Google Pixel 6a official – and its price will surprise you

The Google Pixel 6a is official: and its price, which was revealed on stage at Google I/O 2022, may surprise you. 

Without delay, Google confirmed the 6a's launch price will be $449. Okay, I know, that's the same price as the earlier Pixel 5a from last year – but in these cost of living hard times, where inflation is always on that up, that's a competitive price. 

Especially when you consider what the Pixel 6a has to offer. It features the same Tensor processor as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, meaning that power isn't a point of difference – there's no compromise on that front.

Google Pixel 6a: So what's the compromise?

It depends how you look at it: actually, I wouldn't call the Pixel 6a a true 'compromise', more a 'Google Pixel lite' if you like. 

It's largely in the cameras department where the 6a takes a step down from its cousins, offering a dual 12-megapixel array (there's no 50MP champ to be seen here). But even so, that doesn't mean features disappear: there's still Magic Eraser on-device editing available. 

The design looks decent to my eyes too: the aluminium frame and attractive colourway shown at Google I/O certainly appeals; there's 5G connectivity, so no dialling down of speed there either; and there's the same Pixel security features, such as five years of Android security patches and an under-display fingerprint scanner. 

Google Pixel 6a: When can I buy one?

In the USA the Pixel 6a will be available from 21 June 2022, then available in stores from 28 June 2022. It'll be available in black, white or green. 

And how about the rest of the world? Google hasn't said anything about that at the time of writing. There's often a delay between USA and UK/EU in that regard, so on these shores you might be left waiting a little longer. 

Looking for something a little more? Well, Google did present a sneak peek of its Pixel 7 – which you can take a look at here. That's the one I'm most excited about, frankly, but it's good to see Google going in strong in the affordable phones market too. 

• Google I/O 2022 livestream: where to watch it and the new Pixels to expect