Update (Jan 28): Google seems to have now accidentally confirmed the Pixel 6a is real, by mentioning it in a coloring book.
A new Google Pixel 6a leak has given us a big handful of specs to chew over, and it looks like Google's going to make some welcome changes.
Coming from Shadow_leak (via TechRadar), it looks like the Pixel 6a's going to be taking several features from the Pixel 6 as well as adapting some of the Google Pixel 5a's parts and adding some new components, too.
Google Pixel 6a display
We'll start with the screen. The Pixel 6a will apparently get a 6.2-inch, 60Hz display (corrected by Shadow_leak from their original 120Hz claim in a reply to the original tweet). That's actually a little smaller than the 6.3-inch Pixel 5a, although it's still a good size for even a small Android phone.
It's a shame that the Pixel 6a may not inherit one of the smooth high-refresh-rate displays from the Pixel 6 or 6 Pro, as 60Hz displays are starting to look a little dated.
Edit (April 13): The Pixel 6a may not get a 60Hz display after all, as a new leak is now claiming it'll get a 90Hz screen.
Google Pixel 6a battery and charging
Beneath that screen, the Pixel 6a is tipped to pack a 4,800 mAh battery, a bit larger than the Pixel 5a's 4,680 mAh cell. The charging speed will be significantly better though, as Google is reportedly arming the Pixel 6a with 30W charging, instead of 18W like before.
We'll have to wait for more rumors to find out if Google will include a compatible 30W charger in the box though, as it doesn't with the Pixel 6. Our bet is on no.
Google Pixel 6a cameras and Tensor chip
For photography, we should expect a 12.2MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide camera and 8MP selfie camera on the Pixel 6a, says Shadow_leak. That's the same combination of cameras as the Pixel 5a and Pixel 6, although the Pixel 6 gets a 50MP main camera, while the Pixel 5a uses a 16MP ultrawide camera.
As we've heard rumored before, Shadow_leak claims the Pixel 6a will be powered by the Google Tensor chip, as we saw in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. That should give the Pixel 6a a surprising amount of computing and graphics power for a budget phone, similar to the iPhone SE. A new 8GB RAM option is also rumored, although there will reportedly be a 6GB version too like the 5a.
Google Pixel 6a design
One miscellaneous detail from this leak is the apparent thickness of the Pixel 6a: 8.77mm (0.34 inches). That's thicker than the Pixel 5a and quite similar to the Pixel 6, which arguably strengthens the previous leak we've seen about the Pixel 6a using the same camera bar design as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. On a similar design theme, from previous leaks we've seen that Google may remove the headphone jack from the Pixel 6a, which would make this the first Pixel A-series phone to not have one.
Unsurprisingly, the leak also says the Pixel 6a will run on Android 12, the latest version of Android that should ship with all new Android phones this year.
Google Pixel 6a outlook
Looking at the big picture painted by these specs, and it seems like Google may have listened to our phone editor Jordan Palmer's article about five things he wants for the Pixel 6a. Better battery life should be a given since the display is smaller and the battery is larger than the previous model; a new ultrawide camera would improve the photography, and the inclusion of the Tensor chip could be the key to the Pixel 6a's success.
All we need now is the phone to ship outside of the U.S. and Japan (the only countries where the Pixel 5a is sold) and for Google to add wireless charging (perhaps unlikely given the phone's price) to make the Pixel 6a perfect. Even if it doesn't, we still anticipate this will be one of the best cheap phones of the year.
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