New Pixel 9a leaks show off official cases and satellite capabilities

What you need to know

• New leaks reveal official cases of the upcoming Pixel 9a alongside some renders.
• On the other hand, the Pixel 9a has also hit the FCC certification, indicating the flagship satellite connectivity feature is coming to the handset.
• The device hitting the FCC listing also means the launch is expected sooner rather than later.

Google’s next product is evidently the Pixel 9a, which is yet to get a release date. While we await its launch, we already know what to expect — thanks to numerous leaks so far. However, some new details emerge of the mid-range handset as some more renders and cases emerge next to an FCC listing as well.

Leaker Arsène Lupin on X (formerly Twitter) has shared some renders of the upcoming Pixel 9a, which appear familiar to what we have seen in the earlier leaked renders of the handset.

The device could feature rounded corners, and flat edges, and the large Pixel’s signature rectangular camera visor is no longer present; instead, the Pixel 9a settles with a regular pill-shaped camera visor flushing right into the rear panel.

The shared renders include black, silver, and purple colorways, and a pink one like the Pixel 9 series is also expected. These renders also match the earlier-witnessed real hands-on images of the handset, which occurred in multiple instances. Next to the renders, tipster Lupin has also shared the accompanying official cases of the Pixel 9a, which appear to be silicone-made.

On the other hand, DroidLife has managed to view the recent FCC certification of the Pixel 9a, which means the device launch could be happening sooner rather than later. The certification site has revealed three Google phones bearing GXQ96, GTF7P, and G3Y12 model numbers. While the certification doesn’t reveal the entirety of the handset, we get to know some tidbits about the handset, like its support for Wi-Fi 6E, NFC, and wireless charging.

Interestingly, the FCC certification also reveals a digital label explaining that “the satellite feature on this device must be turned off at all times while on board an aircraft by turning on airplane mode.”

A similar label was found for the Pixel 9 series; henceforth, we could see support for the satellite communication feature on the Pixel 9a, which will be commendable as the device is tailored for the mid-range phone segment.

Since the device has hit the FCC listing already, we can expect the launch of the Pixel 9a to happen soon, as mentioned. As DroidLife points out, the Pixel 9 series hit the FCC in July last year, and the devices were launched in August. Going by that fact, since the Pixel 9a has hit the certification in February, we expect it to be coming later this month.

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