The Google Pixel 6a is still a month away from hitting the shelves, but the phone has already been listed on Best Buy, complete with pricing, financing plans, pictures, and shipping date in tow. The listing carries a lot of weight, as it fixes one of Pixel 5a’s biggest mistakes – extremely limited availability worsened by constrained sales channels.
The Pixel 5a, which arrived in August last year, was only sold via the official Google Store. No carrier stores had it, and neither did any third-party retail partners. On top of it, the phone was only available in the U.S. and Japan, skipping markets like India where its predecessor had done quite well.
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It appears that Google wants to rectify those mistakes with the ambitious Pixel 6a. At Best Buy, the Pixel 6a is listed in all three colors – Charcoal, Sage, and Chalk – all of which are priced at $449 for the unlocked version with 128GB of onboard storage. Carrier-locked versions for T-Mobile and Verizon are also on offer, but the latter comes at a $50 premium.
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Best Buy’s 12-month installment plan is priced at $37.42 per month. The release date is listed as July 28, which matches what Google had originally announced at its I/O 2022 event a few weeks ago. Pre-orders for the Pixel 6a will open a week earlier on July 21 via the official Google Store. However, it is unclear if other outlets like Amazon and B&H will also carry the phone in the coming months.
Coming to the regional availability part, aside from the U.S., Google previously confirmed that the Pixel 6a will be up for grabs in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, and the U.K. It appears that Google is bullish about the Pixel 6a’s market uptake prospects, and it actually makes sense.
For that asking price, the Pixel 6a offers a standout design with a flagship-tier Tensor chip inside. The phone will get at least three Android OS upgrades, with timely software updates on a monthly basis and a healthy number of exclusive features. The dual-camera setup with the famed Pixel formula is another draw for potential buyers, as is the relatively compact build compared to the Pixel 6 series flagships.
As far as OnePlus goes, there is no phone in its portfolio to challenge the Pixel 6a head-on. There was some hope that the Nothing Phone 1 would shake things up a little bit, but the Carl Pei-led upstart has decided to skip a U.S. launch for its first phone. In a nutshell, Google has a very realistic chance of making a solid dent in the market with the Pixel 6a, and less frustrating retail availability is definitely going to help achieve that goal.
I love the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but the Pixel 9 Pro Fold may change that
A year ago, I never expected to write this. Samsung had just launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 with iterative changes over the Z Fold 4, and Google’s first attempt at a folding phone left a lot to be desired. Google had phenomenal software features like Call Screen and Live Transcribe, but Samsung had much better hardware, the S-Pen, and incredible productivity tools.
Fast-forward a year, and it’s a very different landscape. Samsung made further iterations with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and it’s a phenomenal folding phone. The form factor and size are great, especially when using two apps side-by-side on the main display. It has an S-Pen, and I love using mine. The problem is I can’t stop thinking about the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
The first 6 things you need to do with your Google Pixel 9
Google has launched the Google Pixel 9 series, and it’s quite an impressive lineup. The base model Pixel 9 got a big upgrade with a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens and 12GB RAM. The Pro models now come in two sizes so that anyone who wants a smaller Pro phone can finally have it without compromising on features. The Pro phones also have a mighty 16GB RAM and a powerful triple-lens camera setup.
While you may be super excited to start using your new phone right away, there are some things you should make sure you do first. Here are a few suggestions to make the most of your Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, or Pixel 9 Pro XL.
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The one Pixel Watch 3 feature I want the Apple Watch to copy ASAP
It’s a hot Google summer, as the company recently announced its newest lineup of Pixel devices, with the biggest stars being the new Pixel 9 lineup and the Pixel Watch 3. Though the Pixel 9 phones got a big redesign, the Pixel Watch 3 looks mostly the same, though it now comes in two sizes.
But Google made the Pixel Watch 3 stand out more than expected with a new feature that hasn’t been on any wearable until now: Loss of Pulse Detection.
