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Google held its annual I/O event on Wednesday, where the company showed off a bunch of new hardware and software features. Perhaps the most exciting reveals were the Google Pixel 6a and Pixel 7 series, coming later this year.
The Pixel A-series is Google’s line of budget smartphones, with similar cameras and software as regular Pixel models combined with a cheaper system-on-a-chip (SoC) and a lower price tag. This year, Google is changing the formula: the Pixel 6a is much closer to the top-of-the-line Pixel.
The Pixel 6a looks nearly identical to the Pixel 6 series, with the same viewfinder-like camera module stretching across the back and a two-tone color design. The phone also has an under-display fingerprint sensor, which is a first for Pixel A phones. However, the Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch screen, while the Pixel 6a has a slightly larger screen. small 6.1 inches. Google didn’t mention whether the 6a will have the same camera setup as the base Pixel 6 (just that it has a primary and ultra-wide lens), but it will at least have many of the same software features.
For the first time, the Pixel A series will use the same chipset as the company’s flagship phones. The Pixel 6a uses the custom Tensor chipset found in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, so performance should be fast. Google didn’t provide exact speed comparisons during its I/O event, but the company said it’s 5 times faster at machine learning than the Pixel 5a.
The Pixel 6a will be available for pre-order starting July 21, and the full release date is July 28. You can sign up for availability updates on the Google Store. The Pixel 6a is likely to be sold through other stores and carriers, but we don’t have any information on that yet. Pricing starts at $449, the same cost as last year’s Pixel 5a, and it will ship with Android 13.
Assuming the Pixel 6a can avoid the endless stream of annoying software bugs the Pixel 6 has suffered from, it looks like a amazing Cheap Android phone. The main competition at this price point is the Galaxy A53, which struggles with slower performance and likely worse cameras than Google will offer. The Pixel 6a is also just $20 shy of the 2022 iPhone SE, which is a great phone if you’re willing to accept iOS and the older design.
Google also briefly showed off the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, which won’t arrive until this fall. The phones look similar to the existing Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a series, but the viewfinder camera bar is now mostly covered in the same aluminum as the phone’s frame, instead of black glass.
Unsurprisingly, Google says the Pixel 7 will have a next-gen Tensor chip, but we don’t have any details on what will be improved yet. Minor camera improvements are likely (at a minimum), and the phones will ship with Android 13 out of the box. Last year’s Pixel 6 was a significant overhaul for the product line and it was mostly a success, so Google doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel this time.
The price of the Pixel 7 is unknown for now. The entry-level Pixel 6 is $599 and the 6 Pro is $899, so the new phones probably be somewhere out there.
Source: Pixel 6a Blog, Pixel 7 Blog
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