The first renders of Google’s next mid-tier smartphone, the Pixel 6a, have appeared online courtesy of Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) and 91mobiles. Right off the bat, it is clear that the handset resembles the standard Pixel 6 model.
The squarish camera bump of the Pixel 5a has been replaced by a horizontal bar with a dual-camera setup — which presumably includes a new 12MP ultrawide sensor — and an LED flash unit. The rear-mounted fingerprint reader has been retired in favor of an in-screen variety.
The renders also showcase the center-mounted pinhole front camera and a two-tone color scheme. The Pixel 6a apparently features a 6.2-inches flat OLED panel and has dimensions of 152.2 x 71.8 x 8.7mm (10.4mm including camera bulge), meaning it’s more compact than the Pixel 6 and may appeal to the demographic that was put off by its size.
The Pixel 6a is seemingly the first A-series Google phone to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack, so you will either have to use wireless headphones or a USB-C to headphone jack adapter.
Most of the other details remain under wraps for now, but there is some vague evidence that the device will be powered by the homebrewed Tensor chip that also fuels that Pixel 6 duo. The aforementioned ultra-wide camera allegedly features bigger pixels, which would allow in more light and improve image quality.
If the Pixel 6a follows the same release pattern as the Pixel 5a, which happens to be one of the best midrangers around, we can expect to see it in August next year.
