The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were well-received smartphones, albeit with certain update issues. There have been strong rumors that suggest that the Pixel 7 is already in the works. In the meantime, Google also has plans for a budget-friendly Pixel 6a. Now, a prominent tipster has suggested that the handset could arrive as early as May 2022.
Max Jambor, a leaker and journalist based in Germany, revealed this on his Twitter account. The release date is in line with the release dates of the earlier models of the budget Pixel handset. The Pixel 3A, which was released in 2019, had also arrived in May of that year. While the Pixel 4a and 5a were released in the months of August 2020 and 2021 respectively, their arrivals were delayed only due to the arrival of COVID-19 and its effect on the supply chain.
The handset will not carry its 3.5mm headphone jack, unlike previous Pixel A-Series phones, in order to have thinner bezels around the display. However, users can instead plug in USB-C headphones or a dongle — or simply use wireless earbuds. Google’s Pixel A-Series have been some of the company’s most important phones to date. While the regular Pixels have scooped up headlines, the cheaper Pixels allowed the company to make an impression on the budget market — especially with the more powerful image quality they offered over competitors from Xiaomi, Lenovo, and Oppo. With the Pixel 6 being so affordably priced, a lower-priced Pixel 6a could be poised to make this Google’s best Pixel lineup yet.