Pixel 6a to Pixel Watch, I/O 2022 Signals Google Getting Serious About Hardware

On this week's Orbital episode, we talk in detail about the Pixel 6a and other Google I/O 2022 announcements.

By Jagmeet Singh | Updated: 13 May 2022 19:00 IST

Pixel 6a to Pixel Watch, I/O 2022 Signals Google Getting Serious About Hardware

Photo Credit: Google

Pixel 6a is confirmed to make its way to India

Google hosted its I/O 2022 consumer keynote this week, where it showcased its new hardware developments, including the Pixel 6a and Pixel Watch, as well as software innovations, including an 'immersive' view on Google Maps. While the Pixel 6a is confirmed to launch in India, the Silicon Valley giant has not yet provided any details on the arrival of the Pixel Watch and other products in the country that it showcased at the keynote. It also unveiled the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, as well as the Pixel Tablet as its next-generation hardware that will debut at a later stage.

To talk about the best of Google I/O 2022, Orbital host Akhil Arora speaks with Reviews Editor Roydon Cerejo and Executive Editor Jamshed Avari on this week's episode of the Gadgets 360 podcast.

The Pixel 6a debuted at the I/O 2022 consumer keynote with a price tag of $449 (roughly Rs. 34,700). The phone comes in three distinct colours, namely Chalk, Charcoal, and Sage. It has a single 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. Although Google has not yet revealed any specifics about the India launch of the Pixel 6a, it did confirm that the phone will make its way to India later this year. It is tipped to be available through Flipkart sometime by the end of July.

Google has offered its custom Tensor SoC on the Pixel 6a — similar to last year's Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The new phone also comes with a dedicated security coprocessor called Titan M1. It carries dual rear cameras, including a 12-megapixel primary sensor. There is also a 4,410mAh battery with fast charging support.

The Pixel 6a's design reminds us of the existing Pixel 6-series models.

Alongside the Pixel 6a, at I/O 2022, Google unveiled the Pixel Watch after years' long anticipation and a series of rumours. The smartwatch carries a circular domed design and swappable wrist bands. The Pixel Watch also features a Fitbit integration for enhanced fitness tracking support. Thank goodness the Fitbit acquisition finally means something.

Google also announced the Pixel Buds Pro as its next-generation truly wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds at the event. The earbuds come with active noise cancellation (ANC) support that makes them different from the existing Pixel Buds models. Details about the India launch of the Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro were not provided at the I/O 2022 keynote.

Beyond that, Google also teased future hardware, showcasing the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, as well as the Pixel Tablet. The Pixel 7 series is confirmed to debut later this year — alongside the Pixel Watch. However, the Pixel Tablet is teased to arrive sometime in 2023.

Google also demonstrated its new 'immersive' view on Google Maps that is aimed to offer a rich, digital model of the world to users through their mobile devices. It will work on both Android and iOS hardware, and use Google Cloud for rendering the experience to put less burden on the device.

The new offering has initially started rolling out in Los Angeles, London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo. However, there is no word on whether — or when exactly — we'll get it in India. The track record is not good on such features.

Google also announced an expansion of languages on its Translate app to 24 additional languages. These include more Indian languages in Assamese, Bhojpuri, Mizo, and Sanskrit.

The event also gave us a sneak peek of the next-generation Google Glass that appear to be more natural over the original Google Glass. Exact details on when we could see the new augmented reality (AR) pair of glasses are yet to be announced, though.

We talk more about the Google Glass upgrade, as well as how well the Pixel 6a might perform in the Indian market. You can listen to all this and more by hitting the play button on the Spotify player embedded above.

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Google Pixel 6a

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
IP67-rated design
Impressive cameras for photos
Vibrant OLED display
Stock Android 13 software

Bad
Plastic back is prone to scratches
60Hz display does not feel fluid
Cannot handle heavy gaming
Recorded video needs work
Relatively slow charging, no wireless charging
Battery life could be better

Read detailed Google Pixel 6a review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Google Tensor

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 12.2-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB

Battery Capacity 4410mAh

OS Android 13

Resolution 1080x2400 pixels

More Google mobiles Google mobiles price in India

Google Pixel Watch

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Compatible OS Android 8.0+

Dial Shape Round

Ideal For Unisex

More Google Smartwatches

Google Pixel Buds Pro True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Earphones

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design / Comfort
Audio Quality
Battery Life
Value For Money

Good
Comfortable fit, very good noise isolation
Reliable hands-free access to Google Assistant
Decent battery life on the earpieces
Fun, warm sound with punchy bass

Bad
App only works on Android
No detailed equaliser settings or ANC customisation
No advanced Bluetooth codec support

Read detailed Google Pixel Buds Pro True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Earphones review

Headphone Type In-Ear

Microphone Yes

Connectivity True Wireless Stereo (TWS)

Type Earphones

More Google Headphones & Headset

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Further reading: Pixel 6a, Google Pixel 6a, Pixel Watch, Pixel Buds Pro, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel Tablet, Google Maps, Immersive View, Google Search, Google Translate, Google IO 2022, Google IO, IO 2022, Google, Gadgets 360 podcast, Orbital, Podcast