Google’s Pixel 6A is coming to India later this year

Google’s Pixel 6A smartphone which was unveiled at the annual I/O conference on May 11, is coming to India later this year, the Alphabet company said in a Twitter post.  

Though the announcement was received positively by many Twitter users in India, some questioned Google’s policy of launching only the stripped-down Pixel devices in the country and not the flagship Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.  

Priced at $449 (approx ₹34,719) in the US, the Pixel 6A is a more affordable variant of the high-end Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, which start at $599 (approx ₹46,326) and $899 (approx ₹69,529), respectively. With import duties, Pixel 6A is likely to cost ₹10,000 to 15,000 more in India.  

Google hasn’t launched a high-end Pixel smartphone in India since Pixel 3 in 2018. Pixel 4A was the last Pixel device that was launched in India in August 2020. Google’s strategy to not launch high-end Pixel devices is not surprising as the previous launches have barely made any dent in the Indian market, even in the premium segment. On the other hand, in North America, Google is the fifth leading mobile brand, even though its market share is only 2.31%, according to Statcounter data.  

Also read: Google I/O 22: Everything you need to know about Pixel 6A, Pixel Watch

Though Pixel 6A is a lower-priced variant of the premium Pixel 6 devices, the gap between them isn’t as wide as it was between Pixel 4A and Pixel 4. Pixel 6A runs on the same Tensor chip that powers its high-end siblings. It has a slightly smaller 6.1-inch OLED display to Pixel 6’s 6.4-inch screen and Pixel 6 pro’s 6.7-inch screen but has the same screen resolution of 1,080p as the Pixel 6. The 60Hz refresh rate is a bit of a letdown as compared to the 90Hz and 120Hz the other two offer.  

In terms of design, Pixel 6A looks similar to others and has a similar camera strip on the back. It supports 5G and is also water-resistant with an IP67 rating. The only difference here is in the camera configuration. It has two 12MP cameras on the back as compared to the 50MP and 12MP cameras on the other two. However, the picture quality may not be a deal-breaker just because it uses 12MP cameras, given the huge role computational photography now plays in how Pixel devices process pictures.  

Pixel 6A also lacks wireless charging.