up to 72 hours with the extreme battery saver mode enabled. The Pixel 6a will run Android 12 out of the box, and it will be among the first phones that will get the Android 13 update when its rolls out in the fall season.

Google will sell the Pixel 6a in a single memory configuration that packs 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage with no scope for further storage expansion. Color options on the table are charcoal, chalk, and sage. Notably, the Pixel 6a supports both the mmWave and Sub-6GHz flavors of 5G, which is a nice perk for a phone in this price bracket.

The star of the show here is, of course, the Tensor chip that also powers the Pixel 6 and its Pro model. Not only will the Pixel 6a match its flagship siblings on the performance scales, but it will also do so on the software support longevity parameter, as well. The company has promised five years of software updates for the phone, which is the best figure one can get in the Android ecosystem.

Google has kept the asking price of the Pixel 6a at the same level as its predecessor, but a few compromises have been made, too. The Pixel 6a, for some odd reason, skips the 3.5mm headphone jack. Moreover, it's going to be a long wait before the Pixel 6a goes on sale. Pre-orders for the Pixel 6a kick off on July 21, and it will begin shipping a week later, starting on July 28. Aside from the U. S., the Pixel 6a will also be sold in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and India.