Google tipped to launch Pixel 6a, Pixel Watch at Google I/O 2022 in May

The mid-range Google Pixel 6a smartphone is expected to arrive sooner than its predecessors, according to a known tipster. Another tipster, on the other hand, has claimed that the smartphone launch will take place around the same period as the upcoming Google Pixel Watch.

A few reports online in the past months have shed some light on the upcoming Google Pixel 6a, showing the purported design and some key expected specifications of the upcoming smartphone.

Tipster Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) said Google had scheduled the launch of the Pixel 6a for May 2022. However, the exact date of launch for the mid-range smartphone is as yet unknown. If true, Google will launch the Pixel 6a earlier in the year compared to predecessors — the Pixel 4a and the Pixel 5a 5G. The Pixel 4a was launched in India in October 2020 after being unveiled globally in August 2020. The Pixel 5a 5G was launched globally in August 2021.

However, Google had to postpone the launch of both the Pixel 4a and the Pixel 5a 5G to August due to delays caused by the outbreak of Covid-19. In contrast, Google had launched the Pixel 3a both globally and in India in May 2019. According to speculations online, Google will launch the mid-range Pixel 6a during Google I/O 2022.

The Google Pixel 6a is likely to be powered by the Google Tensor GS101 SoC, which also powers the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. Additionally, the smartphone is also likely to get a 12.2-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor in the dual-rear camera setup.

Several renders of the Google Pixel 6a surfaced online in November, showing a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera. However, it is not likely to get a 3.5mm headphone jack. The smartphone is expected to get a two-tone finish with a glass back. The back is will also feature a camera island for the dual-rear cameras, along the lines of the Pixel 6 Series.

Tipster Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser), on the other hand, tweeted that Google could launch the Pixel Watch on May 26. Prosser also shared an image showing renders of the smartwatch, showing the watch in orange, grey, and blue straps and a black circular dial.