The Pixel 6a is the cheapest Google Tensor-powered smartphone yet

When Google first announced their Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro back in October last year, it was pretty groundbreaking to say the least. Like Apple Silicon, Google decided to go about building their own flagship system-on-chip, dubbed the Google Tensor. We then began hearing rumours about a more accessible Pixel device just weeks later, and almost seven months after that Google finally revealed their cheapest Google Tensor-powered smartphone, the Pixel 6a.

Google Pixel 6a price and availability

As is almost always the case with every new Pixel device though, it’s highly unlikely that the Pixel 6a will ever be made available in Malaysia under any official capacity. However, if you do happen to cross the border to Singapore anytime soon, you could get one there. In the US, it’s priced at USD449 (~RM1,969.54) and pre-orders for the Pixel 6a begins on 21 July onwards, with full availability on 28 July.

Google Pixel 6a specs and features

The Pixel 6a is Google’s more accessible and wallet-friendly option in their Pixel 6 series of smartphones, and so you can expect some corners to be cut. The display for instance is a 6.1-inch, FHD+ OLED display with a standard 60Hz refresh rate; the Pixel 6 had a 90Hz panel while the Pixel 6 Pro went up to 120Hz. Furthermore, the Pixel 6a only gets a layer of Gorilla Glass 3 for scratch resistance with a plastic back panel, as well as an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance compared to the IP68 rating its Pixel 6 stablemates have.

Under the hood though is where the performance capabilities of the Pixel 6a shine through. It packs the same Google Tensor chip powering the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, mated to 6GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of UFS3.1 storage. The Google Tensor of course is considered last generation by now, built with help from Samsung. Nevertheless, the near-flagship silicon should make the Pixel 6a a respectable device in its own right. It also comes with a dedicated Titan M2 security chip for extra safely protection.

In the camera department meanwhile, Google breaks with tradition by downgrading the camera hardware in the Pixel 6a; Google had previously kept the same camera hardware between its A-series devices and their flagship ones. The Pixel 6a here has a 12.2MP, f/1.7 main camera rather than the 50MP shooter on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Next to this is a 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide camera offering a 114° field of view. They’re capable of up to 4K video recording at 60fps, with OIS and EIS and have Google’s usual array of features such as Magic Eraser. The front camera meanwhile is an 8MP, f/2.0 selfie shooter.

Elsewhere, the Pixel 6a has a 4,410mAh battery with 18W fast charging that Google says offers an over 24-hour battery life with up to 72 hours of battery life when using its extreme battery saver mode. The charging brick meanwhile is still sold separately unfortunately. You’ll also find an under-display fingerprint scanner as well as stereo speakers but no 3.5mm audio jack. As for connectivity, it supports 5G, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC and Google Cast.

The Google Pixel 6a will come in three colours, namely sage, white and black. For more information about the Google Pixel 6a, you can head over to its product page on the Google website.