The Pixel 6a has reportedly entered production ahead of Google I/O 2022

We’ve been talking about the new Google Pixel 6a for months at this point, and according to a new leak over on Twitter, it looks likely that the launch window for the newest addition to the Pixel family will be a bit earlier than the last few years’ iterations. We’ve all been thinking an announcement at Google I/O 2022 is likely, but the actual shipments might not happen until later in the year. If this latest leak is true, then it looks more likely than ever that Google will be spilling the beans on the Pixel 6a in just a couple days.

[Exclusive] Can confirm that the serial production of the Google Pixel 6a (NFC) has begun in several Asian countries, launch seems imminent.#Google #GooglePixel6a

— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) May 6, 2022

While I’ve never heard of Mukul Sharma before this tweet, he is apparently a well-known leaker who has provided accurate, early insight on other products in the past. If his report is to be believed, that means we can be quite sure that we’ll see something about this device at Google I/O this week. With Pixel 6 looks, Tensor inside, and what should be a much lower price tag than the already-reasonable $599 Pixel 6, the Pixel 6a could be a great entrant in the Google phone lineup.

What we’ve heard up to this point is that Google should introduce the new phone at Google I/O 2022 with an actual availability somewhere in the July 2022 timeframe. This latest tweet lines up with that assumption as production starting means we won’t be seeing a quick turnaround from announcement to availability if this leak is true.

This would move up Google’s timeline a bit from the last few A-series Pixel phones that launched in late August and put it more in line with the original A-series release: the Pixel 3a that arrived in May of 2019. While it feels completely unlikely that Google could deliver the Pixel 6a in the month of May, it seems that we likely won’t be waiting until August for it to show up this year, putting a bit more space between this launch and the presumed Pixel 7 launch in the fall. We’ll know more later this week.