Pixel 7a rumors show similar design, big tech upgrades

Enlarge / Yep, that's what I thought it would look like. (credit: OnLeaks and Smartprix)

The design of the Pixel 7a does not seem like it will contain many surprises. OnLeaks has a fresh render for Google's next mid-range phone, and it looks like a mini Pixel 7. Usually, these renders are based on CAD information passed out to accessory manufacturers, so the sizes and shapes are usually accurate, but things like the colors and materials are up for interpretation.

If rumors are true, this will be Google's fourth phone to keep the camera-bar design going. The Pixel 6 and 6a camera bar had a clear glass or plastic covering around the camera lenses, while the Pixel 7 switched to an opaque, solid aluminum camera bar. Google likes these phones to look the same, so it's a safe bet the Pixel 7a will also get a solid camera bar. Whether that's aluminum or some other material is still up for interpretation. The front is also predictable and looks just like the Pixel 6a, with a flat screen and what the report calls "thick bezels."

Elsewhere in the Pixel rumor mill, big upgrades are expected for the Pixel 7a. Android researcher Kuba Wojciechowski has been tracking the Pixel 7a (codenamed "Lynx" and "Pixel 22 Mid-range") via the Android codebase, which reveals additions like (slow) 5 W wireless charging and the same Samsung GN1 main camera as what's in the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, along with a Sony IMX787 for the wide-angle sensor. The new sensors would be a big camera upgrade. Currently, the Pixel 6a's main camera is the venerable Sony IMX363, a sensor that Google has been using (with one minor revision) since the Pixel 2. A fresh set of sensors would make sense, given that the IMX363 is around six years old now.

Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments

from Tech – Ars Technica https://ift.tt/FO3AyD6