Google just disclosed the Pixel 6A at Google I/O on Wednesday, and while it has many impressive specs for a mid-range device, it’s missing one that the company has honored on its A-series cord for years: a 3.5mm headphone jack.
As many smartphone manufacturers have carried on from the headphone jack — a trend booted off by Apple and the iPhone 7 in 2016 — its existence on the A-series line has become more and more of a distinctive feature.
Google even made a ridiculous two-minute ad heralding the headphone jack in the Pixel 5A that mimicked Apple’s elaborate plan videos. That video was titled, in detail, “The Circle Comes Full Circle.” Unfortunately, the circle is coming full circle again, as now Google is the one set to fall the headphone jack from its next phone.
The forte is that this isn’t even the first time this circle has come full circle. In an ad for the first Pixel — released in 2016, the same year as the iPhone 7 — Google recorded this key Feature: “3.5mm headphone jack satisfyingly not new.” But the headphone jack was driven from the Pixel 2, released just a year later. The first A-series Pixel, the Pixel 3A, would bring it back, but not until 2019. So once again, Google has parodied Apple, only to become a mockery itself the following year.
We’ve asked Google why it decreases the headphone jack for the Pixel 6A. But it’s possible the company enjoys making a more convincing case to market your wireless headphones — and wouldn’t you understand it; Google announced the new Pixel Buds Pro at Google I/O.
Thanks to Google Tensor, from the exceptional camera features to speech recognition to security you can delegate, many of your favorite features from Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will be joining the party. Here’s a look at some of them.
Pixel 6a borrows multiple same design components from Pixel 6 — including the iconic camera bar — along with a metal skeleton that is durable by design. You’ll also gain the revamped Material You design UX that lets you personalize your phone’s look and feel, driving it truly yours. So show off your colorful side and harmonize your aesthetic with one of three phone colors: Charcoal, Chalk, and Sage.
For counted protection and even more color options, choose one of the cases explicitly made for Pixel 6a — they’re sheer and can be mixed and matched to create unique color combos. Of course, you’ll also have your choice of cases from our Made for Google partners.
Pixel 6a helps capture your most meaningful moments with a Camera Bar that possesses dual rear cameras: the primary lens and an ultrawide lens. So rest assured you can catch the whole scene. It’s the same great camera as the Pixel 6 for the selfie camera on Pixel 6a.
The Pixel Camera is created to be versatile and adapt to your needs. You’ll notice some of those features and technologies on Pixel 6a — from Real Tone, which authentically symbolizes all skin tones, to Night Sight, which drives low-light photography a breeze, to Magic Eraser in Google Photos, which makes distractions vanish. And good news, we’ve improved Magic Eraser so you can also adjust the color of distracting objects in your photo. Then, the object’s colors and shading blend naturally in just a few taps. So the focus is on the issues — where they should be.
Photo of two young kids creating a sand castle on the beach. There is a chair and umbrella in the backdrop and a bright green cooler. The chair and umbrella are specified using Magic Eraser. With Magic Eraser, you can withdraw unwanted distractions from photos, such as the umbrella and chair in the background of this photo.
Pixel 6a comes with the same positively accurate speech recognition as Pixel 6 Pro. That contains features like Live Caption, Recorder, and Live Translate. Pixel 6a is your translator with Live Translate. Animated GIF showing Live Translate in action.
You’ll get the complete hardware and software experience you’d expect with Google Tensor without compromising battery life. Pixel 6a arrives with an all-day battery that can stay up to 72 hours in the Extreme Battery Saver method — a first for Pixel phones.
With Google Tensor, Pixel 6a communicates the same security architecture as Pixel 6 Pro, including our reliable security chip Titan M2 that offers you the peace of mind that your sensitive data is secure. With this standard hardware platform across the latest mobiles, Pixel 6a will acquire five years of security updates while the device first becomes functional on GoogleStore.com in the U.S., like Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 6. Plus, Pixel 6a arrives with Feature Drops, so you get the latest and most noteworthy features and updates. And as with other Pixel gadgets, Pixel 6a will be among the first Android devices to accept the forthcoming Android 13 update.