- Lawrence Ng
Leaked Google Pixel 6a Images Show Smaller Device, No Headphone Jack
Renders of a budget-friendly mid-range version of the Google Pixel 6 have been recently leaked online, giving us an idea of what a potential Pixel 6a might look like on release.
According to digital renders revealed by leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer, the Google Pixel 6a has a similar design to the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro with a few changes. The Pixel 6a is the smallest of the three, measuring only 6.2 inches compared to the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro, which are 6.4 and 6.7 inches, respectively.
The Pixel 6a will have a 6.2-inch flat OLED display, a centred punch-hole front camera, and an in-display fingerprint scanner similar to the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. However, there have been reports that the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro's in-display fingerprint scanners have performance issues due to the scanners' "enhanced security algorithms", making them unreliable or slow. However, Google recently released an update to fix the problem, which could mean that the Pixel 6a's scanner might be better on release when compared to its predecessors.
The phone will also have the same black camera bump on its rear that houses two cameras and an LED flash, just like the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. It will also have a glass back, and dual-tone finish. Unfortunately, a camera downgrade seems likely due to the phone size. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro feature a 50MP Octa PD Quad Bayer wide camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera.
The volume and power buttons are placed on the right side of the phone's frame. However, the volume buttons seem to have been awkwardly placed considering the phone's compact size.
Lastly, the phone will have a USB Type-C port and two grilles for the phone's speaker and the microphone. However, the phone won't feature a 3.5mm headphone jack like the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro if the renders can be trusted. If the phone is released as is, the Google Pixel 6a would be the first mid-range Pixel phone to come without one as previous mid-range Google Pixel phones (Pixel 5a, Pixel 4a, etc.) all come with a headphone jack.
To date, there has been neither news nor rumour of a definite release date for the Google Pixel 6a, especially since the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were only released in October 2021. We would have to wait some more to see if the leaks are accurate and if the device will be released.