Google Pixel 6a listing on FCC hints at May launch, just when IO 2022 kicks off

Google Pixel 6a has passed through the FCC in the US, which is a regulatory platform that requires products to be listed before their release.

Google Pixel 6a is expectedly the company’s next affordable phone that may arrive sometime this year. For the past few months, the rumour mill has been full of leaks not only about what the phone could look like or what its specifications would be but also about the timeframe of the phone’s launch. Now, Google may have dropped the biggest hint at the launch timeframe of the Pixel 6a.

Spotted by Droid Life, the Google Pixel 6a has passed through the FCC in the US, which is a regulatory platform that requires products to be listed before their release. While the filing of the upcoming phone does not give anything substantial away, its timing suggests the phone’s launch is imminent. For instance, the Google Pixel 5A first appeared on the FCC only a month ahead of its launch in the US. That means the Pixel 6a may arrive sometime next month. Unsurprisingly, Google IO 2022 kicks off on May 12, so in all likelihood, the Pixel 6a announcement is expected at the developers' conference.

The FCC filing corroborates previous leaks, which mostly suggested that Google would launch its next budget Pixel at IO 2022. But there is still no certainty that Google will indeed launch the Pixel 6a on May 12 — when the IO 2022 begins. Google may schedule the launch for a later date, but that is not likely considering last year’s Pixel 5a’s release in August marred the success Google wanted for it. Even before that, Google Pixel 4a ended up getting a late release. With the Pixel 6a, Google may be looking to bring its budget phone release cycle back on track.

The Google Pixel 6a, according to several leaked renders, will look similar to the Pixel 6, having a visor on the back that houses multiple cameras. There are also benchmark leaks that suggest the performance of the upcoming Pixel phone will be on par with the more expensive counterparts that are already available. The alleged photos of the retail box of the Pixel 6a are also already floating on the internet. The Pixel 6a is all but confirmed right now, and if Google is planning its release in May, an announcement is expected soon.

Last year's Pixel 5a did not make it to many markets. Not even in India, where Google has a minimised focus when it comes to the smartphone market. Hopefully, Google will launch the Pixel 6a in India and other markets, considering customers have the Pixel 4a as their only option. The FCC filing has hinted that there are multiple versions of the Google Pixel 6a in the making.