Google Pixel 6a Leaks Reveal a Pixel 6 Lookalike With a Pixel 3 Camera

The fall’s product launch onslaught could have slowed down, however now we’re looking forward to subsequent 12 months. A brand new Pixel 6 could also be becoming a member of the lineup, based on 9to5Google. A leaked Pixel 6a spec sheet reveals the mid-range telephone’s capabilities, and although it appears like the Pixel 6a will appear like its pricier siblings and run on Google’s customized Tensor ship, it would pack within the Pixel 3’s outdated digicam {hardware}.

Earlier this week, leaked Pixel 6a renders confirmed that the forthcoming telephone shares the same design to the remainder of the lineup. The 6a seems rectangular and consists of the Pixel 6’s signature sharp corners. There’s additionally the black digicam bar on the again, which homes a number of lenses and flash.

However, the digicam {hardware} on the within will not be the most recent and biggest. The Pixel 6a may use a Sony IMX363 sensor, the identical one used within the Pixel 3 and each launch as much as the Pixel 5a. That means the 6a received’t provide the identical digicam efficiency because the Pixel 6, as a result of the latter has a a lot bigger picture sensor that permits it to seize a lot gentle.

But Google has proven that it may do wonders with digicam software program, and the truth that the Pixel 6a might need the Tensor chip inside it bodes nicely for its capabilities. The Tensor Processing Unit, or TPU, drives all of the machine studying smarts of the Pixel telephones. While digicam efficiency wouldn’t be fairly the identical as the top-tier Pixel 6 Pro, as an example, it is likely to be nearly as succesful—the identical means earlier A-series Pixels managed to impress at their middle-of-the-road worth factors.

Google may additionally use the Pixel 6a to push its on-device language processing capabilities, that are made doable with that TPU chip. And I think about there is likely to be point out of all of the issues Google Photos can do because of that {hardware} helper, like Magic Eraser, which technically works on different Pixel units in case you sideload a specific APK for Google Photos, however which depends on the TPU chip to carry out its alternative processing.

Perhaps essentially the most thrilling a part of the Pixel 6a together with Google’s chip is that the corporate may provide prolonged software program replace assist—even longer than the three years supplied to previous units. Google has promised that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro could have software program replace assist for as much as 5 years, made doable by that homegrown chip. Imagine paying solely $400 for a telephone, which is how a lot the A-series have traditionally price at launch, for a smartphone that lasts you 5 years.

This is all to say: Even if these rumored specs aren’t set in stone, it appears like Google’s most reasonably priced smartphone could also be getting a significant improve—even when the digicam isn’t fairly pretty much as good as we hope.