Google Pixel 6a, Buds Pro launched in India; check prices, availability details

Google's new Pixel 6a and Pixel Buds Pro will be available in India for purchase in last week of July

When Google unveiled the Pixel 6a on day one of the I/O 2022 developers conference in May, there were doubts whether the search engine giant would bring the phone to India in the first phase of the global release programme.

In a surprise move, Google has included the subcontinent in its priority list of regions where Pixel 6a will be rolling out in select countries later this month.

The new Pixel 6a will be available for pre-order on Flipkart starting today (July 21) and the shipment will commence next week. The device will up available for sale from July 28 onwards.

As part of the launch offer, Pixel 6a will be available in two colours— chalk and charcoal— for Rs 43,999. Axis Bank card holders are entitled to get a Rs 4,000 instant discount.

Also, if the customer owns any old Pixel handset (or select premium phones of other brands), they will be eligible to get additional Rs 6,000 discount. For other mid-range or budget phones, they will get Rs 2,000 off.

Furthermore, customers who buy Pixel 6a, will also be able to get smart devices such as Nest Hub (2nd Gen) speaker or Pixel Buds A series, or the Fitbit Inspire 2 at a discounted price of Rs 4,999.

The new Pixel 6a sports a 6.1-inch full HD+ (2400 x 1080p) OLED HDR display and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 shield and comes with an IP67 rating, meaning the device can survive underwater up to 1 metre (approx. three feet) for close to 30 minutes.

It also features an in-display fingerprint sensor and supports a hybrid dual-SIM feature—one physical nano-SIM and an e-SIM.

Inside, it is powered by proprietary Google Tensor silicon, which can clock peak CPU speed of 2.8GHz and comes integrated with 848MHz Mali-G78 MP20 GPU and Titan M2 security chip. It is backed by 6GB LPDDR5 RAM, 128GB (UFS 3.1) storage, and a 4,306mAh battery with an 18W charger.

The new Pixel 6a runs Android 12 software and it will be one of the first to receive Android 13 later this year. Google has promised to offer five years of security software support for up to 2027.

Google Pixel 6a boasts a feature-rich dual-camera--12.2MP (with IMX363 sensor, f/1.7, OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation) + Ultra-wide angle 107-degrees 12MP (with IMX386 sensor, f/2.2, PDAF: Phase Detection Auto Focus) with LED flash on the back. On the front, it houses an 8MP 84-degree ultra-wide lens (with IMX355 sensor, f/2.0).

The mid-range phone will share several fancy Artificial Intelligence(AI)-powered computational photography features of the premium Pixel 6 and 6 Pro including Real Tone, Night Sight and Magic Eraser. The Real Tone will ensure the photo retains the original colour of the person’s face and unlike other rival brands, will not tamper with skin tone or smoothen the face as such.

Pixel 6a Charcoal colour model. Credit: Google

Also, the name suggests Night Sight will offer spectacular low-light photos in the pitch darkness or in the twilight timeframe. And, the Magic Eraser will offer the option to remove any obstructions or even strangers photo bombing the family picture in an instant on the native Google camera app.

Besides the Pixel 6a, Google is also bringing the premium Pixel Buds Pro TWS(True Wireless Stereo) earbuds to India for Rs 19,990 on July 28.

The Pixel Buds Pro features a pebble-inspired case. Even the earbuds to smooth and curvaceous.

Pixel Buds Pro. Credit: Google

The earbuds boast an IPX4 rating, meaning they can survive accidental water splashes from any angle and sweat too. The earbuds case too, comes with an IPX2 rating, and this means, it can sustain just the water splashes from a 15-degree angle.

Each Pixel Buds Pro pods feature wind-blocking mesh covers, three microphones, and a voice accelerometer, which promise to offer a good active noise cancellation feature and also an audio input for a clearer voice call experience.

Pixel Buds Pro feature custom 6-core audio chip that runs Google-developed algorithms. Credit: Google

Furthermore, it houses a custom-designed 11 mm dynamic speaker driver to deliver the crisp audio output and for ANC, it comes with a dedicated custom 6-core audio chip that runs Google-developed algorithms.

With a full charge, it is capable of offering up to seven hours of earbuds listening time, with normal, up to 11 hours of listening and up to 31 hours total listening time with the charging case.

The case also supports fast charging. With just 5 minutes of charging, earbuds can offer up to one hour of listening time and with 15 minutes, it can last for three hours. It also supports wireless charging with Qi-certified class of chargers.

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