What you need to know
- A new image supposedly shows off the rumored Pixel 6a's box design.
- This design matches up with what we saw from the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro launch.
- There's still no indication as to when the Pixel 6a will launch.
In a world where it seems the "slab" smartphone world is getting a bit boring, there is still hope for some excitement. Google is expected to launch the highly-anticipated Pixel 6a sometime in the coming months, and a new leak (via Techxine) supposedly gives us a peek at the retail box.
There's not much to discern from this leaked image, aside from the confirmation that the Pixel 6a will adopt the same design as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. At the top of the box, you'll still find the same Google logo, along with the name of the phone placed just beneath it.
Where you will begin to notice a few differences is in the camera bar on the back. Of course, this is just going off of one single leaked image, but it does appear that the spacing between the top of the phone and the top of the camera bar has been slightly shrunken.
This more similarly resembles the camera bar found on the back of the smaller Pixel 6, as does the use of a dual-camera setup as evidenced in the retail packaging. Then, there's an LED flash off to the right, again matching up with what we've seen from Google's latest devices.
According to the source that provided the image to Techxine, the Pixel 6a is slated to feature a 6.2-inch OLED display, coming in "slightly smaller in comparison with its predecessor." The phone is said to launch with Android 12L in tow, which is a pretty good indication that Google will make this more widely available before Android 13 officially rolls out.
As for the camera hardware, the Pixel 6a is rumored to feature Sony's IMX363 12MP lens. This is the same sensor found in previous "A Series" devices, along with more-recently released phones such as the Vivo V23. Paired with this will be another 12MP lens and it wouldn't come as a surprise if Google is just continuing to use the same camera hardware as what we saw in the Pixel 5a.
Previous leaks and rumors suggest that Google will debut the Pixel 6a at Google I/O 2022, which is scheduled to take place on May 11 and May 12. While we are expecting to see the latest option to take on the best cheap Android phones, there is also hope that we'll see a Pixel Watch teaser at the event.
Unfortunately, there are still quite a few questions surrounding the Pixel 6a that were not answered with this latest leak. We'll have to wait for Google's official announcement to learn more about pricing and whether there are any other new features in store for users.
The Pixel 6 may not feature the tertiary camera like its larger sibling does, but it still packs quite the punch. This phone is more compact, easier to hold, and you get about 90% of the same experience in a smaller form factor.
