Google Pixel 6a could now be in production

Update: The Google Pixel 6a has a big problem in the form of the Pixel 6.

Production of the Google Pixel 6a is now apparently underway, and its launch is supposedly "imminent." This is according to leaker Mukul "StuffListings" Sharma on Twitter, who says that Google has starting building Pixel 6a phones in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and possibly India.

This new claim fits in with the consensus of rumors (including hints from Google's own CEO) that have pointed to the Pixel 6a debuting during Google I/O 2022, which happens this Wednesday (May 11).

The Google Pixel 5a launched in August last year, so Google's reworking its product schedule if the I/O rumors are indeed true. The Pixel 5a was only sold in the U.S. and Japan, likely because of coronavirus-related supply chain issues and chip shortages. We're hoping the Pixel 6a will be available globally, like the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G from 2020.

As you may expect from a phone that's allegedly starting production days before its likely announcement, the physical launch could still be some time away. One rumored possibility is July 28, which may make for quite a gap between Google announcing the phone and actually selling it.

Just as the Pixel 6 revamped Google's flagship phone series at the tail-end of last year, the Pixel 6a is thought to bring an equally big shake-up to Google's mid-priced a-series line. That would most notably include a horizontal camera bar on the back, containing main and ultrawide cameras. It could even use the same Google Tensor chip as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, giving it substantially more power than most of its rivals at the same price, like the Samsung Galaxy A53 or OnePlus Nord 2

All these rumors could be confirmed in just a couple of days. Make sure you follow the Google I/O live stream to see if Google does reveal the Pixel 6a, or if it's going to stick to talking about software like Android 13.